ULSTER CLUB JUNIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI FINAL.
Drumhowan 3-12, McDermotts 0-5.
A more accomplished Drumhowan experienced little difficulty in booking their place in the final of the Ulster junior football club championship at the expense of Belfast side McDermott’s in what was overall a fairly one-way contest in Brewster Park in Enniskillen on Sunday last. A scintillating third quarter during which they hit two goals and five points as against one point by the opposition created the platform for this victory and a winning margin of 16 points does not unduly flatter Drumhowan’s superiority. Drumhowan possessed a far greater range to their game in both defence and attack and had they capitalised on a number of chances in both the first and second halves, particularly for goals they would have won by an even greater margin. Just three points separated the sides at half-time but that was down more to the fact that Drumhowan’s finishing was a little off-colour rather than anything that McDermotts produced. The scene changed in the second-half however which Drumhowan getting off to a lightning start and two goals by Paddy Mulligan in the fourth and ninth minutes were blows from which McDermott’s never recovered. Play became a little scrappy thereafter with McDermott’s allowing a degree of frustration and indiscipline to creep into their game and they were reduced to 13 players with the dismissal of a centre half back Paul Turley on a straight red card following an incident with James McElroy and Charlie Nugent on a second yellow in the 16th and 23rd minutes, respectively, with Drumhowan also reduced numerically when Martin McElroy was sent off on a second yellow card at the same time as Nugent. Drumhowan simply possessed too much power and pace all around for the Antrim champions with Liam McGurk at full and Niall Mooney at centre back stringing their defence together very effectively aided and abetted by excellent performances from Damien Duffy and minor star Kevin Mooney, the latter often the catalyst for telling counter attacks as he drove at pace at the McDermott’s defence. Enda McElroy and Dermot McDermott worked hard in midfield but it was upfront where Drumhowan were simply in a different class, possessing a far greater degree of penetration and scoring ability than their opponents. James McElroy at full forward was a constant threat that McDermotts found difficult to contain, Gerard Duffy’s accuracy contributed four points while Paddy Mulligan who was a late replacement for Colm Lambe crashed in the two goals that sent McDermotts reeling out of the competition. Veteran Stephen McGinnity also played his part and finished with a goal and a point to his credit and he might well have finished with more as he repeatedly found space when Drumhowan were attacking but was not always seen by the player in possession. For McDermotts it was a case of trying to plug gaps all over the field, centre back Paul Turley was doing well until the red mist came down, Gerard Nugent on the ‘40 also tried hard as did Chris Rafferty and Charlie Nugent but their best efforts repeatedly ran into heavy traffic and they were a well beaten side finish. Drumhowan got down to business right from the throw-in and might well have opened the scoring with two goals but had to be happy with a point from a free by Gerard Duffy when Stephen McGinnity was fouled as he broke clear. James McElroy found himself clear a few minutes later and was also fouled with Niall Mooney then putting Drumhowan two points in front when he linked up with Rodney Mooney and Stephen McGinnity, although he too might have had a pop at a three-pointer. McDermotts got off the mark with a point from a free by Charlie Nugent in the fifth minute following a foul on David Nugent with Gerard Duffy then putting Drumhowan two points in front when he converted a free for a foul and Kieran Mooney. McDermott’s were reasonably comfortable in the game at this stage and Drumhowan had to be grateful to keeper Enda Duffy when Patrick Reid pulled on a loose ball after a ‘45 by Gerard Nugent had dropped short. McDermotts earned a second ‘45 in the 12th minute that was converted by Charlie Nugent to leave just one point between the sides and while Gerard Duffy picked off a good point with his left foot in the 14th minute to put Drumhowan two in front they could well have found themselves only level had McDermott’s capitalised on a couple of chances, one from a ‘45 as the game entered the second quarter. Eighteen minutes into the first half James McElroy finished off a good move started by Damien Duffy and helped on by Gerard Duffy for a three points lead and McElroy might well have had a goal a minute later when he broke through but the greasy surface was his undoing as he was about to shoot. Brewster Park was in pristine condition but both sides found for footwork difficult with Drumhowan spurning a couple of chances to extend their lead in the 19th and 20th minutes. They could well have paid a heavy price a couple of minutes later but Enda McElroy again came to their rescue when he took off a brilliant save to deny Gerard Turley after he won possession when an effort by Chris Rafferty came off the upright. A centre from Christopher Turley was well dealt with by the Drumhowan keeper a minute later and while Drumhowan were off target at the other end in the 25th minute James McElroy converted a free a minute later after he had again been fouled by full back Gerard Chapman who this time picked up a yellow card. Drumhowan were increasing the pressure at this stage with a shot across goal by Stephen McGinnity just inches wide following good work by Niall Mooney and Gerard Duffy before McDermott pulled back a point in stoppage time when Gerard Nugent converted a free to leave the half-time score Drumhowan 0-6, McDermott’s 0-3.
McDermott were first out for the start of the second-half and they were immediately on the offensive but were off target twice in the opening minute before Drumhowan got their best period going with a point by flying wingback Kevin Mooney following good work by Rodney Mooney and Ciaran Mooney. That point kick started a period of all out pressure by Drumhowan that saw Gerard Duffy adding a point in the third minute, Duffy centered to a minute later with Stephen McGinnity and James McElroy then creating the space for Paddy Mulligan who rifled to the net to put Drumhowan eight points in front. McDermotts pulled one back from a free by Gerard Nugent but from there to the end of the third quarter they were under the cosh as Drumhowan increased the tempo was James McElroy putting eight points in front in the seventh minute following good work out field by Kevin Mooney and Enda McElroy. The same pair and James McElroy were involved in the ninth minute when Paddy Duffy was set up for his second goal to put Drumhowan 11 points in front and very little by way of a way back for McDermott’s. Drumhowan tightened the screw even further with points by Enda McElroy in the 12th minute and Stephen McGinnity in the 14th to open a 13 points gap and the game turning into something of a procession. McDermotts now suffered another setback when centre back Paul Turley was dismissed on a straight red card when he struck out at James McElroy after he had been adjudged to have fouled the Drumhowan full forward. Play became quite scrappy at this stage with tempers threatening to boil over with James McElroy converting a free in the 17th minute to give Drumhowan a 14 points lead. There followed a period of stop start play with another incident developing that saw McDermott’s Charlie Nugent and Martin McElroy of Drumhowan dismissed on second yellow cards and the McDermott’s team becoming a little undisciplined in their approach and lucky that they were not reduced further numerically. At this stage Drumhowan introduced a number of substitutes and it really was only a matter of running down the clock and more so after Stephen McGinnity rifled in their third goal in the 27th minute following good work by James McElroy to make the rout almost complete. McDermotts pulled back a point two minutes into stoppage time and were off target from two other efforts although Drumhowan were similarly profligate in stoppage time although they had done enough especially in the third quarter to be able to afford the odd indiscretion with 16 points separating them at the finish.
Teams and Scorers: Drumhowan: Enda Duffy, Darren Duffy, Liam McGuirk, Martin McElroy, Damien Duffy, Niall Mooney 0-1, Kevin Mooney 0-1, Enda McElroy 0-1, Dermot McDermott, Rodney Mooney, Gerard Duffy 0-4 (2f), Paddy Mulligan 2-0, Kieran Mooney, James McElroy 0-4 (2f), Stephen McGinnity 1-1. Subs: Kieran Deery for J McElroy, David Miller for R Mooney, Paddy Duffy for Damien Duffy, Gavin Sheridan for D McDermott, Dermot Mooney for K Mooney.
McDermotts: Damien Nugent, Colm McDonald, Gérard Chapman, Eamonn McCaughey, Dermot McShane, Paul Turley, Kevin Maguire, Christopher Turley 0-1, Brian Maguire, Chris Rafferty, Gerard Nugent 0-3 (2f,I’45), David Nugent, Charlie Nugent 0-1 (f), Patrick Reid, Gerard Turley. Subs: John Paul Stitt for C McDonald, Fergal Doherty for K Maguire. Referee: Con Reynolds (Down).
REACTION.
Drumhowan manager Donal McAdam was quietly pleased to the aftermath of last Sunday’s game in Enniskillen in that the club had realised the ambition and the target they had set for the year of getting to the final of the Ulster junior football club championship but he readily agreed that it was probably a tougher contest out on the field than the score line might suggest. “Yes, first of all it is great to make the final because last December Martin Duffy said that the Ulster junior final was what we wanted so we have got that far as now which is great. It was a tough game out there and there was only three points in it at half-time and our finishing was a bit off in the first half and the greasy surface didn’t help in that regard but that improved later. We did miss a few scores but fair play to the lads they got their shooting boots on in the second half and we drove on for the win and it was probably comfortable enough in the end”.
The manager agreed that effectively his side won it in the third quarter when their whole game plan and preparations came good and he also agreed that the goals set them up for victory. “Absolutely, goals win matches and at that stage the pitch was improving and I was delighted with it in the second half. It was very firm and that suits us because we play a running game. We have fast players and we got that going and they all played very well. We ran the ball well, we created overlaps and the boys inside finished well. Paddy Mulligan got both goals and he was only a late replacement for Colm Lambe so it was a great day for him but he did the business and that’s the type of situation that you need, that’s the type of panel you have to have”.
Drumhowan’s winning margin was impressive but their wides tally reached double figures, so would that be something they would be addressing. “No, double figures in wides is not what we would want and in a tighter game it could cost you but I have to say that we knew that the Antrim champions were not going to be the biggest test in the world but we had to deal with what was in front of us. We dealt with it once we got over the first half and got our game going but we know it will be different in the final. We are playing the Derry champions and that’ll be a much bigger test. We’re delighted to get a two weeks break now because that is the first break we will have had in the last seven or eight weeks, so we’ll rest up a bit and then get down to preparing for the final”. McDermott’s manager Charlie Nugent was nothing if not pragmatic about the course and the outcome of last Sunday’s game, agreeing that very little went as they had hoped and once Drumhowan got on top in the third quarter McDermotts had few answers. “Definitely not, very little went as we had hoped or planned but fair play to Drumhowan they were the better team on the day and they deserved to win it. Maybe they didn’t deserve to win it by as much as they did, but in the second half we simply didn’t perform at all. But good luck to Drumhowan, we wish them all the best and if they can play like that in the final I don’t see any reason why they can’t go on and win it. Against that though we have enjoyed ourselves in the Ulster championship this year and hopefully maybe we’ll have another crack at it next year”.
The Antrim man agreed though that going in three points down at half-time things didn’t look too bad but the game was over effectively at the end of the third quarter. “We had missed a couple of chances in the first half and in the first time at 10 minutes of the second half we had two or three good chances for scores but didn’t take them. Drumhowan then went up the field and scored two points and that sort of put us on the back foot. And then the first goal came that kind of killed us off. Our heads went down a wee bit and there was no getting into the game for us and then we had a man sent off and there really was no way back after that”.
