JUNIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL REPLAY.
Drumhowan 1-10, Rockcorry 1-4.
Drumhowan were somewhat fortunate to get a draw in the previous encounter but they made no mistake at the second attempt when they ran out deserving winners of the junior football championship in Scotstown on Saturday last at the expense of a Rockcorry side who never replicated the form they showed in the drawn game. Both sides made a number of positional changes for this replay but it was Drumhowan who made the more telling switches with the defence coping much more effectively with Rockcorry danger man Paul McKeown and Mark Daly was never allowed to dominate in midfield as he had done a week previous. Drumhowan also had an excellent performance from Gerard Duffy at corner forward who finished with six points to his credit, five from frees, although his contribution from play also went some way towards Drumhowan’s victory. There was no indication in the early stages of how this game was eventually going to turn as it was Rockcorry who got off to the better start with points by Barry Patterson and Stephen McGuirk from a free to put them two points in front after just seven minutes. At that stage they could have been further in front but for a couple of near misses and that aspect of their play was too dog them throughout the match. By the 11th minutes though Drumhowan were in front. Christopher McGinnity fielded well out around the middle, fed it to James McElroy who floated a perfectly weighted centre into the hands of Stephen McGinnity who had sneaked in behind the Rockcorry cover and he gave Paul Matthews no chance to put Drumhowan into a lead they never subsequently lost. Gerard Duffy added a point from a free in the 15th minute to put Drumhowan two in front and they extended that lead to three in the 17th minute when Colm Lambe converted at the end of a counter attack. In between both sides were guilty of some very poor finishing with goal chances going amiss at both ends and Rockcorry’s Martin Carroll is also denied by the upright. The final minutes of the first half saw Drumhowan extend their lead to five points with two free kick conversions by Gerard Duffy but their keeper Michael Mooney had to be at his best to deny Anthony Tate and he was called into action again in stoppage time to frustrate Stephen McGuirk. Half-time score Drumhowan 1-4, Rockcorry 0-2.
Rockcorry came out with renewed enthusiasm for the second-half and while an early effort from Martin Carroll went wide off the upright they were right back into the game within a minute when Mark Daly was on hand to lash to the net after an initial effort by Seamus Carroll had been blocked by Michael Mooney. Within a minute Drumhowan had the ball in the Rockcorry net when Stephen McGinnity got a fist to a high centre but the score was ruled out for a square ball infringement. That goal should have kick-started a Rockcorry revival but instead it was Drumhowan who responded best to earn two frees that were both converted by Gerard Duffy to put them four points in front approaching the end of the third quarter. Paul McKeown pulled back a point for Rockcorry but he was very effectively shackled on the day by Patrick Duffy. Gerard Duffy added a point in the 17th minute and James McElroy fired over a great effort from a long-range free in the 22nd minute to put Drumhowan five points in front. Drumhowan now had the bit between their teeth and consolidated with points from substitute Padraig Atkinson in the 25th minute and Stephen McGinnity in the 27th to open a seven points gap. In the final minutes Rockcorry laid siege to the Drumhowan goal but the Geraldines defended stoutly and Rockcorry’s only reward was a point from a free by Mark Daly to leave six between the sides at the long note.
Teams and Scorers: Drumhowan: Michael Mooney, Damien Mooney, Patrick Duffy, Niall Mooney, Dermot McDermott, Enda Mooney, Gavin Sheridan, Christopher McGinnity, Damien Duffy, James McElroy 0-1, Ciaran McElroy, Colm Lambe 0-1, Kieran Mooney, Stephen McGinnity 1-1, Gerard Duffy 0-6. Subs: Patrick Mulligan for e Mooney, Padraig Atkinson 0-1 for C Lambe, Enda McElroy for K Mooney.
Rockcorry: Paul Matthews, Damien Matthews, Ciaran McCormill, Pauric Reilly, Noel Carroll, Keith Daly, Colin Quinn, Mark Daly 1-1, Barry Patterson 0-1, Johnny Reilly, Gary Calvert, Cormac McFadden, Stephen McGuirk 0-1, Martin Carroll, Paul McKeown 0-1. Subs: Seamus Carroll for C McCormill, Anthony Tate for C McFadden.
Referee: Dermot Boylan (Killanny).
