UNIVERSAL GRAPHICS JUNIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP REPLAY.
Toome 1-15, Drumhowan 1-11 (After extra time).
It took 20 minutes of extra time to ultimately separate these sides after they finished all square again at the end of normal time in a low-key and at times scrappy replayed encounter in Shamrock Park, Cremartin, on Sunday afternoon last. Conditions on the day did not help the standard of football with a strong breeze and heavy rain before and at times during the game but the conditions were not entirely responsible for some of the poor fare on offer. Toome came into this game making five changes from the team that drew last time out, a couple of which were notable exclusions, Gavin Flanagan and Liam McCooey who accounted for a fair proportion of their scores in the drawn match. Both were introduced to good effect during the second half and they along with a couple of other timely substitutions saw Toome take control in extra time, hitting vital scores that saw them over the line with four points to spare. Drumhowan for their part played manfully throughout but too often good outfield endeavour was not converted into scores as players either failed to find the target or opted to off load. Drumhowan also finished normal time with 14 players following the dismissal on a second yellow card of David Millar with some six minutes of normal time remaining and Toome a point ahead at that stage. However Drumhowan battled gamely and with one minute of normal time remaining they hit the equaliser to send the game into extra time. They got a great start to extra time with a goal but Toome gradually took charge and they finish the first period with three unanswered points and started the second period with a further three points to go three up and from there they held out for what was overall a deserved victory.
Chances were at a premium for the entire first half with the sides level at a point apiece after eleven minutes, Toome’s Gary Wilson on target first point in the fifth minute with Drumhown’s Niall Mooney equalising in the 11th minute. Two points from frees by Colm Lambe saw Drumhowan take a two points lead at the end of the opening quarter but Toome fought back to parity with points by Stephen McCooey from a free in the 21st minute and Colin Wilson in the 24th. Both sides had accumulated quite a number of wides by that stage, Drumhowan with seven and Toome with six and the sides went in level at the break following an exchange of scores, both from frees, between Colm Lambe, Drumhowan, and Cormac Quinn to leave the half-time score Drumhowan 0-4, Toome 0-4.
The second half was somewhat similar Drumhowan taking the lead after six minutes with a point by Liam McGuirk but three minutes later Toome were dramatically in front when Ryan Murphy crashed to the Drumhowan net having got on the end of an excellent cross by Sean McMahon for a two points lead. By the 15th minute though that lead had been evaporated with points by Colm Lambe, free, and Kevin Mooney and even at that stage this one had the look of extra time about it. Toome were now introducing some of the players who had started on the bench with Liam McCooey, free and Gavin Flanagan both on target to put Tome two in front with 10 minutes of normal time remaining. Drumhowan fought back though for a point by Colm Lambe from a free and he had an opportunity to equalise in the 24th minute from another free but was badly off target. Drumhowan were then reduced numerically with the dismissal of David Millar but they dug in and a point by Cathal Mooney in the 28th minute sent the issue to extra time with the score at the end of normal time, Toome 1-6, Drumhowan 0-9.
The first period of extra time was played in a virtual downpour with Drumhowan getting off to the perfect start with a goal in the opening minute, substitute Michael Atkinson rifling in his shot off the post after good work by Kevin Mooney. Toome responded well with two quick fire points, both from frees by Gavin Flanagan and Liam McCooey to reduce the margin to the minimum after four minutes. A minute later Colm Lambe extended Drumhowan’s lead to two but by half-time in extra time Toome had fought back to parity with points by Gary Wilson in the seventh minute and Liam McCooey from a free in injury time to leave them still deadlocked at half-time in extra time, Drumhowan 1-10, Toome 1-10.
Toome were immediately on the offensive at the start of the second period of extra time hitting three points in the opening two minutes, two by Gary Wilson, one awarded after the referee consulted with his umpires, and Gavin Flanagan hitting the third as he continued to have an increasing influence. Colm Lambe reduced the deficit to two with a point from a free in the third minute but Toome now had the scent of victory in their nostrils and they pushed on for points by Cormac Quinn in the sixth minute and goalkeeper Niall Finnegan from a ‘45 in the ninth minute, to go four points in front and victory almost assured. In between those scores though Toome were reduced numerically and Francis Quinn who had been a real stalwart for them throughout was issued with a black card and having already picked up a yellow card he was sent off and could not be replaced. Even with their numerical disadvantage Tome continued to drive forward and could have registered two further scores but they had done enough to book their place in the next round where they will take on neighbours Blackhill.
Teams and Scorers: Toome: Niall Finnegan 0-1 (’45), Matthew O’Reilly, Stephen McCooey 0-1 (f), Daniel Friskey, Francis Quinn, Stephen Lambe, Damien Wilson, Cormac Quinn 0-2(1f), Alan Lambe, Shane Moore, Sean McMahon, Ryan Murphy 1-0, Gary Wilson 0-5 (1f), Gavin Connolly, Colin Wilson 1-0. Subs: Jason Murphy for G Connolly, Liam McCooey 0-2 (1f) for C Wilson, Gavin Flanagan 0-3 (1f) for D Friskey. In extra time: Raymond Fee for D Wilson.
Drumhowan: Enda Duffy, Martin McElroy, Dermot Mooney, Patrick Markey, Liam McGuirk 0-1, Barry McGuirk, Niall Mooney 0-1, John Paul O’Neill, Anthony Mulligan, Kevin Mooney 0-1, David Millar, Kieran Mooney, Patrick Mulligan, Kiweran McElroy, Colm Lambe 0-7 (6f). Subs: Cathal Mooney 0-1 for K McElroy, Michael Atkinson 1-0 for P Mulligan. In extra time: Kieran McElroy for D Millar, Patrick Mulligan for M McElroy. Referee: Damien Helferty (Truagh).
