Fianna increase the pressure on Eglish at the foot of the table

Eglish 1-06

Coalisland 3-10

COALISLAND ensured they will be playing in Division One again next season with a vital win against fellow relegation rivals Eglish at the weekend.

In what was a tight first 40 minutes the Fianna showed their experience and prowess in the final quarter to run out comfortable winners and heap pressure on Eglish who now must win next week, and hope other results go their way, to remain in Senior football in 2022.

It was Coalisland who started on the front foot and in the opening minute Padraig Hampsey, who led by example for the entire game, put one over from a distance.

It was a cagey opening 10 minutes with both defences on top, with Eglish registering their first point from the boot of Conor McKenna who kicked a fine long-range point.

In the 11th minute a long kickout was won by Peter Herron who passed to Sean Corr who then fought his way through a tackle to offload the ball to Plunkett Kane who powered the ball to the net to help Coalisland establish a three-point lead.

Eglish almost replied instantly with a goal-bound effort from Conor McKenna brilliantly blocked by Michael McKernan.

Hampsey would extend Coalisland’s lead to four with another superb long-range point but just before the first half water break Conor McKenna replied with a 20m mark after a superb catch from a long ball in from Eglish full back Conor McCann.

After the water break it was both defences on top with Aaron Daly, Dillion Horsefield and Ryan McKenna all defending well for Eglish, and Jack Fee, Niall Kerr and Padraig Hampsey all standing out in the Fianna defence.

The next score of the game would not come until the 27th minute with a close-range Ethan Jordan free leaving two between the sides. Eglish were fortunate moments later as an attempted point effort from Plunkett Kane was pushed on to the bar and fell to Coalisland’s Sean Corr in the box. He got his foot to the ball but
could only kick it over with goal gapping, in stoppage time Ethan Jordan kicked a fine point from a 45 to leave just two between the sides at the break.

Coalisland would go on to kick the opening two points of the second half with Peter Herron getting a great score from an acute angle and Stephen McNally kicking a score for the Fianna after good work from Michael McKernan.

Eglish showed their fighting qualities to reply through two Luke Donnelly frees.

The Fianna would go on to kick 1-04 without reply with Sean Corr scoring two, Plunkett Kane kicking from play and second half substitute Brian Toner kicking another great score.

Eglish were made to rue a brilliant goal chance in the 50th minute as Fintan Coney saved well from Seamus Muldoon, and Plunkett Kane helped Coalisland land the insurance score with a fortunate goal in the 53rd minute.

A shot from Plunkett Kane hit off the shoulder of Jason Carberry and somehow found its way into the Eglish net.

Eglish replied instantly with a Conor McKenna goal after midfielder Colm Byrne had brilliantly overturned Coalisland keeper Fintan Coney.

Coalisland would cruise to victory with second half substitutes Brian Toner, Ruairi Campbell and Cathaoir Quinn all bringing much needed energy to the Coalisland side in the last quarter.

It was Ruairi Campbell who won a turnover in the middle of the park before passing to Peter Herron who moved the ball across the net to substitute Cathaoir Quinn to palm the ball into the empty net, to leave the score 3-09-1-06.

Nail Kerr, who was brilliant throughout defensively, kicked a lovely outside of the boot point to further emphasis a brilliant team performance.