Carney injury overshadows Derrylaughan’s first victory

Killyclogher 2-14 Derrylaughlan 3-18

A SERIOUS ankle injury to their ace attacker Thomas Carney overshadowed Derrylaughan’s first victory of the season at Ballinamullan on Friday evening.

Action was delayed for almost forty minutes as an ambulance crew was called to attend to the stricken Kevin Barrys player who went down in sickening fashion as he sought to keep a ball in play on the sideline.

The visitors were leading by seven points (3-15 to 1-11) when the incident occurred around the 49 minute mark but following the protracted delay, and with the light fading fast, Derrylaughan were able to see the job through to boost their survival prospects at the bottom of the Division One table.

It marked a stunning second half turnaround from the visitors who trailed by five points (2-9 to 1-7) at half-time, but with Brian Kennedy and Shane Scullion providing a powerful presence around centre field, they roared right back into contention on the restart.

Killyclogher had enjoyed the better of the initial exchanges, Patrick Corcoran twice registering scores, and Marc Flanagan (’45’) and Tiernan Cox, with the fist, also on target, inside the opening ten minutes. In between those scores Liam Gervin and Ciaran Quinn were on the scoresheet for the visitors.

In the 13th minute the hosts then opened significant daylight between the sides, Cormac McGettigan teeing up Tiarnan McCann to dart through and fire to the net, before Thomas Carney narrowed the deficit with a quick fire brace (one ’45’).

However when Corcoran flicked Cox’s pass past keeper James Kennedy and McGettigan punched over the bar Derrylaughan seemed to be on course for a seventh successive league loss.

Tyrone captain Brian Kennedy raised their hopes when he drilled a low shot beyond home goalie Oran Grimes in the 20th minute and Carney banged over a two pointer, but further white flags from Corcoran (two), Tiernan Cox and Nathan O’Neill seemed to leave Killyclogher very much in the box seat at the turnaround.

Yet the visitors were a transformed team on the resumption, outscoring St Mary’s 2-7 to no score in a blistering ten minute spell. The impressive Liam Cushnahan notched up two fine efforts (one a two pointer), while Brian Kennedy also split the posts from outside the 40m arc, and the Gervins, Liam and Ciaran, were on target with precise attempts.

Their comeback was really ignited in the 39th minute, Ciaran O’Hagan setting up Fintan Cullen to finish to the net in emphatic fashion, and shortly after Scullion repeated the dose with another smart effort past Killyclogher goalie Oran Grimes.

Conal McCann stopped the rot for the home side with a much needed point but they struggled to quell the greater intensity and physicality with which the visitors were operating.

The injury to Carney cast a gloomy shadow over the exchanges, but once the match got going again Killyclogher sub Matthew Howe traded two pointers with Liam Gervin.

The hosts really required a goal or two to have any hopes of rescuing things, but a fired up and resilient Derrylaughan were not going to be denied on an emotional evening.

Scorers

Killyclogher: Patrick Corcoran (1-4), Tiarnan McCann (1-0), Tiernan Cox (0-4,1f), Matthew Howe (0-2,tp), Cormac McGettigan, Conal McCann, Nathan O’Neill (0-1 each), Marc Flanagan (0-1,45)

Derrylaughan: Thomas Carney (0-6,245s, 1tp,1f), Brian Kennedy (1-2,1tp), Liam Gervin (0-4,1tp), Shane Scullion (1-0), Fintan Cullen (1-0), Liam Cushnahan (0-3,1tp), Ciaran Gervin, Ciaran Quinn (0-1 each), Darragh Carney (0-1,f)

Teams

Killyclogher: Oran Grimes, Sean Broderick, Daniel Gorman, Shane McCaul, Matthew Devlin, Michael Rafferty, Jordan Barton, Tiarnan McCann, Marc Flanagan, Patrick Corcoran, Cormac McGettigan, Nathan Donnelly, Tiernan Cox, Conal McCann, Nathan O’Neill. Subs used: Matthew Murnaghan for T McCann (33), Oran Toal for C McGettigan (37), Matthew Howe for N O’Neill (39)

Derrylaughan: James Kennedy, Cambhian Hughes, Ciaran O’Hagan, Colm O’Hagan, Conor Hughes, Conor Kennedy, Fintan Cullen, Brian Kennedy, Shane Scullion, Liam Cushnahan, Danny Ball, Liam Gervin, Ciaran Gervin, Thomas Carney, Ciaran Quinn. Sub used: Darragh Carney for T Carney (50)

Referee: Mark Loughran (Errigal Ciaran)