ACL Div 2 round-up: Drumragh toppled by ‘Castle boys

ALL-COUNTY LEAGUE DIVISION TWO ROUND-UP

Drumragh 0-11 Greencastle 0-14

ONCE again, Drumragh left themselves with too much to do as their inability to take scoring opportunities came back to haunt them, leaving them at the bottom of the table. Greencastle were three points ahead at the end, having led by five points at the break at Clanabogan Park, and Drumragh could not claw back the deficit.

Enda Clarke was a driving force for the visitors, with his influence through the centre ensuring Greencastle maintained the upper hand. However, Drumragh could have taken something from the game. The stark fact was that they scored just four times from 11 dead-ball opportunities, which ultimately cost them.

Colgan’s early mark opened the night’s scoring, but three well-worked team points in reply had Greencastle in the lead, with Sean Warnock opening their account followed by Tiarnan Teague and Daniel Teague. Early threats on James Colgan’s goal indicated Drumragh’s struggle to halt St Patrick’s momentum.

Maguire sent Tommy Murphy in for a long-range home point before Greencastle powered on. McCullagh ghosted in to add a brace of points, with Warnock and Barry McGarvey giving the visitors an 8-3 lead in the first quarter. Maguire tagged on a tidy point after good work from Niall McCarney’s diagonal pass after winning a mark for Drumragh’s third score.

During the second quarter, after a Malachy McManus point from the right for the hosts, it was Greencastle who dominated. Comfortable at the back, Mark McNulty commanded the square, and through the centre, they swept through the home side several times but only managed a single point through McCullagh from a tight-angle free.

Maguire had Drumragh’s best chance in the latter stages of the half but was closed out by the visiting defence as he closed in on goal. There were several missed chances in the latter stages too.

Greencastle increased their lead to six points on the restart through McCullagh, and they continued to carve out the best of the chances until six minutes in when a well-worked Daniel O’Neill point for Drumragh signaled a revival – his first touch in the game.

McCarney sent over a free to close the gap to four points with ten minutes of the half gone, and by the end of the third quarter, Drumragh were back in the game. Maguire and Murphy dropped over points, but again, missed chances despite having plenty of the ball.

An exchange of scores between McCarney and McCullagh kept it a two-point game, and points from Sean Conneely’s free and from Oran Devlin set up an exciting climax. Drumragh had the best of the chances in the final six minutes.

McCarney slipped through his shot with Colin Tuohey scrambling the ball away off the goal line, and while McCarney did tag on a point, a brace from Greencastle pair Teague and Conneely kept the visitors ahead, continuing Drumragh’s miserable start to the season.

Fintona 1-11 Moortown 0-12

NEWLY promoted Fintona caused an upset at Father Lawerence Park on Friday night with a fully merited win over a Moortown side that went into the contest as one of the form sides in the division.

The crucial score of the contest arrived in the 46^th minute when Conor Hegarty scored the only goal of the game. That gave the Pearses a cushion and they needed it as the Loughshore men fought to the end. The hosts led 0-6 to 0-4 at halftime with Caolan Donnelly and Aaron McCarney weighing in with a brace of points each, Karl Hagan and Liam Lawn on target for the St.Malachys.

McCarney, Jared Brogan and Cathal Starrs had second half points for Fintona either side of that goal and while Moortown responded with scores from Shea Lawn, Sean Paul Quinn and Brian McLernon it wasn’t enough.

Derrylaughan 1-9 Moy 0-12

THIS was perhaps the game of the day in Intermediate football and at the final whistle the two sides couldn’t be separated with leading marksman Tomas Carney popping up with a late equaliser for the Kevin Barrys at the Loughshore.

It was Derrylaughan who shaded the opening period 1-3 to 0-4 with the help of a goal from Carney, Michael Conroy and Ryan Coleman supplying points for the sky blues.

Caoimhin Hughes, Conor Hughes, Ciaran Gervin and Carney tagged on Derrylaughan points but Moy got their noses in front thanks to efforts from Eunan Deeney, Connor Mackle and Conroy. Despite hitting 14 wides they looked as though they had done enough but deep into injury time Carney took his personal haul to 1-6 when he converted a free to leave it all square.

Clogher 1-14 Cookstown 0-9

THIS was a massive game for both sides at the wrong end of the Intermediate league table and after a few close defeats Clogher finally broke their points duck at the expense of Cookstown.

It was a contest that the Eire Ogs always looked to be in control of at St.Patricks Park with Finbar McCaughey’s goal enabling them to lead 1-7 to 0-6 at the midway stage. Matthew Carberry and Michael McElhatton supplied points for the Father Rocks with Ryan McCaughey hitting three for the hosts and Sean Bogue also on target.

Cookstown struggled for scores in the second half managing to only add three points to their tally with Carberry finishing with 0-5 to his name. Clogher on the other hand kept the scoreboard ticking over through Ryan McCaughey, Conor Shields and Mark Bogue to give them a much needed victory.

Kildress 0-10 Owen Roes 0-9

KILDRESS picked up their third win of the campaign when they edged past Owen Roes at Gortacladdy, the third occasion this season that the visitors have lost by the minimum margin.

The Wolfe Tones had the better of things in the opening period and that was reflected on the scoreboard as they established as 0-7 to 0-4 advantage thanks to scores from Shea Murphy, Shea Quinn and Phillip Lennon, Daire McGonigle with a couple for Owen Roes with Conor O’Neill and Ryan McShane their other marksmen.

Owen Roes played better in the second half as they closed the gap with points from Ryan McAleer (2) and Damian McCrossan. Kildress though just managed to stay in front with Murphy and Pauric Lagan both pointing.

Aghyaran 1-14 Beragh 1-14

THE experienced Martin Rodgers held his nerve to convert a last minute free to earn Beragh a share off the spoils in an entertaining encounter at Aghyaran on Friday evening.

The Red Knight started brightly with points from Rodgers, Ben McSorley and Conor Owens but they were hauled back in when Eoghan McHugh bagged a 6^th minute goal. Pearse Goan and Oisin McHugh traded points with Owens and Mattie McSorley as the St.Davogs led 1-9 to 0-11 at halftime.

Ronan McHugh had a brace of points in the third quarter but a 42^nd minute Finn Grimes goal left it all square. Owens and Benny Gallen then exchanged points before a Ronan McHugh free put Aghyaran in front but Rodgers had the final say.

Gortin 1-13 Stewartstown 1-11

GORTIN were the only side in the top four to record a win as they remain unbeaten and two points clear of the field after they held off a Stewartstown comeback on home soil.

Gortin dominated the opening exchanges and after three early points from Sean Og McAleer, Odhran Brolly and Liam Og Mossey they struck for a 16^th minute goal from the former. That was the beginning of 1-3 without reply for them and while the Harps had the last two scores of the half from Gareth Devlin and Dan Lowe they had it all to do in the second period as they trailed 1-6 to 0-3.

Mossey had his side’s opening three points of the second half but Stewartstown responded through Stephen Talbot and Lowe before a 46^th minute Shea O’Neill major gave them hope of taking something from the contest. Mossey hit another couple of scores with Sean McKenna also on target and that proved sufficient despite late points from Greg Kelly and Lowe.

Naomh Eoghan 1-6 Rock 0-13

ROCK returned to winning ways but they had to pull out all the stops away to Naomh Eoghan with four unanswered points in the closing stages helping them claim victory.

The visitors were the better side in the first half and they led by double scores at the turnaround, 0-8 to 0-4, with Liam Nugent and Aidan McGarrity on target, Eoin Devine, Conor Langan and Eamon McGovern the Naomh Eoghan marksmen.

Four minutes into the second half Shea Gallagher scored the only goal of the game and when Eoin Devine followed that up with a point it was level pegging. It was anybody’s game at this stage but Rock upped the tempo when it matter most on a night when Nugent and McGarrity finished with 0-9 between them.