Barrys get the better of the Harps by double scores

Derrylaughan 0-20  Stewartstown 0-10

FR Campbell Park was the setting for this local derby in the opening round of the Intermediate Championship on  Monday and it was Derrylaughan who dominated proceedings from start to finish to book a last eight meeting with Gortin.

The Loughshore men landed the opening seven points of the game and after that Stewartstown were always chasing the game. Derrylaughan were solid throughout their side with their defence limiting the Stewartstown defence to just three points from play with Brian Kennedy giving the winners a decisive edge at midfield.

Up front all of the starting Derrylaughan forwards registered from play and they looked capable of scoring every time they attacked.

A Tomas Carney free opened the scoring and that was followed by quality efforts from play from Shane Scullion, Ciaran Gervin, James Donnelly and Carney as they took a stranglehold on proceedings.

A superb score from out on the left wing from Tiernan Rush opened the Harps’ account at the end of the opening quarter but it was Derrylaughan who continue to dictate the pace of the game.

Scullion and Carney tagged on points with Donnelly blasting over when a goal looked to be on the cards. Gareth Devlin hit a brace with Conor Quinn also on target for the Harps but Derrylaughan led 0-12 to 0-4 at the break with centre half back Colm O’Hagan sending a good goal chance over the bar on the stroke of halftime.

Donnelly opened the second half scoring with a fine effort from out on the right wing before Carney and the impressive Kennedy added to their advantage.

At the end of the third quarter Stewartstown substitute Shea O’Neill was unlucky not to get a goal when his shot was well blocked on the line by Conor Kennedy after good work from Dylan McElhatton.

Devlin and Carney exchanged points from frees with the former adding one from a mark before the marauding Kennedy charged through for his second point of the night.

Stewartstown then enjoyed a good spell that yielded points from Anton Coyle, McElhatton and Devlin but they knew it wasn’t their night when substitute Niall Dillon hit the post from only a couple of yards out after an effort from Devlin had come back off the woodwork. It  was man of the match Carney who had the final say with his seventh point of the night as Derrylaughan eased into the quarter finals.

TEAMS & SCORERS

Derrylaughan

James Kennedy, Caolan Hughes, Ciaran O’Hagan, Mark Robinson, Conor Hughes, Colm O’Hagan (0-1), Sean Robinson, Brian Kennedy (0-2), Conor Kennedy, James Donnelly (0-3, 1F), Tomas Carney (0-7, 4F, 1M), Shane Scullion (0-2), Ciaran Quinn (0-1), Ciaran Gervin (0-2), Stephen McGrath (0-2). Subs: Darragh Carney for McGrath, Gavin Corr for Mark Robinson, Cathal Canavan for Donnelly, Joe Donnelly for Quinn, Martin McStravog for Conor Kennedy

Stewartstown

Greg Kelly, Jason Park, Darren Devlin, Dylan McElhatton (0-1), Conor Quinn (0-1, F), Kyran Robinson, Stephen Talbot, Cumhai O’Neill, Macaulay Quinn (0-1), Tiernan Rush (0-1), Cathal Devlin, Shea Burke, Theo Lowe, Gareth Devlin (0-5, 4F, 1M), James Campbell. Subs: Shea O’Neill for Lowe, Niall Dillon for Cumhai O’Neill, Anton Coyle (0-1) for Conor Quinn

Referee: Sean Hurson (Galbally)