Carmen and Galbally share the spoils in league opener

 Carrickmore 1-15 Galbally 1-15

THIS local derby had everything and in the end both sides had to be content with a share of the spoils in a Senior League contest on Sunday that was laced with quality football and could have gone either way.

A big moment in the game arrived in the 54th minute. Galbally’s Enda McGarrity was in possession but despite being fouled he got the ball away to Darragh Donaghy who stuck it in the net but the referee didn’t play advantage. Conor Quinn was sent off for disputing the call and the ball was moved forward 50m for a 13m free in front of the posts.

That levelled matters and after both sides had traded points Caolan Daly put Carrickmore in front in injury time. It looked like being the winner but the visitors managed one more attack and when they won a free Daniel Kerr held his nerve to convert it with the last kick.

Galbally could well have had two goals in the opening two minutes but Kerr’s shot hit the post while Cormac Donnelly shot narrowly wide, after driving through from midfield.

Liam Rafferty opened the scoring with a neat effort with the outside of his boot and in the 5th minute man of the match Donaghy finished in style, low to the corner of the net. A Lorcan McGarrity free opened Carrickmore’s account before a superb two pointer from Danny Fullerton left it a one point game.

Rafferty put two between the sides but at the end of the opening quarter Carrickmore struck for a brilliant goal when Fullerton and McGarrity combined for Tiernan Loughran to blast the ball to the top left hand corner of the net.

Eoghan O’Neill then scored from play as well as from a free, as the lead changed hands before the home side enjoyed a good spell. McGarrity and Fullerton both scored frees with the latter also knocking over a “45” before midfielder Colly McCrory left three between the sides. Galbally were struggling a little at this stage but they did have the final say of the half from a Kerr free. Carrickmore led 1-7 to 1-5 at the break.

Galbally were out of the traps quickly in the second half as well with Donaghy scoring after twenty seconds before Donnelly scored an outstanding two pointer.

Galbally had the bit between their teeth and they almost got in for another goal but Donaghy this time was denied by keeper Declan Grimes with Joseph Corrigan first-timing the ball over the bar from the rebound. Ronan McGeary in the Galbally goal made a good save at the other end of the field before a Kerr two pointer free left four between them with twenty minutes left to play.

McGarrity and O’Neill exchanged points before two quickfire scores from defensive duo Oisin McElroy and Rory Loughran reduced the deficit to two at the three quarter mark.

Kerr landed a wonderful point from play but back came Carrickmore with successful frees from Fullerton and McGarrity to close the gap to the minimum with ten minutes left to play. Then came that big moment in the game with Fullerton sending over the equaliser after the ball was moved up, as fourteen-man Galbally now had to really dig deep.

From the kickout though the visitors worked the ball down field for Donaghy to put them back in front. With tensions high Carrickmore countered through Fullerton and Daly to take the lead but Kerr had the final say in a gripping encounter.

Scorers

Carrickmore: Danny Fullerton 0-7 (1 x 2pt, 1 x “45”, 4F), Lorcan McGarrity 0-4 (4F), Tiernan Loughran 1-0, Colly McCrory 0-1, Oisin McElroy 0-1, Rory Loughran 0-1, Caolan Daly 0-1

Galbally: Daniel Kerr 0-5 (1 x 2ptF, 2F), Darragh Donaghy 1-2, Eoghan O’Neill 0-3 (1F), Liam Rafferty 0-2, Cormac Donnelly 0-2 (2pt), Joseph Corrigan 0-1

Teams

Carrickmore: Declan Grimes, James Donaghy, Oisin McElroy, Seamus Sweeney, Cormac Munroe, Rory Loughran, Tiarnan McGarrity, Lorcan McBride, Colly McCrory, Caolan Daly, Tiernan Loughran, Niall Allison, Danny Fullerton, Rory Donnelly, Lorcan McGarrity. Sub: Stephen Grogan for Tiarnan McGarrity

Galbally: Ronan McGeary, James Rafferty, Christopher Morris, Fearghal McGarrity, John Hetherington, Conor Donnelly, Aidan Carberry, Conor Quinn, Cormac Donnelly, Ronan Nugent, Liam Rafferty, Joseph Corrigan, Eoghan O’Neill, Daniel Kerr, Darragh Donaghy. Subs: Enda McGarrity for Corrigan, Darragh Hetherington for Rafferty

Referee: Stephen Campbell (Stewartstown)