JFC: Scotstown see off Toome
Universal Graphics Junior Football Championship Round 2B
Scotstown 1-10 Toome 1-8 27/7/14
Scotstown got their first JFC win since they entered their junior team at the start of last year when they battled through a war of attrition against 14-man Toome in Tyholland on Sunday. There were over 50 frees, six yellow cards and a red for Toome’s Jason Murphy in a game where the teams managed a combined total of just ten scores from play. A purple patch of 1-4 without reply between the 10th and 20th minutes proved crucial for Scotstown, who had seven scorers compared to just three for Toome. Paul Sherlock and Seán Mohan were the main threats from Scotstown, while Toome were too reliant on Gary Wilson and Liam McCooey for scores.
In a scrappy start, Toome were first off the mark when Liam McCooey tapped over a close-range free for a foul on Alan Lambe and although a ’45 by goalkeeper Cian Mohan got Scotstown up and running, a foul on Shane Moore gave Gary Wilson the chance to convert a 25-metre free. Seán Mohan brought Scotstown back on level terms from a 13-metre free after a foul on Paul Sherlock and they hit the front when a well-worked move involving Myles Treanor, Sherlock and Mark McDevitt released Tommy Moyna to fire to the net in the 14th minute.
Sherlock added a point from play after taking a pass from Declan Treanor, who was next on the scoresheet with a nice effort, while the pendulum swung further in Scotstown’s favour when Toome had Jason Murphy sent off on a straight red card after an off-the-ball incident involving Moyna. They almost had a second goal when Micheál McCarville got a fist to an Emmet McCrudden cross, only to see it tipped onto the crossbar by Stephen Murphy. A fine point by McCarville moved Scotstown six clear, but Toome ended 17 scoreless minutes and halved their deficit when Wilson raced onto a long ball from Francis Quinn to slide a low shot beyond Cian Mohan. Seán Mohan tapped over another 13-metre free for a foul on Sherlock and although Stephen Lambe replied with a fine point, Scotstown led by 1-6 to 1-3 at half-time.
Toome were sharper after the restart, with McCooey converting a brace of 20-metre frees for fouls on substitutes Daniel Friskey and Aaron Kelly, before adding a left-footed point at the end of an attack involving Kelly and Moore. Seán Mohan responded from a 20-metre free after a foul on sub Daniel McNally and he brought his tally to 0-4 with a point from play, before another sub, Gerard McCrudden, set up Sherlock to restore the three-point gap.
Wilson clipped one over to finish a strong run and a 25-metre free by McCooey, following a foul on Francis Quinn, brought Toome within the minimum, but Scotstown dominated around midfield in the closing stages and a foul on Moyna allowed Adrian Carbin to tap over a 13-metre free which sealed victory. Scotstown will play Aghabog in Round 3B on August 10, while Toome’s hopes for 2014 now rest on the league.
Scotstown: C Mohan (0-1, ’45); J McDevitt, M McCague (Capt.), A Carbin (0-1f); E McCrudden, S Rice, R Caulfield; M Treanor, J Hamill; T Moyna (1-0), M McCarville (0-1), D Treanor (0-1); P Sherlock (0-2), M McDevitt, S Mohan (0-4, 3f).
Subs: D McNally for M McDevitt (41 mins), G McCrudden for D Treanor (44), M Corrigan for Rice (57).
Toome: S Murphy; G Connolly, S McCooey, D McKenna; M O’Reilly, F Quinn, J Murphy; S Lambe (Capt., 0-1), A Lambe; S Moore, R Fee, S McMahon; C Quinn, G Wilson (1-2, 0-1f), L McCooey (0-5, 4f).
Subs: D Friskey for Connolly, N Finnegan for S Murphy (both 24), A Kelly for Fee (H-T), PJ Kelly for McKenna (51).
Referee: N McKenna (Emyvale).
