Drumlin Group of Credit Unions Senior Football League

Doohamlet 0-9 Monaghan Harps 1-14                     17/4/11

Monaghan Harps started their SFL campaign with a seven-point win away to Doohamlet on Sunday. Doohamlet were playing their first SFL game since 2009 after they won last year’s IFC and they stayed with the Harps for most of the first half, but the visitors took a two-point lead in at the interval and a purple patch midway through the second half saw them hit 1-2 in the space of three minutes to pull away.

The Harps’ entire 1-14 tally came from open play, with the full-forward line of Donal Hahessy, Dean Fanning and Emmett McArdle in deadly form, while Neil McAdam, Stephen Driver and Gary White were also to the fore. Ted Duffy, Niall J Connolly and Glen Cumiskey were best for Doohamlet.

Donal Hahessy opened the scoring for the Harps after good work by Gary White and Dean Fanning, who added point number two following a pass from White. A 30-metre free by Ted Duffy, after a foul on Shane McManus, got Doohamlet off the mark and Duffy hit a point from play to equalise. Emmett McArdle restored the Harps’ lead after he got on the end of a Gary White free, but Glen Cumiskey linked up with Darren Connolly to level it up. McArdle turned provider for a Nicholas Scott point, before White curled over an excellent score off the outside of his boot at the end of a well-worked move involving Peter Coyle and Neil McAdam.

Niall J Connolly fired a goal chance wide for Doohamlet before winning a 30-metre free, which Ted Duffy converted. Hahessy responded after a one-two with Scott, before Shane Smyth and David Hughes combined to create a point for Fanning. Mark Murphy tapped over a 13-metre free for a foul on Niall Connolly to keep Doohamlet in touch, before Hahessy and Duffy swapped points from play to leave the Harps ahead by 0-8 to 0-6 at half-time.

Fanning curled over a fine point after a pass from Nicholas Treanor and McArdle added another point to double the visitors’ lead to four within five minutes of the restart. Hahessy hit his fourth of the day after good approach play by Fanning and Coyle and Fanning was again involved when he collected a David Hughes pass to set up McArdle for the only goal of the game with 13 minutes left. McArdle fisted a point after he had been released by White, before McAdam made it 1-5 without reply for the Harps.

A good point by Shane McManus ended 25 scoreless minutes for Doohamlet and Duffy tagged on a point from a 20-metre free for a foul on Stephen Gilsenan, but Scott linked up with Hahessy to keep the Harps in control. A well-taken point by Murphy finished the scoring for Doohamlet, but the Harps finished comfortable winners. Both sides are in action again on Wednesday evening, when the Harps host Clontibret and Doohamlet are at home to Inniskeen.

Doohamlet: J Casey; G Casey, M Hughes, S J Connolly; J McElroy, C Walshe, D Connolly; G Cumiskey (Capt., 0-1), C McManus; O Hughes, T Duffy (0-5, 3f), Greg Duffy; M Murphy (0-2, 1f), S McManus (0-1), N J Connolly.

Subs: S Gilsenan for G Duffy (37 mins), B Murphy for O Hughes (39), Gavin Duffy for McElroy (42), C Malone for D Connolly (50)

Monaghan Harps: M Hughes; M McCaughey, S Driver, C Galligan; D Hughes, S Smyth, G Treanor; P Coyle, N McAdam (0-1); N Scott (0-2), N Treanor, G White (0-1); D Hahessy (0-4), D Fanning (Capt., 0-3), E McArdle (1-3).

Subs: L Hahessy for N Treanor (48), N Hahessy for Coyle (51), A White for McCaughey, P Kelly for McArdle (both 54).

Referee: D Helferty (Truagh).