Universal Graphics Junior Football Championship

Killanny 2-15 Killeevan 0-9                           26/6/11

Killanny got their JFC campaign back on track with a comfortable win over Killeevan in Drumhowan on Sunday. The south-Monaghan men got off to a flying start, racing into a 1-6 to 0-0 lead by the midpoint of the first half, and they never looked back as they cruised into the next round, kicking just four wides over the hour, all in the first half. Peter Dooley and Gavin Traynor led the way up front for Killanny, hitting 2-10 between them, while Eddie Markey, Cillian Leegan and Cian Wakely also played well. Darren Quigley, Gerard Graham and Finnian Smith

Peter Dooley got Killanny up and running with a point from play in the fourth minute and he quickly doubled their lead when he converted a 40-metre free for a foul on Tiernan Duffy. Eddie Markey added a point before Dooley got his third following a one-two with Martin Burns. Dooley won and scored a 13-metre free and he took his tally to 1-4 in the 12^th minute when he cracked a powerful shot into the net after Eddie Markey had won a kick-out and played a good pass over the top.

Cillian Leegan won the following kick-out and burst through for a fine point, before Dooley turned provider for a Gavin Traynor point and Stephen McMahon added his name to the list of Killanny scorers after good approach play by Markey and Dooley. Killeevan finally got off the mark on 22 minutes when Darren Quigley sent over after a garryowen by Paul O’Reilly, but they still trailed by 1-8 to 0-1 at half-time.

It took less than a minute for Killanny to increase their lead with a point from Markey, but their captain Daryl Traynor was perhaps lucky to escape with a yellow card after an off-the-ball incident with Gerard Hughes. Noel Smith tapped over the resulting 13-metre free before setting up a point for Gerard Graham, but Dooley replied from a 30-metre free after a foul on Gavin Traynor. Hughes and Smith combined to create a well-taken point for Quigley, but Killeevan were reduced to 14 men when Hughes was shown a second yellow card, although it appeared a case of mistaken identity as Declan Clerkin put in a late challenge on Tiernan Duffy. Dooley pointed another 20-metre free after a foul on Gavin Traynor and both teams had a man sent off midway through the half after another controversial incident. Peter O’Reilly lasted less than two minutes before being shown a straight red card for striking Eddie Walsh, who was also dismissed.

Killanny almost had a second goal when a powerful shot by Donal McArdle smashed off the crossbar, but they didn’t have long to wait until Dooley latched onto a pass from Leegan and unselfishly squared it for Gavin Traynor to finish. Gavin McKenna linked up with Graham to get a point back for Killeevan, but a McMahon point kept Killanny firmly in the driving seat. A free by Noel Smith and well-taken scores by Larmer and Graham put a better look on the scoreboard for Killeevan, but Killanny responded with a brace of points from Gavin Traynor, either side of Dooley’s final score of the game after he had been well-placed by a Brian Kerley sideline. Larmer rounded off the scoring with a point deep into injury-time, but it was little consolation for Killeevan, who are out of the championship. Killanny will play Aghabog next Saturday in Corduff at 7.15pm.

Killanny: K Quinn; C Wakely, D Traynor (Capt.), P Markey; R Duffy, A Campbell, C Leegan (0-1); M Burns, E Markey (0-2); E Walsh, T Duffy, D McArdle; S McMahon (0-2), P Dooley (1-7, 0-4f), G Traynor (1-3).

Subs: P O’Callaghan for P Markey (48 mins), B Kerley for McMahon (54), S McDonnell for Wakely, T Kiernan for McArdle (both 56).

Killeevan: A McAvinney; J McGuirk, G Hughes (Capt.), N McConnon; F Smith, K McGinn, Paul O’Reilly; D Clerkin, I Larmer (0-2); C Kilpatrick, D Quigley (0-2), D Flynn; G McKenna (0-1), N Smith (0-2f), G Graham (0-2).

Subs: Peter O’Reilly for F Smith (42), K Quigley for Flynn (48), P Graham for Kilpatrick (56).

Referee: B Finnegan (Toome).