Blayney keep SFC hopes alive
Gormley uPVC Senior Football Championship
Castleblayney 1-12 Truagh 0-6 21/8/11
Castleblayney got their first win of the 2011 Senior Football Championship and kept their hopes alive in the process when they eased past Truagh in Clontibret on Sunday. A burst of 1-4 without reply between the 12th minute and the 23rd minute sent Blayney on their way, with Martin McElroy scoring the goal to give the Faughs a lead which they never looked like losing. Blayney were on top all over the pitch, with Ciarán Hanratty shining up front, Francis Moore and Ciarán Hughes dominating midfield and Martin McElroy and Mark Treanor constantly driving forward from defence, while Cormac Brady and Paddy Mallon anchored the back line to good effect. Barry Cuddy, Damian McRory and Rory Treanor worked hard at the back for Truagh, but their forwards were never able to make any impact, with just two of their front six scoring a point each.
Blayney took an early lead when Francis Moore fisted over at the end of a well-worked move involving Dermot Malone, Ciarán Hanratty and Martin McElroy and that quickly became two when Brendan McElroy sent over. Truagh got off the mark with a good point from Mark Counihan after he had latched onto a Niall McMeel pass and they drew level when Daniel and Seán McKenna combined to set up Gary Feely for the equaliser. Ryan Treacy showed good strength to win a ball in from Martin McElroy and regain the lead for Blayney, who moved two clear once again when Mark Treanor tapped over after patient build-up involving Ciarán Hughes, Hanratty and Martin McElroy.
Moore fisted his second point of the half after Hanratty had been well-placed by a free from Malone and Blayney took charge on 20 minutes when Martin McElroy exchanged passes with Hanratty and drilled a low shot into the net for the only goal of the game. Hanratty won and scored a 30-metre free and although McMeel linked up with Seán McKenna to end 15 scoreless minutes for Truagh, Hanratty converted another free for a foul on Malone to leave Blayney seven ahead at half-time: 1-7 to 0-3.
Truagh’s Neil McRory got the first point of the second half, but Mark Treanor got forward to kick his second point after a quick free by Paddy Mallon. Both sides then went close to finding the net, as Hanratty had a shot saved by Ian Treanor at one end, before Cormac Brady made a great block to deny Daniel McKenna, with Niall Coyle’s follow-up effort being blocked by a combination of Stephen McGeough and Pauric McNally. Hanratty tapped over a 20-metre free after a foul on Martin McElroy to keep Blayney in charge, although they escaped a couple of nervy moments when Truagh failed to take another brace of goal chances. The first saw Damian McRory fire over the bar, while McNally kept the second out after Counihan had been put through by Pauric Treanor. Hanratty won and scored a 20-metre free before adding his first from play after good work by Moore and Damien Hughes.
Another point from play by Hanratty finished off the scoring for Blayney, but they had Adrian Irwin sent off late on for kicking Rory Treanor just five minutes after he came on as a sub. Damian McRory fired another Truagh goal-chance wide in injury-time and although Gary Meehan won and scored a close-range free, it was little consolation as the game was long gone from them at that stage. Blayney will play Ballybay in the next round, with a place in a semi-final against Latton on offer for the winners.
Castleblayney: P McNally; M Treanor (0-2), P Mallon, S McGeough; K Duffy, C Brady, M McElroy (1-0); C Hughes (Capt.), F Moore (0-2); D McArdle, D Malone, J Brady; C Hanratty (0-6, 4f), R Treacy (0-1), B McElroy (0-1)
Subs: D Hughes for McArdle (inj., 40 mins), K Hill for B McElroy (52), A Irwin for J Brady, P Conlon for McGeough (both 55).
Temporary sub: P Conlon for Mallon (29-HT).
Truagh: I Treanor; N McQuillan, B Cuddy, N Feely (Capt.); D McRory (0-1), M Treanor, R Treanor; N McMeel (0-1), N McRory (0-1); J Treanor, D McKenna, N Coyle; S McKenna, G Feely (0-1), M Counihan (0-1).
Subs: P Treanor for J Treanor (H-T), E Kelly for McQuillan (38), D Finnegan for S McKenna (48), G Meehan (0-1f) for G Feely, B Treanor for N McRory (52).
Temporary sub: J McCarron for R Treanor (60).
Referee: C Mulligan (Aghabog).
