Drumlin Group of Credit Unions Senior Football League

Castleblayney 1-11 Magheracloone 3-7                   28/4/12

Magheracloone bounced back from last Sunday’s SFL loss to Currin with a two-point win over Castleblayney in Crossmaglen on Saturday. With Blayney’s home pitch still out of use and Toome hosting their own IFL game against Tyholland, the Faughs took the unusual step of crossing the Armagh border to play at the home of the All-Ireland club champions, who had the pitch in top condition. Blayney started promisingly and they led throughout the first half, but a late goal by Paul Jones left Magheracloone trailing by just two points after playing against the wind and they found the net twice in the second half to make it count. Tommy Freeman, James Ward, Paul Farnan and Fintan Kindlon were to the fore for Magheracloone, who were without the suspended Damien Freeman, while Peter Treanor, Keith Hill, Martin McElroy led the way for Blayney, who once again missed Ciarán Hanratty, Cormac Brady and Paddy Mallon.

A 20-metre free by Keith Hill, after a foul on Martin McElroy, got Blayney up and running and the same player doubled the Faughs’ lead when he won and scored a 30-metre free. McElroy added a point from play, but Tommy Freeman brought Magheracloone back into the game with a brace of 30-metre frees after fouls on himself and Paudie Finnegan. Freeman equalised with a well-taken point from play after good work by Fintan Kindlon and Gerry Finnegan, but Blayney regained the lead on 20 minutes with a goal from the unlikely source of Peter Treanor, who punched to the net from a clever cross by Martin McElroy. Hill added a good point from play, before winning and scoring a 20-metre free, although Blayney needed Conor Gurn to make a goal-line clearance to deny Kindlon after a Tommy Freeman free dropped into the goalmouth. Magheracloone did get a boost just before half-time when Paul Jones punched a Gerry Finnegan centre to the net, closing their deficit to just two points (1-5 to 1-3) at the interval.

Tommy Freeman made it a one-point game with a nice left-footed score three minutes into the second half, but Hill tapped over a 20-metre free for a foul on Niall Duffy. Kindlon got on the end of a long, accurate pass from James Ward to slot the ball home and give Magheracloone the lead for the first time and Paul Jones followed it up with a point after good approach play by Tommy Freeman and Paudie Finnegan. Kindlon got on the end of a Killian Rudden pass to add another point, but 20-metre frees by Hill and Dermot Malone, both after fouls on Martin McElroy, brought Blayney back to within a point. David Freeman and Jamie Kieran combined to create a point for Kindlon, before Rudden pulled on a loose ball to fire in Magheracloone’s third goal. McElroy linked up with Damien Hughes to provide a quick response from Blayney, who added the last two points through Michael Gurn and Ciarán McGinn, but Magheracloone held on to join the Faughs and Latton in third place.

Castleblayney: B McGuinness; L McElroy, P Treanor (1-0), K Duffy; J McHugh, C Hughes, D Hughes; C Gurn, M Treanor; M McElroy (0-2), N Duffy, J Brady; K Hill (0-6, 5f), D Malone (0-1f), M Gurn.

Subs: P Greene for D Hughes (H-T), D Hughes for C Hughes (inj., 45 mins), C McGinn (0-1) for N Duffy (49), G Ward for Brady (52).

Magheracloone: S Duffy; C Burns, J Ward, M Jones; David Freeman, P Farnan, P Tuite; G Finnegan, J Kieran; R Freeman, P Jones (1-1), K Rudden (1-0); F Kindlon (1-2), P Finnegan, T Freeman (0-4, 2f).

Subs: K Gilsenan for Burns (50 mins), A McCahey for R Freeman (58).

Referee: P McEnaney (Corduff).