Drumlin Group of Credit Unions Senior Football League

Clontibret 1-11 Truagh 2-8                          13/5/12

Clontibret and Truagh both remain a point above the relegation zone in the SFL after they played out an exciting draw in very difficult conditions at O’Neill Park on Sunday. Truagh led for most of the first half, thanks mainly to an early goal from county minor Adam Treanor, but they trailed by two points at half-time and had to come from behind a number of times in the second half – including from two points down late on – to salvage a draw. Conor McManus, Paul McGuigan and Colin Duffy were best for Clontibret, while Pádraig McKenna, Damian McRory and substitute Mark Counihan led Truagh’s challenge.

Truagh got off to a perfect start when Adam Treanor fired to the net after just two minutes and although Conor McManus (free) and Paul McGuigan hit back for Clontibret, points from Daniel McKenna and Eoghan Kelly kept Truagh ahead. Vincent Corey got another point back for the hosts, but a brace from Pádraig McKenna increased Truagh’s lead to four. Clontibret rattled in an unanswered 1-3 in the final ten minutes of the half, however. Eoin McGuigan scored the goal, while Paul McGuigan, David Savage and substitute Martin Corey kicked the points to give the defending league champions a 1-6 to 1-4 half-time lead.

McManus raced through the Truagh defence to fire narrowly over the bar just after the restart, but a point from a free by Christopher McKenna kept the visitors in touch. A McManus free restored Clontibret’s three-point lead, but a slack pass from a sideline allowed Mark Counihan to win a penalty when he was dragged down by Clontibret keeper Arthur Morgan. The Truagh sub picked himself up to coolly convert the penalty, although McManus quickly restored Clontibret’s lead from a free after Darren Todd had been penalised for over-carrying. Christopher McKenna kicked a superb score from a 45-metre free to bring Truagh level once again, but McManus won and scored a brace of frees to put Clontibret two up with just five minutes left. A free by Daniel McKenna, after a foul on Pádraig McKenna, gave Truagh hope in the dying minutes and they drew level in the first minute of injury-time when another sub, Neil McRory, split the posts. That was enough to give them a share of the spoils, which was probably the fairest result for both team’s efforts in miserable conditions.

Clontibret: A Morgan; D Carragher, C Greenan, C Duffy; D Mooney, C Boyle, Pádraig McGuigan; JP Mone, Paul McGuigan (0-2); P Boyle, V Corey (0-1), R Gorman; D Savage (0-1), C McManus (0-6, 5f), E McGuigan (1-0).

Subs: M Corey (0-1) for Greenan (inj., 18 mins), E Greenan for Pádraig McGuigan (45), Shane Hughes for E McGuigan (58).

Truagh: I Treanor; J McCarron, N Feely (Capt.), D Todd; J Halligan, D McRory, R Treanor; P Treanor, N McQuillan; N Coyle, D McKenna (0-2, 1f), A Treanor (1-0); C McKenna (0-2f), Pádraig McKenna (0-2), E Kelly (0-1).

Subs: M Counihan (1-0, pen) for Kelly, A Coyle for R Treanor, N McRory (0-1) for N Coyle (all H-T), S McKenna for Counihan (54).

Referee: M McNally (Corduff).