Gormley uPVC Senior Football Championship Round 2A

Clontibret 1-12 Scotstown 1-9                                  7/9/13

 

Clontibret became the first team to qualify for the 2013 SFC semi-finals when they defeated Scotstown in front of a big crowd in Ballybay on Saturday evening. The winners dominated the first half and although Scotstown improved after the break, they never really looked like catching up with a Conor McManus-inspired Clontibret. McManus stole the show with a 1-8 tally (all but two points from play), while Clontibret also had good performances from Colum Greenan, Dessie Mone, Darach Mooney and Martin Corey, while Francis Caulfield, Fergal McPhillips and Dónal Morgan were best for Scotstown.

Clontibret drew first blood through Conor McManus, following good work by Michael McEniff, who quickly doubled their advantage. Scotstown took the lead for the only time when Kieran Hughes flicked a long free into the net in the fourth minute, but they were soon behind again after McManus made a fine catch from a high ball by Dessie Mone and drilled a clinical shot past Rory Beggan. McManus then converted a 25-metre free for a foul on Vincent Corey and Noel Morgan added a point from play, before McManus landed a superb score from distance at the end of a move involving Dessie Mone and Brian Greenan.

The Ulster All-Star forward again linked up with Brian Greenan to kick another fine point from a tight angle, before McEniff made it 1-6 without reply for Clontibret. Shane Carey ended 21 scoreless minutes for Scotstown when he tapped over a 13-metre free after a foul on James Turley and Kieran Hughes then converted a 20-metre free for a foul on Conor McCarthy, who made his SFC debut as a sub only to have to come off with a shoulder injury in the second half. A well-taken point by Turley, after a one-two with Carey, closed the gap to five at half-time: Clontibret 1-8 Scotstown 1-3.

Carey got the first score of the second half with a free from a difficult angle after a foul on Kieran Hughes, but Martin Corey replied for Clontibret at the end of a well-worked move involving Fergal Mone, Vincent Corey, McManus and David Savage. McManus and Carey then swapped points from frees after fouls on Brian Greenan and Darren Hughes, before Colum Greenan was penalised for over-carrying, allowing Rory Beggan to boot over a 50-metre free.

McManus restored Clontibret’s five-point lead and he added another nice point after taking a pass from sub Rodney Gorman and although Scotstown closed their deficit to three thanks to a ’45 and a long-range free by Beggan and a 20-metre free by Paul Grant, which the sub had himself won, the O’Neills deservedly held on to advance through the front door.

 

Clontibret: A Morgan; C Boyle, D Mooney, C Greenan; V Corey, D Mone, M Corey (0-1); A Rooney, E Greenan; David Savage, M McEniff (0-2), B Greenan; F Mone, C McManus (Capt., 1-8, 0-2f), N Morgan (0-1).

Subs: R McGuigan for N Morgan (inj., 22 mins), R Gorman for F Mone (47), P Boyle for B Greenan (53).

Temporary sub: R McGuigan for Rooney (21-24).

 

Scotstown: R Beggan (0-3, 2f, 1 ’45); D McArdle, W Carroll, F McPhillips; D Morgan, E Caulfield, E Beggan; D McCague, F Caulfield; J Turley (0-1), B McGinnity, D Hughes (Capt.); O Heaphey, K Hughes (1-1, 0-1f), S Carey (0-3f).

Subs: M Duffy for Carroll (27), C McCarthy for Heaphey (28), P O’Hara for McCague (H-T), P Grant (0-1f) for Carey (40), D McCrudden for McCarthy (inj., 51).

 

Referee: M McNally (Corduff).