Gormley uPVC Senior Football Championship Round 2B

Magheracloone 0-10 Doohamlet 0-6                                    15/9/13

Magheracloone stayed in the SFC race with a hard-earned win over Doohamlet in a low-scoring game at Clontibret on Sunday. Doohamlet trailed by just a point after playing against the wind in the first half, but they were unable to push on in the second half and Magheracloone got over the line. Paudie Finnegan, James and Pete Ward and Niall Babington were to the fore for Magheracloone, while Barry McGinn, Colin Walshe and Martin Hughes led Doohamlet’s challenge.

Doohamlet made the better start with points by Barry McGinn and Ted Duffy, but Niall Babington and Paudie Finnegan brought Magheracloone level, before Tommy Freeman won and scored a free to edge the Mitchells ahead for the first times. McGinn brought Doohamlet back on terms, only for a right-footed effort by James Hand to give Magheracloone a 0-4 to 0-3 half-time advantage.

A first-minute point by McGinn levelled it up for the third time and although Tommy Freeman tapped over a close-range free for a foul on his brother Damien, McGinn replied with a great score from way out on the left wing. Babington replied for Magheracloone, who moved two clear when Finnegan fired a goal chance over after he had been put through by Noel Tuite, before McGinn and Hand swapped points from frees, following fouls on Ted Duffy and Finnegan. Babington moved Magheracloone three clear at the end of an attack led by James Ward and with Finnegan also hitting his third point deep into injury-time, the south-Monaghan men did enough to set up a Round 3B clash with Monaghan Harps on Friday.

Magheracloone: S Duffy; M Gilsenan, P Ward, M Jones; N Tuite, J Ward, P Tuite; G Doogan, J Kieran; P Finnegan (0-3), N Babington (0-3), D Freeman (Capt.); J Hand (0-2, 1f), P Jones, T Freeman (0-2).

Subs: P Kirk for P Jones (inj., 29 mins), J Coleman for Kieran (46), K Rudden for D Freeman (59), B Morris for Hand (64).

Temporary sub: J Coleman for Kieran (39-42).

Doohamlet: J Casey; G Casey, M Hughes, S Connolly; J McElroy, K McArdle (Capt.), E McManus; C Walshe, Greg Duffy; M Murphy, T Duffy (0-1), N Connolly; B McGinn (0-5, 1f), S McManus, B McBennett.

Sub: D Ward for E McManus (50).

Referee: C Mulligan (Aghabog).