Universal Graphics Junior Football Championship Preliminary Round

Drumhowan 0-11 Toome 0-11                                 30/5/14

Drumhowan and Toome will have to meet again to decide who will advance to the first round proper after they drew in Blackhill on Friday evening. Toome hit the last six points of the first half to lead by four, but they scored just twice after the restart, allowing Drumhowan to reel them in. The end result was a fair one on the balance of a very evenly-matched hour.     Kieran and Kevin Mooney, Daren Duffy and Anthony Mulligan led Drumhowan’s challenge, while Liam and Stephen McCooey, Jason Murphy and Francis Quinn were best for Toome.

A point from play by Gary Wilson and a Gavin Flanagan free got Toome up and running, but Kieran Mooney kicked a brace of good points, one with either foot, to bring Drumhowan level. Liam McCooey fisted over to edge Toome ahead, but Kevin Mooney quickly replied with a point and he then won a 30-metre free for Colm Lambe to convert, before also setting up a point for Niall Mooney. A powerful goal-attempt by Gary Wilson went over, via the crossbar, and he was then fouled off the ball to allow Flanagan to equalise from a 13-metre free. McCooey pointed a 25-metre free for a foul on Daniel Friskey, who was then involved in a move which ended with Flanagan punching a McCooey shot over the bar, after Toome keeper Stephen Murphy had denied Lambe, who had been put through by David Millar. That left Toome four points to the good at half-time: 0-9 to 0-5.

Drumhowan’s 20-minute wait for a score ended when Kevin Mooney converted a 25-metre free for a foul on Liam McGuirk and keeper Enda Duffy then went forward to send a 40-metre free over, following a foul on Millar. Toome sub Seán McMahon linked up with Francis Quinn to kick a point with his first touch, but Lambe tapped over a 20-metre free for a foul on Anthony Mulligan, before a strong run by Millar created a point for Kieran Mooney, who added his fourth point from play to equalise eight minutes from time. McCooey regained the lead for Toome when he tapped over a 13-metre free for a foul on Ryan Murphy, but a 25-metre free by Lambe, after a foul on Kieran Mooney, proved to be enough to hand Drumhowan a draw.

Drumhowan: E Duffy (0-1f); P Markey, D Mooney, D Duffy; L McGuirk, B McGuirk, N Mooney (0-1); JP O’Neill, A Mulligan; Kevin Mooney (0-2, 1f), D Millar, Kieran Mooney (0-4); C Lambe (0-3f), K McElroy, P Mulligan.

Subs: C Duffy for P Mulligan (44 mins), M McElroy for D Duffy (inj., 46).

Toome: S Murphy; D Wilson, J Murphy, S McCooey; D Friskey, S Lambe, F Quinn; A Lambe, C Quinn; R Murphy, G Flanagan (0-3, 2f), S Moore (0-1); G Wilson (0-2), N Finnegan, L McCooey (0-4, 2f).

Subs: M O’Reilly for D Wilson (34 mins), S McMahon (0-1) for Finnegan (37), R Fee for C Quinn (inj., 60).

Referee: C Mulligan (Aghabog).