Universal Graphics Junior Football Championship Round 1A

Aughnamullen 2-11 Éire Óg 1-6                  7/6/14

 

Aughnamullen were comfortable winners against Éire Óg in the second game of Saturday evening’s JFC double-header in Drumhowan. Aughnamullen were full value for their nine-point half-time lead and although Éire Óg improved after the restart and briefly closed the gap to four points with ten minutes to go, their challenge quickly faded when they conceded a second soft goal. Éire Óg were left to regret not only leaking those goals, but also failing to take a number of chances themselves, as well as the absence of key man Paddy Croarkin and the loss through injury of Marc McBride in the first half. Colin Clerkin, Sam Dooney, Shane Conlon and Lee Conlan played key roles for Aughnamullen, while Ryan Sherlock, Jonathan McMahon and Darach McCluskey were Éire Óg’s main men.

Aughnamullen started brightly with good points from play by Colin Clerkin and Sam Dooney, before Ryan Sherlock and Pete Dooney swapped points from frees, following fouls on Fearghal Sheridan and Seán Sheridan. Keith Sheridan moved Aughnamullen three clear when he fired over after a high lob in hit the crossbar and they soon doubled their lead when Éire Óg keeper Paul Hand lost possession to Edmond McArdle, allowing Pete Dooney to squeeze a low shot into the net.

Pete Dooney then won and scored a 30-metre free and Mark McArdle and Clerkin added points to continue the one-way traffic. Shane Conlon linked up with Thomas Finnegan for a well-taken score, before Éire Óg ended an 18-minute wait barren run, although it could have been a goal when Sherlock flicked just over at the end of a move involving Michael Tierney and Dermot Gleeson. Pete Dooney won and scored another 25-metre free for Aughnamullen and he had another shot at goal saved by Hand after good work by Conlon and Sam Dooney. Éire Óg got the last score of the first half when Sherlock tapped over a 13-metre free for a foul on Enda Doran, but Aughnamullen still had nine points to spare at 1-9 to 0-3.

A Doran point got Éire Óg up and running in the second half and Michael Tierney tapped over a 13-metre free for a foul on Sherlock, while Michael McPhillips was denied by Aughnamullen keeper Gary Mulligan when a high ball from Alan McGorman put him in and Dónal Tierney also saw a goal chance go untaken. A fine point from Clerkin ended 17 minutes without a score for Aughnamullen, before Dónal Tierney set up Sherlock for a point for Éire Óg, who created another goal opportunity with a well-worked move involving Corey McAree, Jonathan McMahon and Gleeson, only for Mulligan to save from Michael Tierney.

Michael Tierney turned provider for Dónal Tierney to finally score the goal the Smithborough men had been threatening, but their comeback hopes were quickly killed off when a Pete Dooney free came off the post to Aughnamullen sub Chris Keenan, who tapped into the net from close range. Pete Dooney added a point from play for the Sarsfields and although Éire Óg had yet another effort at goal when a Sherlock free released Michael Tierney, he was blocked down, leaving eight points between the teams at the final whistle. Aughnamullen’s Round 2A opponents will be the winners of next Saturday’s replay between Killanny and Scotstown, while Éire Óg will face Drumhowan in Division 1B.

 

Aughnamullen: G Mulligan; D Hamilton, C Flanagan, S Ward; S Dooney (Capt., 0-1), T Finnegan, M Keenan; L Conlan, S Conlon (0-1); E McArdle, S Sheridan, C Clerkin (0-3); K Sheridan (0-1), P Dooney (1-4, 0-3f), M McArdle (0-1).

Subs: C Keenan (1-0) for E McArdle, P McConnell for Ward (both 46 mins), N Keenan for K Sheridan (53), D Duffy for M McArdle (57), D Shevlin for Clerkin (59).

Temporary sub: C Keenan for Conlan (41-44).

 

Éire Óg: P Hand; C Toal, D McMahon, M McBride; S Flynn, D McCluskey (Capt.), E Doran (0-1); A McGorman, S Kerr; M McPhillips, J McMahon, F Sheridan; D Gleeson, M Tierney (0-1f), R Sherlock (0-4, 2f).

Subs: D Tierney (1-0) for McBride (inj., 20), C McAree for Sheridan (H-T), N Cadden for McPhillips (53).

 

Referee: B Finnegan (Toome).