By Mark McNeill

Annaclone’s involvement in the senior championship was short lived but action packed this year. Rostrevor opened the scoring with an early score but Aidan Fegan replied with a free and Martin Farrell added another straight from the resulting kick out thanks to some great fielding from Brendan McArdle. Conor Daly replied for Rostrevor but frees from Dan McCusker and Aidan Fegan nudged the locals ahead. Again the division 1 side replied to level the game with about 5 minutes left in the half. Annaclone pushed forward again and an Aidan Fegan free from long range troubled the Rostrevor defence and Dan McCusker finished it to the net. Rostrevor answered with a point almost immediately and then Annaclone breathed a sigh of relief when the referee disallowed a Rostrevor goal but the Kilbroney men snatched a further point just before half time to leave a single point between the sides.

Both teams opened the second half with two frees apiece, Aidan Fegan and Dan McCusker on target for Annaclone. Most sides would be in trouble if they lost their goalkeeper, but Annaclone were able to call on the experience of Paddy Byrne when Brian McGivern had to withdraw injured in the second half. Rostrevor hit form for 10 minutes inn the second half and everything they hit went over, 5 unanswered points put Annaclone on the back foot, Colm Fegan replied with a pointed free but Rostrevor added two more scores to leave 5 points between the sides. Aidan Fegan pointed a free late on and also had a goal chance late on but shaved the post. Lloyd Parr finished the game with a point to put 5 between the sides again.

Annaclone can be proud of their performances and with a little more luck the result could have been with them but it wasn’t to be. This performance will have to be carried forward into the next two league games, which are as good as championship games in that if they don’t win them there’ll be no play-offs this year and they’ll be in the draw for next years Intermediate Championship as well.

Annaclone travel to Newry Shamrocks on Friday night, throw in 7.15pm.

Team: B McGivern, N Higgins, G McArdle, E McGivern, C McConville, P McColgan, T Pyers, C Farrell, B McArdle, O Pyers, A Fegan (0-4), G Byrne, Paul Byrne, D McCusker (1-2) and M Farrell (0-1). Subs: Paddy Byrne for BMG, S Pyers for EMG, S Quinn for TP, G Fegan for DMC, C Fegan (0-1) for OP, J Fegan, B Fegan, K McNeill and S Byrne.