Kilclief 0-14
Darragh Cross 0-12
Kilclief got their league campaign off
to a winning start with victory in a
tense opening game against newly
promoted Darragh Cross on Friday
night. The match could have gone
either way with the sides level four
times in the second half, but two late
scores for the Strangford men saw them
take the points. The defeat, coupled
with what looked like a serious injury
to player of the year Padraig Mageean
at the start of the second half, made
it a miserable night for Darragh
Cross.
The
home side got off to the perfect
start, with three unanswered points in
the opening seven minutes all coming
from the impressive Ciaran Sloan at
full-forward. Tom McMahon got
Darragh’s opening score firing over
off the post. A point from a free
extended Kilclief’s lead before Marcus
Miskelly replied with a well-taken
point for the away side. Sloan and
Gareth McGovern exchanged points,
before Padraig Mageean punched over
from a miscued shot which was dropping
short. Marcus Miskelly brought Darragh
level, curling over after a good
passing move involving McGovern and
Hugh Murray.
Two
points from Kilclief frees, the second
an excellent effort from almost the
half-way line, ensured that they would
go in at the break in front, with only
a Marcus Miskelly free in reply for
Darragh leaving them trailing by 0-7
to 0-6.
Darragh leveled up the game straight
after the restart, with McGovern
splitting the posts after a good run
forward from Paddy Murray. A point
from a 45 edged Kilclief back in
front, before Darragh lost Padraig
Mageean to injury. Liam Sloan entered
the fray and made an instant impact
with an equalizing point, but yet
again Kilclief went up the other end
and restored a lead with two quick
scores. Hugh Murray pointed for the
away side, before
Kilclief tapped over a
free. Two Gareth McGovern frees
brought Darragh back level in what was
a tit-for-tat second half of football.
Kilclief edged back in front with
their next attack, but with three
minutes remaining Gareth McGovern was
fouled and scored an equalizing point
from his free. Kilclief had introduced
Rory Sharvin and Ricky Kerr to give
fresh legs to their attack, and two
decisive late points won them this
opening game.
Darragh Cross Scorers
G McGovern (0-5), M Miskelly (0-3), T
McMahon (0-1), H Murray (0-1), P
Mageean (0-1), L Sloan (0-1)
