Dundrum win dour encounter - 22/06/2003
A.C.F.L Division 3
Dundrum 1-14 St Michaels 1-07 20/06/2003
By Marc MacSiomoin, Dundrum

As far as dour encounters get, this couldn't have got any worse. Although the scoreline suggests otherwise it was a rather unimaginative and uninspiring contest. St Michaels never got going until the final 5 minutes and they let Dundrum trample all over them up until that period. However it was way too late to salvage anything as Dundrum had very comfortably wrapped up affairs with Doran's goal in the 55th minute.

The early exchanges saw neither team establish themselves until the away men converted a free on 8 minutes. However 20 minutes would elapse before they would taste success in front of goal again. It was three frees from Venney which countered the Saint's opener. Marty Coughlan then added to the Dundrum tally with a good finish after a high catch in midfield from Walsh. The half came to a close with Venney getting his fourth and final score of the night on 26 minutes with St Michaels adding a free on the half hour mark.

A rather uneventful 1st half was followed up with a score laden 2nd and it was the Duns who outscored the Saints. The homesters hit a handsome 1-09 with the Saints contributing 1-05. Dundrum opened proceedings with a nicely taken effort from Doyle. Carey followed this up with a well taken long range effort 5 minutes later. Doran latched onto this Dundrum momentum and grabbed his first score of the game immediately after. With stop starts ruining the flow of the duel, St Michaels snuck in and hit three points without reply. However their new found glory could not be sustained and they succumbed to the Dun's far too easily for the remainder.

The final third resembled a routine training exercise for the homesters. They popped over the points with relative ease as the Saints failed to exert any pressure on the free roaming forward line. Two Walsh frees and a well executed effort from Doyle were followed up with Doran's cracking punch to the net. St Michaels creeped in with two points and a goal from O'Neill on the hour mark. Injury time saw the Duns send over another three scores courtesy of a double from Walsh and one from Carey. Before matters got worse for St Michaels, the referee blew up a rather dissappointing "contest".

Without wanting to give a totally negative picture of the game, there were some plus points from a Dundrum perspective. Their slick interplay brought many scores and their neat finishing held them in good stead throughout. They moved the ball well and got forward at every available opportunity. St Michaels lay down far too easily. They had no fight or will to take the game to their opponents. They also failed to utilise some of their quicker forward players which would of in turn brought scores. Dundrum were best served in defence where they limited the Saints to 1-05 from play. Walsh and Carey had the proverbial stormers at midfield whilst the dangerous Doyle was best served by Coughlan and Smyth up front.

Dundrum: J.Gibney, P.Shields, J.McMullan, P.Byrne, J.Hurley, M.Murray, C.Carey, K.Walsh (0-04), M.Carey (0-02), P.Doran (1-01), M.Coughlan (0-01), A.Doyle (0-02), R.Smyth, C.Kielty, C.Venney (0-04). Sub Used: J.Barr.