Darragh Cross
play total football against Dundrum
ACFL Div
3: Darragh Cross 2-13 Dundrum 1-07
By
Marc Mac Siomoin [marc_mac_siomoin@yahoo.co.uk]
Darragh Cross have been knocking on
the door of Division 2 for nearly a
decade now and judging on Friday night's
evidence it looks like the wait may
be coming to an end. For sixty minutes
Darragh never took their foot off the
pedal. They played total football. Their
passing and movement were second to
none. Attacks that originated in the
back line were carried out by the forwards
ruthlessly time and time again. They
were the total package from number 1
to 15.
In Marcus Miskelly they probably have one of the most gifted attackers in Division 3. The Down Minor of two years ago ran rampant. His final tally of 2-04 speaks volumes. Yet this Darragh side does not rely solely on individuals. At the back Fintan Murray, Ryan McGreevy and Marty McGreevy were most dominant. In midfield McGovern and Swail fought tirelessly and in the free running attack it was Tom McMahon and Gary Kennedy that provided the perfect foil for Miskelly's antics.
Dundrum also had their stars on the night. Cormac Venney had an impressive game at wing half forward. Five points came his way, four from frees and a fine individual effort from play. At the back Neil McComiskey and Conor McKibbin made a valiant effort to break down the Darragh attack whenever possible. Aaron Doyle had another good game in the middle of the park winning a couple of good balls. In the forwards it was the industrious Martin Coughlan that guided the attack but the Duns will rue the loss of possession in this area.
The game itself was only seconds old when Paddy Doran fisted to Marty Carey who dispensed his shot past Dick McMahon to the net. Shortly after a free from McMullan put the Duns four clear.
Like many previous games Dundrum started well in the first ten and then buckled. Nothing changed here and Darragh went on to score 1-06 without reply. Eoin Mageean (0-01), Kennedy (0-01), Swail (0-02) and Miskelly (1-02) the target men.
Venney halted the Darragh momentum with two points to put a goal between the sides but Gary Kennedy was on hand to rebuke this with a great score of his own.
The second half belonged to the Cross. Five consecutive points from the start put them into a lead which they never looked like relinquishing. Hugh Murray (0-01), Tom McMahon (0-01), Miskelly (0-02) and Pat McMahon (0-01) attacked at will and as the game progressed the more invincible they became.
Venney and Doran did eat into this huge lead with a point apeice but it proved in vain. Their sterling efforts immediately cancelled out by Hugh Murray. The same was to happen moments later as Venney sent over two frees only for Darragh to race down the field and find the net through Miskelly. This was the final nail in the Duns coffin. Miskelly did the hammer job and completed what was infact a rout.
Dundrum: C.King, N.McComiskey, C.Morgan,
J.McKibben, J.Hurley, C.McKibbin, P.Shields,
A.Doyle, C.Kielty, C.Venney (0-05).
M.Coughlan, J.McMullan (0-01), P.Doran
(0-01), M.Carey (1-00), C.Carey. Subs:
R.Smyth, G.Graham, C.McShane, F.Forsythe.
