Dundrum GFC Notes - 24th Sept 2007

Down ACFL Division 3 Promotion Playoff
Dundrum 2-07 Saul 1-08

Those in attendance at St Patrick's Park, Newcastle, on Sunday would have mistaken this game for a Championship Final such was the blood, sweat and tears on display.
For sixty seven minutes both promotion hopefuls went at full tilt to secure victory. In the end though Dundrum hung on courageously for the victory while Saul were left down and dejected despite a mammoth effort.
With both teams having beat each other earlier in the League stages this game was ultimately going to decide who the superior team were. This race for supremacy was highlighted by no other than Dundrum midfielder Aaron Doyle who grabbed the first score of the game after a minute's action.
After Doyle's encouraging opener Saul were tested once more when the Duns corner forward Paul Rooney saw his close range shot superbly saved by Stevie Stratton. This save was the prelude to an excellent spell of Saul play which saw Jason Dagens (0-01) and Aodhan Brady (0-02) both convert. The latter's two scores were real gems. On both occasions Brady raided forward from wing back before accurately pointing.
Dundrum soon settled though and began to play the game at their own pace. This allowed them to dicate proceedings for a good 10 minute spell. Doyle was on hand to collect his second score of the day. A flashing run forward was finished off with a laser guided bullet from his left peg to bring the minimum between the sides.
Seventeen minutes in Paul Rooney levelled the game after evading the clutches of Ronan Brady. Saul were on the back foot and struggling to adapt to the pace of the game at this stage. Up step playmaker in chief Cormac Venney. The pacey target man took the ball out wide on the right on the 40'. A quick glance up spotted Chris Hogg lurking around Saul's danger area. Venney proceeded to loft a high ball into the blonde assassin who rose gracefully with his fist to direct the ball into the net. The Duns now held a three point advantage.
Following the goal Paul McComiskey cut in and fired over to further extend the Dun's glee. However, Saul never have been and never will be pushovers. Joe Ritchie's men soon regrouped and were rewarded with a free from Michael Vint and a productive score from play from Nathan Keenan.
Saul's hopes of further extending their resurgence were soon quelled by the hugely impressive John Hurley. Hurley picked up a ball around the middle before embarking on one of his trademark forays forward. The robust centre half back invited no less than four challenges on to him as he sped relentlessly towards the Saul goal. Each challenge came and went as the forceful Hurley continued forwards unabated. Finally, when he reached his destination he simply nestled the ball into Stratton's right corner. The Duns were looking good at this stage and had a five point advantage to prove it.
The last peice of action to grace the field of play before the break came in the form of a Conor McShane point. McShane worked hard to obtain possession and his industrious work was well rewarded with a sweet point.
After receiving some more encouragement from their management team, the Duns ran out for the 2nd half in fine fettle. Saul looked wounded and early scores from John Hurley and Aaron Doyle put the Baysiders eight clear.
However, Dundrum's rythmn was soon disrupted as Jonathan McMullan walked for a second yellow card. The wing back was living on the edge of the rules for most of the game and his sending off was entirely justified.
Saul used their nippy wing forward Jason Dagens as their spare man and with this advantage in numbers they began to press immediately. Michael Vint got the fightback underway with his second free of the game.
Following Vint's morale lifter Saul got the perfect break as Paul Craig netted.The experienced attacker got on the end of a long range JP Burke pass before calmly slotting home. The game now took on a very different perspective as Saul looked very much like they could get a result.
With ten minutes to go the Duns were entirely on the backfoot. Saul were in constant attack mode and this yielded yet another score from substitute Chris Fitzsimons. Only a goal now separated the sides.
With the clock ticking down Saul tried everything in their arsenal to try to break down the Dun's barriers. Yet they never looked like finding that elusive goal. Dundrum's full back line of Neil McComiskey, Philip Shields and John McKibben held out magnificently. John Hurley and Aaron Doyle also retreated back to help out while Marc Cunningham and Kieran Walsh worked their socks off to get the retrieved balls back into their forward line.
With time up the referee elected to play an extra six minutes. This was real backs against the wall stuff but despite Vint hitting over another free Saul's match winner was not forthcoming as Dundrum held out for a very valuable win.
There is a long way to go yet in this series of playoffs but the Duns will be delighted to have secured this win. Saul hit too many wides and this was just one of the factors which led to their defeat. This was a duel that always looked like going Dundrum's way.
All in all this was an extremely brave performance from the Duns. To play a third of the game with fourteen men and still come out winners takes a lot of grit, determination and most importantly belief.
Never say die attitudes win playoff games.

Dundrum: C.King, N.McComiskey, P.Shields, J.McKibben, J.McMullan, J.Hurley (1-01), M.Cunningham, K.Walsh, A.Doyle (0-03), C.Hogg (1-00), P.McComiskey (0-01), D.Kavanagh, P.Rooney (0-01), C.Venney, C.McShane (0-01). Subs: M.Coughlan, NJ McLaughlin, M.Melville.


Down U-16 B Football Championship Final
Naomh Seosamh (Ballykinlar/Dundrum) 3-03 Drumgath 2-10

Losing a Championship Final at any stage of a player's career always renders heartbreak. However, when a fresh faced 16 year old tastes defeat in a County Final for the first time the heartbreak intensifies.
Saturday the 22nd of September was a day when everything went right for the young footballers of Drumgath and everything went wrong for the youths of St Joseph's. It was just one of those occasions.
Drumgath should be very content with their performance. They suffered the embarassment of conceding three goals in the first ten minutes and turned this around to emerge victors by four points. That type of turnaround takes guts and proved just how strong Drumgath were mentally.
The young guns of St Josephs had an off day. Balls bounced over their heads, misplaced kicks went over the sideline and shots dropped short. That's the cruel nature of football. Yet the St Josephs lads didnt go away from this game empty handed. They have gained a learning curve and one that will be invaluable to them in future years. That is how to accept defeat and learn from it.
The East Down champions made the best possible start to the game. After just 25 seconds of action Mark Grant poked the ball beyond Drumgath keeper Anthony Cunningham after a goalmouth scramble.
Drumgath responded immediately through Mark Downey but two goals in the space of 5 minutes sent shockwaves through the sizeable crowd in Burren. Both majors were the end product of Aodhan Killen's genius. His first saw him flick the ball to the net after getting on the end of Sean O'Rourke's 45' while his second was pure class as he smashed the ball into the top corner from 14 yards out.
So after 12 minutes of football St Josephs held an eight point lead. Unbeleiveably this is when the turning point came. The question of whether to defend or attack such a lead left the St Joseph's side in a quandary. This indecision proved costly. Drumgath ruled the roost for the rest of the game and in the process converted 1-05 without reply in the lead up to the halftime whistle. Mark Downey (1-01) and Eddie Fitzpatrick (0-02) were the main danger men in this period. However, Anthony Mageean did manage a last gasp point to put St Joseph's in control by the minimum at the break.
The 2nd half was all one way traffic. Drumgath dominated throughout. Stephen Parsons was a rock at full back while Paul Hillen, Colm Maginn and Ryan Hillen held it together around the middle. In the attack Ciaran Burns impressed while Mark Downey was the star until he was sent off midway through. St Joseph's had hearty battlers in Kieran Carville and Philip Mageean but as a unit the team failed to ignite.
St Josephs tried really hard to establish a foothold but it wasnt to be. An early score from Sean O'Rourke was repelled by a Colm Maginn point and a Mark Downey goal. Another three points from Drumgath put them into a five point lead while Kieran Carville managed a late consolation for the amalgamation. In the latter stages St Joe's had full forward Anthony Mageean red carded.
For some so tender in age Drumgath showed great resolve. To play the way they did after such a terrible opening must be commended. St Joseph's will live to fight another day and hopefully that day will be a more successful one.
Well done to both teams for competing in such an intriguing duel.

Naomh Seosamh: E.King, D.Brennan, K.Carville (0-01), R.Melville, P.Mageean, C.Miskelly, P.Curry, S.O'Rourke (0-01, 1F), C.McKee, M.Grant (1-00), B.Cunningham, C.Mason, A.Killen (2-00), A.Mageean (0-01), S.Mason. Subs: R.Kavanagh, C.Rooney, C.Mageean, S.Murray, R.Smith.


Dundrum GFC Club Notes
* On Sunday, the Seniors took on Saul in the first of their Division 3 Promotion Playoff games. In what turned out to be an excellent performance John McShane's charges ended up winning on a 2-07 to 1-08 scoreline.
Training takes place tomorrow night (Thursday) in Ballykinlar at 7pm sharp. Then on Saturday, Tullylish will be the opponents in the second round of playoff games. Check the local press for venue details.
* On Saturday, the U-16's suffered an agonising defeat against Drumgath in the All County B Final. Despite leading by a point at halftime, the young lads capitulated in the 2nd half and ended up losing on a 2-10 to 3-03 scoreline.
Nevertheless, the U-16's have had an extremely successful season to date. They annexed the East Down U-16 B Football League title as well as taking ownership of the East Down U-16 B Football Championship. Added to this was the fact that two squad members made their way on to the Down U-16 Development Squad.
The management and players would like to thank the following people for making the season such a success: Dundrum GFC Chairman Ollie Forsythe, Ballykinlar GFC Secreatary Sean McCashin, the Ballykinlar GFC Ladies Committee and Social Club Committee, Ballykinlar GFC Chairman Gerard Tumelty and all those who supported the team during the year.
* GAA President Nicky Brennan will be the special guest at our annual dinner dance which will take place in the Slieve Donard on Friday the 2nd of November. It is also hoped that Mr Brennan will oversee a joint Dundrum/Ballykinlar underage presentation the following day in the Parochial Hall in Dundrum.
* With the new official Club History in the pipeline there is the possibility of a new sub committee being formed to help create this new document. All those interested in helping out in this venture should contact PRO Mark Fitzsimons ASAP.