John Brennan

Senior Football

Aghaderg 2-08 Glasdrumman 3-13

For the second Friday night in a row Glasdrumman made the journey to Banbridge, this time on their way to play Aghaderg. Having narrowly beaten them at home in the first game of the season, Glasdrumman knew that they would face a difficult task to maintain their position at the top of the league. However they were first to score with a Cormac Murphy point within three minutes. The same player had the ball in the Aghaderg net a minute later and this was quickly followed by points from Mark Trimble and Pat Mallon to leave Glasdrumman with a six point lead after nine minutes. Within five minutes Aghaderg had halved the Glasdrumman lead with three points, two which came from the boot of Rory Simpson. Cormac Murphy pulled two quick points back for Glasdrumman in the fifteenth and seventeenth minutes before Aghaderg got their fourth point of the half. However Glasdrumman finished the stronger with another point from Cormac Murphy and two from Raymond Clarke to leave the halftime score Aghaderg 0-4 Glasdrumman 1-8.

Glasdrumman started the second half as they had finished the first as Cormac Murphy finished the ball to the Aghaderg net within a minute of the restart for his and Glasdrumman’s second goal. Two minutes later a high dropping ball somehow found it’s way to the Glasdrumman net and when full forward Kevin Faloon got a touch two minutes later to score Aghaderg’s second goal of the game Glasdrumman knew they needed a quick response to settle their game and they got just that. A neat passing movement ended up with substitute Gary McGreevy neatly side stepped his marker and coolly planted the ball past the Aghaderg goalkeeper for Glasdrumman’s third goal of the game. In the tenth minute minute Rory Simpson pulled a point back for Aghaderg but this was quickly cancelled out by a Pat Mallon point a minute later. Again another Simpson point was answered within a minute by a similar score from Ryamond Clarke. Aghaderg cut the Glasdrumman lead with two more points from Rory Simpson in the twenty fifth and twenty ninth minutes. Cormac Murphy pulled a point back a minute later  before Glasdrumman introduced Shane O’Neill into the game. He made an immediate impression as he set Cormac Murphy up for a point with his first touch of the game and scored a excellent fisted point a minute later to leave the final score Aghaderg 2-08 Glasdrumman 3-13.

This was another  good overall Glasdrumman performance against a useful Aghaderg side. The defence was generally sound making some very important blocking and clearances especially at crucial times  during the game. The midfielders won a lot of ball and when the ball reached the forwards they produced some good direct attacking football taking their scores well when the chances presented themselves. Cormac Murphy, at full forward, gave his marker a torrid time as he had one of those nights when everything he touched went right for him and his personal tally of 2-6 bears testament to that.

Glasdrumman: Ronan McDowell, Francis O‘Neill, Kevin Burns, Paul Brennan, Brian Burns, Martin O’Neill, Colm Carr, Pat Mallon (0-2), Declan Grant, Shaun Brennan, Raymond Clarke (0-3), Mark Trimble (0-1), Mick Mooney, Cormac Murphy (2-6), Connaire Harrison. 

Subs used:  Gary McGreevy (1-0)  for Francis O’Neill, Paul McDowell for Connaire Harrison, Shane O’Neill (0-1) for Gary McGreevy.

***          Senior match home to Tullylish at 7.30pm on Friday.

***          Congratulations to the U-10 who secured an 2-9 to 1-12                         draw against Ballymartin.  After a quiet first half they recovered to produce an excellent second half  performance to secure a well earned draw.

***           Congratulations to the U-16 who beat visitors Tullylish by a single point  at home.

***            Good luck to the Minors who play away to Ardglass on Wednesday night in the minor championship.