John Brennan

Glasdrumman are League Champions

Glasdrumman 1-8  Ardglass  0-9

Ballykinlar was the venue for Glasdrumman’s second playoff game against Ardglass. The blustry conditions were not ideal for football and made life difficult especially for free takers for both sides. Both sides started nervously and it was ten minutes before the first score, a point for Glasdrumman from the boot of Cormac Murphy. Two minutes later Liam Mullan scored for Ardglass to leave the game all square before a Stephen Reegan point put Ardglass ahead for the first time in the game. On twenty one minutes Cormac Murphy scored Glasdrumman's second point to level the game but Ardglass hit back two minutes later with a Mark Magee point to restore their lead. Two minutes later Mick Mooney got the ball on the left wing and he fired in a terrific shot which the Ardglass keeper did well to block. Unfortunately for him it fell into the path of the inrushing Connaire Harrison who showed all the coolness of a veteran to stroke the ball to the Ardglass net. In the twenty eighth minute Liam Mullan got his second point of the half for Ardglass to leave the half time score Glasdrumman 1-2 Ardglass 0-4.

The second half started with an excellent point from a forty five from Cormac Murphy after three minutes followed two minutes later by an absolutely brilliant point from the right wing by  Connaire Harrison. These two scores seemed to settle Glasdrumman and they started to show some of the form which they had displayed all season. Liam Mullan pulled a point back for Ardglass after eight minutes but their relief was short lived as Glasdrumman added a further three points without reply in an eight minute spell, two from the boot of Cormac Murphy and one from Raymond Magorrian to leave five points between the sides. Ardglass however were not finished and they fought hard to get back into the game. They were rewarded with points from Liam Mullan, Marty Curran, Marty McVicker and Michael Magee to leave a single point between the teams as the game went into injury time. Glasdrumman needed a score badly to settle the nerves and what a score it was when it came. Midfielder Pat Mallon was back helping out the beleaguered  Glasdrumman defence when he intercepted a ball on his own twenty metre line. He carried the ball down along the right touchline before launching a superb shot from thirty metres which sailed between the posts to give Glasdrumman their first league title in the history of the club with a score line of

Glasdrumman 1-8 Ardglass 0-9.

This was an excellent if sometimes nervous performance from the Glasdrumman team. The defence were superb throughout. Ronan McDowell needed to be at his best to stop an awkward Ardglass shot late on in the game. The full back line of Paul Brennan, Kevin Burns and Art McCartan stuck to their task well and gave their opponents little room to operate. The half back line of Francis O’Neill, Martin O’Neill and Mark Trimble dealt effectively with the threat from the Ardglass half forwards. Midfielders Pat Mallon and Declan Grant coped well with a strong Ardglass midfield pairing. Up front the forward formation of Colm Carr, Raymond Magorrian, Mick Mooney, Cormac Murphy, Raymond Clarke and Connaire Harrison  along with substitutes Shane Feeney and Paul McDowell all played their part in securing Glasdrumman’s historic first league title. Indeed one must not forget the contribution of all the other squad members who played their part in this achievement throughout the season but didn‘t get a run out on the day. A special word of appreciation must go to the management team of Sean Colgan, Christopher Cunningham, Gerard McCartan and Terry Joyce for all their efforts and hard work throughout the season as the club looks forward to Division 2 football next season.

Glasdrumman: Ronan McDowell, Francis O’Neill, Kevin Burns, Paul Brennan, Art McCartan, Martin  O’Neill, Mark Trimble, Pat Mallon (0-1), Declan Grant, Mick Mooney, Raymond Magorrian (0-1), Colm Carr, Cormac Murphy (0-5), Raymond Clarke, Connaire Harrison (1-1).

Subs: Paul McDowell for Connaire Harrison, Shane Feeney for Colm Carr, Shaun Brennan, Daniel McCartan, Shaun McVeigh, Christopher McDowell, John McAteer, Paul Grant, Shane O’Neill, Paul Grant