Liam Cunningham 

Friday nights visitors to the Quarter Road were Annaclone, who despite their relegation from Division 1 last year started this Division 2 opening game as strong favourites. The setting could not have been better for the first fixture of the new season with a warm, sunny evening ideal for football and strong support for both teams.

Glasdrumman started the stronger and were ahead within two minutes with a good point from play from Declan Grant followed by a further point from Cormac Murphy in the fifth minute. However, Annaclone eased themselves into the game in the sixth minute with a well taken free from Colm Fegan. Glasdrumman did not let this get to them and went straight up the field to score another well taken point this time from Connaire Harrison from a difficult angle, almost on the right hand touchline. Glasdrumman continued to press hard and were awarded with a goal chance a minute later, which but for a bobbling ball may well have ended up in the back of the Annaclone net. Annaclone appeared to get encouragement from this stroke of luck and for the next seven minutes played some slick and open football, keeping Glasdrumman scoreless. In this period Annaclone put over another five points themselves, two from frees from Colm Fegan added to from play by Gary Byrne and Martin Farrell. In the fifteenth minute Glasdrumman won a free in midfield, allowing them to catch breath and interrupt the flow of play. The resulting free from Cormac Murphy went wide but two minutes later Connaire Harrison burst through on the Annaclone goal and, with the home crowd expectant, was unlucky to fire over for another point. Glasdrumman again pushed forward and Raymond Megorrian was again unlucky with a high shot that came back off the very top of the upright into Annaclone arms in the nineteenth minute. Points were then traded with Annaclone going a further point ahead with a free from Aiden Fegan, Glasdrumman replying with a point from a fourteen yard free from Connaire Harrison and after strong play on the left hand side another point from Cormac Murphy. Annaclone pushed hard for further scores in the final five minutes of the half, but strong defensive work kept them to only one more, a free in the twenty ninth minute from Colm Fegan. The sides went in at half time with the score Glasdrumman 0-6 Annaclone 0-8.

Annaclone started the second half as they finished the first, and within two minutes Colm Fegan burst through and shot for goal, but Ronan McDowell made a good save defelecting the ball onto the bar and over for an Annaclone point. Connaire Harrison got Glasdrumman back to within two points with a good turn and shot over the bar rom the right hand corner in the thirty fourth minute, but again Annaclone stretched the lead a minute later with a point from a free by Aiden Fegan. Glasdrumman then stepped up a gear and went in search of further scores. In the thirty eighth minute a good running and passing move resulted in a very close wide from Raymond Megorrian. Glasdrumman replaced Shaun Brennan with James McDowell and Annclone replaced Seamus Quinn and Gerard Fegan with Paul Byrne and Eamon McGivern resepectively on forty minutes. At this stage, although three points down, Glasdrumman began to believe they could get a result from the game. In the forty fourth minute Connaire Harrison fielded a high ball from midfield and burst through on goal with a good run but was unlucky again to shoot just wide as the Annaclone goalkeeper grasped at air. The belief of an unlikely result was heightened with a well taken goal from Raymond Clarke almost bursting the Anaclone net a minute later after good work in midfield and pass from Cormac Murphy. Annaclone came back straight away but good defensive work from Glasdrumman kept them out. Sean McDowell put Glasdrumman ahead again in the forty eighth minute with a well taken point after the ball rebounded from the post and Sean McDowell scored another point only a minute later following a good push forward by Brian Burns. Annaclone were now under pressure and almost replied immediately with a goal, only for another good save from Ronan McDowell. Annaclone continued to press hard and were rewarded with a point from the left hand side in the fifty fourth minute. Francis O'Neill made a superb last ditch tackle a minute later to deny Annaclone a point, the ball was then fed out to Connaire Harrison on the right who held on for support arriving from Raymond Megorrian who proceeded to drive the ball over to increase the lead again to two points in Glasdrumman's favour. With only five minutes left it was all hands to the pumps for Glasdrumman as Annaclone heaped pressure onto the Glasdrumman defence which held out admirably until the fifty ninth minute with a point for Annaclone bringing the difference to one. By now the Glasdrumman support were screaming for the final whistle but Annaclone kept the pressure on, sending two further shots wide, until Brendan McArdle sent over a last ditch point three minutes into injury time leaving the final score Glasdrumman 1-10 Annaclone 0-13.

This was a very good and determined performance from Glasdrumman. Ronan McDowell was his usual secure self when called upon keeping a clean sheet. He received good cover from the full back line of Mark Trimble, Francis O’Neill and Daniel McCartan. The half back line of Colm Carr, Brian Burns and Martin O’Neill worked hard. Midfielders Declan Grant, Pat Mallon and Cormac Murphy showed a lot of grit and determination winning a lot of ball. The half forward line of Shaun Brennan, Raymond Megorrian and Sean McDowell played with determination securing a steady supply of ball to the full forward line of Connaire Harrison and Raymond Clarke getting their names on the score sheet. Substitute James McDowell also played his part when called upon in what was a gritty overall performance from the team. At the end, Glasdrumman may well have been disappointed to have only got a draw from a game that could have went either way, but this result augers well for the remainder of the season.

Glasdrumman : Ronan McDowell, Mark Trimble, Francis O'Neill, Daniel McCartan, Colm Carr, Brian Burns, Martin O'Neill, Declan Grant(0-1), Pat Mallon, Shaun Brennan, Raymond Megorrian(0-1), Sean McDowell(0-2), Cormac Murphy(0-2), Raymond Clarke(1-0), Connaire Harrison(0-4).

Subs used : James McDowell for Shaun Brennan

Subs not used : J. McAteer, N. McGreevy, S. Cunningham, S. McVeigh, C. McDonnell, D. Joyce, C. Clerkin, G. McGreevy

Annaclone : Brian McGivern, Conor O Conville, Gary McArdle, Brian Fegan, Seamus Quinn, Peter McColgan, Thomas Pyers, Martin McAleenan, Brendan McArdle, Colm Fegan, Colm Farrell, Gary Byrne, Gerard Fegan, Aiden Fegan, Martin Farrell.

Subs used : Paul Byrne for Seamus Quinn, Eamon McGivern for Gerard Fegan