Liam Cunningham 

 

Annaclone 4-14  Glasdrumman 3-9

 

This was Glasdrumman Minor's first competitive game of the new season with last weeks game against Attical called off. Hopes were high going into the game with this years squad looking to follow on from last years League winning performance.

Glasdrumman started very positively and within three minutes were rewarded with a goal from Mark Doran. Annaclone steadied themselves and replied with a point three minutes later. Annaclone were then awarded a penalty within a further minute from which they scored to put them a point in front. In the fifteenth minute from a missed goal chance for Glasdrumman, Annaclone broke upfield to score another goal. Annaclone followed up with another two points in four minutes to put them six points ahead, before Connaire Harrison pointed from a free after a foul on James McDowell. Shane Harrison then made a good save from a shot on goal to keep Glasdrumman in touch. Annaclone came back with a point from a free, which was followed up with another point from Connaire Harrison from an Annaclone goal kick. A minute later Annaclone won a free in midfield and with Glasdrumman caught ball watching, went on to score another goal to put eight points between the sides. Annaclone added another two points in quick succession before Connaire Harrison rounded off the first half with a point from a free to leave the half time scores Annaclone 3-6 Glasdrumman 1-3.

Annaclone continued in the second half as they had finished the first and registered another point within a minute of the restart. Shane Harrison made another good save a minute later which was followed up with a point from Paul Grant to close the gap. Connaire Harrison's attempt for a point came back off the bar, but without a Glasdrumman player following up Annaclone swiftly moved the ball upfield to score another goal. Glasdrumman then replaced Ryan Doran, who was carrying an injury, with Nathan Cracknell. Annaclone increased their lead with another point before Connaire Harrison replied with two points, one from play the other a well taken fifty, for Glasdrumman. Ryan McDowell was sent on as a replacement for Mark Doran in the fortieth minute and within a minute a speculative long ball from James McDowell towards the square was misjudged by the Annaclone goalkeeper and ended up in the back of the net. Glasdrumman should have had another goal immediately but the ball was scrambled away from danger. Annaclone scored another two points before Glasdrumman scored again. After some good work on the right the ball was fed in for Ryan McDowell to put the ball into the Annaclone net for a goal to bring Glasdrumman within seven points. In the fifty second minute the ball was moved well up the right hand side for the ball to end up with Stefan McGuinness who narrowly put the ball wide. Annaclone scored another three points with Glasdrumman replying with a well taken point from Martin McGrath and another pointed free from Connaire Harrison to leave the final score Annaclone 4-14 Glasdrumman 3-9.

Although the game ended in defeat for Glasdrumman, positives can be taken from the game in that all the players kept playing, and didn't give up, resulting with Glasdrumman outscoring Annaclone in the second half. But for a few missed goal chances by Glasdrumman, the score could have been very different. Glasdrumman may have looked a bit ring rusty but Annaclone looked to have benefitted from their additional game the week before.

 

Glasdrumman : Shane Harrison, David McAlinden, Christopher Cassidy, Darren Joyce, Gavin McCracken, Ryan Doran, Paul McCaffrey, Connaire Harrison(0-7), James McDowell(1-0), Martin McGrath(0-1), Paul Grant(0-1), Ryan Clerkin, Paul Quinn, Stefan McGuinness, Mark Doran(1-0).

 

Subs used : Nathan Cracknell for Ryan Doran, Ryan McDowell(1-0) for Mark Doran and Mark Doran for Ryan Clerkin