ANNACLONE SQUEEZE OUT MOURNE
MEN
Glasdrumman 2-5 Annaclone 1-10
A large crowd witnessed this
second Intermediate Championship
Semi-Final in Newcastle on Saturday
evening.
With Annaclone hot favourites
and with little to lose Glasdrumman
raced out of the blocks and were
ahead from a point by Cormac Murphy
before a minute was on the clock.
With Annaclone clearly shook,
Glasdrumman were unable to take
advantage of some good opportunities
before Annaclone equalised in
the eighth minute with a point
from Gerard Fegan. It was Annaclone's
turn to take the play to Glasdrumman,
however it was the Mourne side
who went in front again midway
through the half with a pointed
free from Cormac Murphy. Annaclone
replied swiftly with a point from
Brendan McArdle which was followed
immediately by a fisted point
from Gary McArdle. With Annaclone
now in front, they began to take
control of the last ten minutes
of the half. Two pointed frees,
one each from Paul Byrne and Aidan
Fegan, and a further point from
Brendan McArdle in added time,
sent the teams in at half time
with the score Glasdrumman 0-2
Annaclone 0-6.
Glasdrumman started with the first
score of the second half, a point
from a free kick by Connaire Harrison
within two minutes of the restart.
Annaclone replied with conviction,
and a point from Paul Byrne was
followed up with a goal from Brian
Fegan to put them seven points
ahead. Some teams would have lost
heart at this stage but not Glasdrumman,
as they went up the field and
were awarded a penalty after a
foul on Connaire Harrison as he
bared down on goal. Cormac Murphy
stepped up and coolly sent the
ball to the net for a goal. Surprisingly,
a further ten minutes passed before
the next score, and it was Annclone
again who stretched their lead
to six, with points apiece from
Owen Pyers and Brian Fegan, with
barely seven minutes remaining.
Again Glasdrumman raised themselves
for one last push, and when Cormac
Murphy crashed the ball to the
back of the Annaclone goals with
five minutes remaining the Glasdrumman
support sensed a surpise may still
be on the cards. Connaire Harrison
pointed a free kick for his second
score of the evening with two
minutes remaining and when Cormac
Murphy slotted over a superb point
under pressure to reduce the deficit
to a single point, the Annaclone
support urged the referee to blow
for full time. Glasdrumman had
a couple of half chances to level
the scores in added time but both
were missed narowly. As the clocked
ticked down Glasdrumman players
could only look on as Aidan Fegan
sent over a brilliant free kick
close to the touchline for the
last score to leave the final
score Glasdrumman 2-5 Annaclone
1-10.
Glasdrumman : Ronan McDowell,
Ryan Doran, Pat Mallon, Francis
O'Neill, Martin O'Neill, Art McCartan,
Mark Trimble, Colm Gribben, Declan
Grant, James McDowell, Cormac
Murphy (2-3), Colum Carr, Raymond
Magorrian, Sean McDowell, Connaire
Harrison (0-2).
Subs used : Raymond Clarke for
Martin O'Neill, Christopher Cassidy
for Sean McDowell.
Subs not used : Sean Cunningham,
Kevin Burns, Shaun Brennan, Darren
Joyce, Paul Grant, Daniel McCartan,
Brian Burns.
Annaclone : Paddy Byrne, Brian
Fegan (1-1), Niall Higgins, Conor
McConville, John Haughey, Martin
McAleenan, Thomas Pyers, John
Fegan, Gary McArdle (0-1), Colm
Fegan, Brendan McArdle (0-2),
Owen Pyers (0-1), Paul Byrne (0-2),
Gerard Fegan (0-1), Aidan Fegan
(0-2).
Subs used : Sean Pyers for John
Fegan.
Subs not used : Brian McGivern,
Noel Byrne, Gary Byrne, Michael
Wallace, Kevin McNeill, Declan
Morgan, Seamus Quinn, Peter McColgan.
