Liatrom breathe a sigh of relief
as they avoid relegation play offs - 23/10/2003
Down
Division One: Liatroim 0-9 Castlewellan 0-9
Taken from Mourne Observer
There were a few
anxious moments among the Liatroim supporters on Saturday before they gained the
point that keeps them out of the dreaded relegation play-offs.
In a nail-biting
finale Liam Doyle looked to have settled the issue with four minutes remaining
when he notched the score of the game from 40 yards but Paul McGrady pointed in
the last minute to level it up.
Liatroim were relieved when referee Frank
McDonald blew the final whistle after four minutes of injury time.
Castlewellan
reintroduced Mickey McVeigh, Dean Anderson and Fintan McGreevy, after injury,
to their team and in the fifth minute Damian McGrady opened the scoring. Liatroim's
Thomas Armstrong then crashed a thunderous effort off McVeigh's crossbar.
Colm McCrickard was working tenaciously and with eight minutes gone he pointed
from play to bring the sides level. Then Doyle found Declan Burns with a super
pass and he pointed to give Liatroim the lead.
Doyle's sent over another
after excellent approach play from McCrickard, Aiden O'Prey and Aiden Brown and
Tony McAtamney latched on to a Gregory McCartan pass to leave a point in it.
After 11 minutes Castlewellan were dealt a bad blow when midfielder Mark Stratton
had to leave the field with a thigh injury to be replaced by Marty McGeown.
McGreevy pointed to bring the sides level once again and Doyle showed his class
with two super points from play as Liatroim took a 0-5 to 0-3 lead. Castlewellan
hit back strongly and unanswered points from McGreevy and McAtamney left the sides
level at half time.
McCrickard pointed a beauty to give Liatroim a 0-6
to 0-5 lead after 38 minutes but McCartan levelled matters when he pointed from
distance.
McGreevy edged Castlewellan ahead with a free but this was
quickly cancelled out by a well worked score from Patrick Pearse McCartan.
McCartan restored Castlewellan's lead with another excellent point from play but
county team-mate Doyle hit two prodigious points and Liatroim led 0-9 to 0-8 with
three minutes remaining.
Damian McGrady charged in on goal and had only
Brendan Bradley to beat but the Liatroim goalkeeper pulled off a brilliant save.
With time up Paul McGrady split the posts with the final score and the
Liatroim supporters were relieved to hear the final whistle.
Liatroimscorers:
C McCrickard 0-2, L Doyle 0-5, D Burns 0-1, PP McCartan 0-1.
Castlewellan
scorers:
G McCartan 0-2, F McGreevy 0-3, T McAtamney 0-2, D McGrady 0-1,
P McGrady 0-1.
