This had been billed as a clash between two exciting attacking teams, and the big crowd at Pettit Park did see lots to enthuse about in that regard from both sides. But overall they saw some even better defending, and a low scoring game in which Reds only clinched their win when Aidan Cole shot to the net in the 54^th minute.

FULCRUM

If Aidan’s goal, capping a superbly fluent Rostrevor move was the deciding score, the actual turning point of the match was probably a Loughinisland miss some seventeen minutes beforehand. Reds were staggering in the 35th minute when Ben O’Reilly’s brilliant diagonal run allowed him elude the Reds defence. He shot low for the far corner and Chris McCartan went full length to stop the shot, only for Jamie O’reilly to follow up and prod the ball to the empty net! That put Island 1-2 to 0-4 up, and staright from the kick-out, jamie O’reillys cleverly disguised pass sent Conor Killen clear on goal. Conor’s shot beat the advancing Chris McCartan but shaved the outside of the post; a real let-off for Rostrevor, who were finding life very difficult against Loughinisand’s muscle and work-rate. Had they found themselves four points down at this stage, who knows how the game might have turned out!

RESPONSE

Instead , Reds took their lesson to heart and responded with their best spell of the evening. Kevin McGrath ventured up the right to fist an equalisng point a minute later. After 42 minutes a cute flick from Joe Fegan set up a point for Dermot mackin andalmost immediately stylish football from Shaun Parr and eamon McConville led to Aidan Cole making it 0-7 to 1-2. Eamon McConville was again at the centre of a move finished by Martin Cole, now operating at midfield, and seven minutes from the end came the conclusive score; another sparkling move through the middle, hinging on a delightful “wall-pass” from sub Collie Clerkin and finished to the net by Aidan Cole.

TUMBLES

There was still plenty to keep the crowd on its toes; the match had always been a keen and hard-hitting one, and a number of players were lucky to finish the match on the field in the wake of engagements in both goal areas, but the result was settled and all Island could muster in the way of scoring response was a late free from Ryan Stranney.

LOW SCORING

The first half had been just as fast, but extremely low scoring. Island had taken the lead via a Stranney free in the sixth minute, but within a couple of minutes Reds were in front themselves, a Shaun Parr break finished by eamon McConville and an Eddie magee break finished by Eddie himself. But Island successfully closed down the opportunities for Rostrevors talented half backs to make the running, and were level again after 12 minutes, when jamie O’reilly’s strong play forced a free from martin Cole which younger brother Ben converted. An Aidan Cole free was the only other score of the half, giving reds a 0-3 to 0-2 half time lead which Dermot Mackin added to in the first minute of the second half. Then came the Blues goal, and the pace of the contest really sparked into life.

DECENT

There was a lot of decent football played by both sides. For Loughinisland, Alan Molly, gareth Doran and Joe Doran were tremendous in an uncompromising defence, while Niall McCarthy had an exhilarating opening quarter at midfield. Up front they relied heavily on the O’Reilly brothers, but generally Blues played this game so deep that they failed to deliver good early ball into space for their two teenage fliers.

For Rostrevor, martin Cole got through a lot of work, Sean Farrell, Shaun Parr and Eddie Magee were always busy at half back, young Colm Murney had an impressive game at midfield, and in a speedy and bright attack, Joe Fegan, eamon McConville and, in the second half, Colm Clerkin ,did well. Reds still have problems to sort out, though. There was plenty of imaginative movement up front, but too often the player coming through failed to spot the imaginative options, or , if they did, delayed the pass until the cover arrived. But they are playing with a lot of style and appetite, and there seems no reason why they cant continue to improve.

Rostrevor scorers; Aidan Cole [1-2] 1 free; Dermot Mackin [0-2] 1 free; Eamon McConville [0-1]; Eddie Magee [0-1]; Kevin McGrath [0-1]; Martin Cole [0-1]

Loughinisland scorers; Jamie O’Reilly [1-0]; Ryan Stranney [0-2] 2 frees; Ben O’Reilly [0-1] 1 free.

Rostrevor team; Christopher McCartan; Kevin McGrath, Martin Cole, Jarlath Farrell; Shaun Parr, Sean Farrell, Eddie Magee; Fintan McBreen, Colm Murney; Paul Magee, Eamon McConville, Dermot Mackin;  Joe Fegan, Aidan Cole, Lloyd Parr.

Subs used; Colm Clerkin; Brian Cole.

Loughinisland team; John Gibney; Gareth Doran, Alan Molloy, Matthew Doran; Conor O’Toole, Joe Doran, Willie Russell; Niall McCarthy, John McCarthy; Conor Killen, gary Gordon, Seamus O’Hare; Ryan Stranney, Jamie O’Reilly, Ben O’Reilly.

Subs used; Shane Brennan; Jimmy McClements; Mark valentine; Ciaran Fitzpatrick.