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Neighbours Dromara
and St John's share spoils in mid-table
meeting
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Neighbours share spoils in mid-table
meeting
Dromara 2-06 v 1-09
St John’s
Fri 29th Jul
Neighbours Dromara and
St John’s had to share the points in
this mid-table encounter on a damp
evening in the hills. The first rain for
several weeks had made the surface
slippery and the ball greasy and this
didn’t help the quality of football on
view. Both sides had periods where they
dominated play so a draw was probably a
fair result.
The teams traded early points but it was Dromara who took the
game to
St John’s
in the first quarter. They fired a
couple of wides under pressure form the
St John’s defence and dropped another
couple of opportunities into the hands
of Darren McMullan. After all of Dromara
attacking play it only took a pointed
free from the boot of Sean Fitzpatrick
to bring the sides level again.
Dromara nosed ahead again but a free from Brian Fitzpatrick
restored parity. Dromara again sneaked
ahead. Then while
St John’s disputed a line call the ball
was played into the square where an
unmarked Dromara forward was able to
collect the ball, turn and fire a goal
home.
That had the effect of galvanizing
St John’s and they played their best
football in the closing minutes of the
first half. Their efforts were rewarded
by points from Brian Fitzpatrick and
Malachy Ward to reduce the margin to two
points at the turnaround, 1-04 to 0-05.
St John’s carried on in this vein after
the restart and a point from Cathal
O’Connor reduced the margin to one. It
looked like being altogether when Brian
Fitzpatrick found himself through on the
goalie but the keeper produced a great
save to deny him. Dromara worked the
ball upfield and within a few seconds
had netted themselves.
This should have been a very disappointing blow for the
Johnnies, but they stuck to their guns
and continued to work the ball forward.
Cathal O’Connor again pointed to reduce
the margin. Another point on ten minutes
reduced the deficit further and it would
have been eliminated if the keeper had
not denied Malachy Ward and Sean Kelly
in quick succession. Eventually, halfway
through the second period, Eugene
O’Boyle pointed. Although
St John’s continued to press they went unrewarded. Dromara rallied for a five
minute period – the best form of defence
is attack – as they fired a couple of
wides and won a couple of 45s before
they pointed to put the margin back to
three points.
The last five minutes of normal time belonged to
St John’s but the packed Dromara defence
denied them shooting opportunities. Dan
Marmion pointed and then a minute later
Sean Kelly flicked on a pass to the edge
of the square for Brian Fitzpatrick to
collect and fire home to the back of the
net. For the first time St John’s were
ahead.
Dromara went on the offensive again but were denied space and
opportunity by the Johnnies’s defence.
Eventually they won a free which was
converted to see the teams share the
point at the final whistle.
St John’s: Darren McMullan; Dodie Burns, Declan Burns, Declan
Brennan; Barry Russell, Ronan Kelly,
Matthew McMullan; Oliver Burns, Daniel
Marmion; Eugene O’Boyle, Malachy Ward,
Cathal O’Connor; Sean Fitzpatrick, Sean
Kelly, Brian Fitzpatrick. Sub Mickey
Flynn for Sean Fitzpatrick.
