Warrenpoint
defeat Shamrocks to stay top - 28/08/2003
ACFL Div 2: Warrenpoint
3-10 Newry Shamrocks 2-10
Warrenpoint's
Barry “Stan” O’Loughlin, after a long term back injury, made his debut into the
2003 season, with a superb and clinical display. He tormented the Shamrocks defence
all night, with Declan McParland and Gareth Loughran unable to prevent the wee
man from notching up a super tally of three goals and two points, all from play.
Shamrocks actually started the game brightly and took a
two-point lead inside the first couple of minutes with a free kick and a superb
sideline ball from Martin Rafferty, the latter as a result of a goal line clearance
from Darragh McMeel. The ‘Point replied quickly with a free from Stevie Rodgers
and then came the start of the Stan Show. Stevie Rodgers won a great ball in midfield
and placed an inch perfect pass over Decky McParland for on running Stan O’Loughlin
who slammed the ball into the top corner.
Warrenpoint quickly
added two more points from play, the first from attacking half-back Paul Rodgers
who showed that, like his younger brother, he to can knock them over with the
left peg. A super score followed this from the impressive Shea Curran, dummying
the defender on his left and coolly slotting over on his right. Rafferty replied
again for Shamrocks from a free on 12 minutes and again from a free, this time
on the right. Conor McCoy slotted over his first free a minute later, leaving
the scores 1-3 to 0-4, halfway through the first half.
The
‘Point finished the half very strong, with Shea Curran scoring from long range,
followed by a great point from Stan. Johnny Cowan knocked over a free before a
Stevie Rodgers effort fell short and Stan O’Loughlin pounced to fist the ball
to the net on 26 minutes. Shamrocks finished the half with their 5th point, another
free, knocked over by Conor McCoy, leaving the half time score 2-6 to 0-5 to the
Seasiders.
Shea Curran opened up the scoring in the second
half when he was put through on goal only to fire it high and over. Martin Rafferty
and Stevie Rodgers exchanged frees before Stan O’Loughlin scored his second point
with a superb run. At this stage, 47 minutes gone, and with the score 2-9 to 0-7
most people thought the game was over as a contest … but not the Newry boys.
After some great attacking play, involving Kevin McGuigan, Conor McCoy and Collie
Burns, the ball was fed through to Marty Rafferty who calmly dispatched his shot
past Keith Watters in the point goal. A worrying factor about the goal was that
this was Shamrocks first score from play and it took them 48 minutes to get it.
Another McCoy free quickly followed up the goal, now there was only four points
in it with 10 minutes left. Warrenpoint were then handed a heavy blow when corner
forward Gabriel Smith was sent off for his second yellow card.
Warrenpoint steadied things up with another long range score from Shea Curran
after 53 minutes. On 56 minutes, the blues sealed their victory when Johnny Cowan
fired in a speculative shot, only to find it fall short of the target where it
was met by the fist of Stan O’Loughlin again, leaving the score 3-10 to 1-8. Conor
McCoy added another free on 58 minutes to leave seven between the teams. In injury
time, Kevin McGuigan came up from half back to fire in a goal after some good,
patient fist passing in front of the Warrenpoint goal.
With
three minutes of injury time gone and searching for another goal, the ever young
DJ Kane fired in a hopeful ball towards the Point goal only for it to go over
for the bar for the games last score, 3-10 to 2-10 in favour of the blues. Although
the scoreline shows a very tight game it must be said the ‘Point did dominate
the most of it and one disappointing factor for Cathal Murray’s men is the 13
wides the Blues hit and also the nine frees shamrocks scored. But on a positive
note they scored 3-7 from play out of their total and also saw a first class performance
from Stan O’Loughlin.
Others to impress for Warrenpoint
were the McMeel brothers, Conor and Darragh assisted by Brendan Kearney and Eoin
Henry. In midfield Miceal Magill worked hard and set up a lot of Warrenpoint’s
scores. Up front, Shea Curran, Stevie Rodgers and Johnny Cowan ably assisted Stan.
Shamrocks will be disappointed with their performance on the night,. The fact
that their first seven scores were frees and their first score from play came
after 48 minutes will give them food for thought. In defence Kevin McGuigan worked
hard, assisted at times by Damian Rafferty. In midfield Collie Burns was well
patrolled by Darragh McMeel and Brendan Kearney. While up front Martin Rafferty
was their only threat and he missed his absent colleague, Brendan Loughran, who
was unavailable for the game.
Warrenpoint Scorers:
Stan O’Loughlin 3-2, S Curran 0-4, S Rodgers 0-2 (frees), P Rodgers 0-1 and J
Cowan 0-1(free). Shamrocks Scorers: M Rafferty 1-5 (5 frees), C McCoy 0-4 (4 frees)
K McGuigan 1-0, DJ Kane 0-1.
