Universal Graphics Junior Football Championship First Round
Toome 0-9 Killanny 0-6 11/6/11
Toome started their JFC campaign with a three-point win over Killanny in perfect conditions at Páirc Grattan, Inniskeen on Saturday evening. Toome were the better team over the hour, with their forwards providing a greater threat than Killanny’s and they could have won by more if they had taken a couple of goal chances in the first half. Gary Wilson, Stephen Lambe, Cormac and Francis Quinn and Gavin Flanagan were prominent for Toome, while Daryl Traynor, Peter Dooley and Eddie Markey led Killanny’s challenge.
Toome were first off the mark with a good point from play by Gary Wilson and they had a goal chance on six minutes when Wilson played Liam McCooey through, but his shot was saved by Killanny keeper Kevin Quinn. A well-taken point by Gavin Traynor got Killanny off the mark and they edged ahead on ten minutes when Peter Dooley converted a 20-metre free for a foul on Traynor. Gary Wilson got on the end of a Gavin Flanagan pass to bring Toome level, but Dooley restored Killanny’s lead when he curled over a 35-metre free with the outside of his boot, following a foul on Michael Vernon. Gary Wilson missed a goal chance when he blasted wide after he had raced through the Killanny defence, but his team equalised once again when Flanagan linked up with Damien Wilson to kick his first point. Damien Wilson got the next score when his goal-attempt was deflected over the bar after he had got on the end of a lay-off from Cormac Quinn, who doubled Toome’s lead when he sent over after he had been well-placed by Damien Wilson. Toome again threatened to find the net in injury-time when Flanagan chased a Cormac Quinn pass, but Kevin Quinn was quick off his line to clear the ball, although it only went as far as Gary Wilson, who fisted over to put Toome three up at half-time: 0-6 to 0-3.
It took nine minutes for the first score of the second half to arrive when Donal McArdle kicked a point to bring Killanny back to within two and they could have edged ahead when a quick free by Eddie Markey released Stephen McMahon, but his shot was saved by Toome keeper Glenn Murphy. Toome finally got their first score of the half, 17 minutes in, when Cormac Quinn split the posts and Flanagan added a point a minute later at the end of a well-worked move involving Raymond Fee, Gary Wilson and Quinn. Killanny sub Eddie Walsh replied with a fisted point, before Dooley swung over a fine score from play to close the gap to two. Toome held firm, though, and Flanagan sealed their passage to the next round when he converted a 30-metre free for a foul on Aidan McDonnell with the last kick of the ball. Killanny will play Killeevan in the back door.
Toome: G Murphy; D Conlon, S McCooey, J Murphy; F Quinn (Capt.), S Lambe, S Moore; A Lambe, T McMahon; P Kelly, G Wilson (0-3), D Wilson (0-1); G Flanagan (0-3, 1f), C Quinn (0-2), L McCooey.
Subs: R Fee for McMahon, S Quinn for Kelly (both 46 mins), B Morgan for L McCooey (50), A McDonnell for A Lambe (60).
Killanny: K Quinn; C Leegan, P Markey, D Traynor (Capt.); S McDonnell, C Wakely, P O’Callaghan; M Burns, E Markey; D McArdle (0-1), A Campbell, M Vernon; G Traynor (0-1), P Dooley (0-3, 2f), S McMahon.
Subs: R Duffy for McDonnell (38), T Duffy for Vernon (42), E Walsh (0-1) for Burns (51).
Referee: C Mulligan (Aghabog).
By michael Sat 11th Jun
