Gormley uPVC Senior Football Championship Semi-Final
Scotstown 2-7 Magheracloone 0-12 23/9/11
Scotstown are through to their first Senior Football Championship Final since 2004 after they edged past Magheracloone in an absorbing semi-final under lights at Inniskeen last Friday. Goals by Darren and Kieran Hughes in either half proved decisive for the north-Monaghan men as they reversed last year’s semi-final defeat against Magheracloone. The Hughes brothers were the stars of the show for Scotstown, with Darren driving forward time after time from centre-back and Kieran always providing an effective target at full-forward. James Turley, Donal Morgan, Mark Duffy and Francis Caulfield all also played key roles for Scotstown, whose superb work-rate won it for them after David McCague had been sent off just before half-time.
It was another heart-breaking defeat for Magheracloone, who had good performances from Damien Freeman, James Ward and Paudie Finnegan, but will rue three missed goal chances by the Freeman brothers. Two of those chances fell for Damien Freeman, while the other went to Tommy, who made his long-awaited return after spending the summer in New York, but all three resulted in points, which came back to haunt last year’s runners-up.
Kick Fada champion Shane Duffy put his long-range free-taking to good use by converting a 45-metre effort after a foul on Paudie Finnegan and Magheracloone doubled their lead when Finnegan and Fintan Kindlon combined to set up Damien Freeman for a point from play. Scotstown got a shot in the arm on six minutes, though, when Kieran Hughes was brought down in the square after he had made a great catch and his brother Darren booted the penalty to the net.
James Turley added a fine point from play, although Damien Freeman won and scored a 20-metre free to keep Magheracloone in touch. Freeman had a great chance of a goal when he took a pass from Paudie Finnegan and cut inside, but he blazed the ball over the bar. Scotstown then had David McCague sent off in the 28th minute when he was shown a second yellow card for a late tackle on Michael Jones, before Magheracloone edged ahead through a 30-metre free by Damien Freeman after a foul on Fintan Kindlon. Kieran Hughes won a high ball from sub Nicholas Corrigan to send over a good point, however, which brought Scotstown level at half-time on a scoreline of 1-2 to 0-5.
Darren Hughes kicked a great point from a ’45 two minutes into the second half, but Damien Freeman replied from a 30-metre free following a foul on Kindlon. Paudie Finnegan regained the lead for the Mitchells with a well-taken point and they had another opportunity to take charge of the game when Damien Freeman latched onto a long ball from Gavin Doogan, but again he sent the ball over rather than under the bar. Brian McGinnity had an effort well blocked by Pete Ward at the other end, before Corrigan clipped over a nice score to keep Scotstown in touch.
Magheracloone made another opening midway through the half when a Damien Freeman free dropped short and fell for Tommy Freeman, but he sent his soccer-style shot over for his only point of the game. Shane Carey tapped over a 13-metre free for a foul on Kieran Hughes, who produced the game’s outstanding moment when he caught a McGinnity centre, made space and tucked a low right-footed shot past Shane Duffy for his fourth goal in three SFC games. 30-metre frees by James Ward and Damien Freeman, after fouls on Tommy Freeman and Paudie Finnegan, brought Magheracloone back to level terms, but Scotstown edged ahead once more when Stephen Sherry linked up with fellow sub Corrigan to burst through and tap over.
Sherry increased Scotstown’s lead when his high effort dropped just over the bar after Kieran Hughes had done very well to keep a wayward McGinnity shot in play and even though Paudie Finnegan halved Magheracloone’s deficit in injury-time, Scotstown held on to take a huge step towards a first county title since 1993. The second semi-final takes place tomorrow (Saturday) in Emyvale, when Latton take on Ballybay.
Scotstown: R Beggan; M Duffy, D Morgan, E Beggan; F McPhillips, D Hughes (1-1, 1-0 pen, 0-1 ’45), D McArdle; F Caulfield (Capt.), J Turley (0-1); P Grant, D McCague, S Carey (0-1f); O Heaphey, K Hughes (1-1), B McGinnity.
Subs: N Corrigan (0-1) for Heaphey (26 mins), S Sherry (0-2) for Grant (42).
Magheracloone: S Duffy (0-1f); M Jones, P Ward, J Kieran; David Freeman, J Ward (Capt., 0-1f), P Tuite; G Doogan, P Farnan; T Freeman (0-1), P Jones, F Kindlon; G Finnegan, P Finnegan (0-2), Damien Freeman (0-7, 4f).
Subs: N Tuite for Kieran (H-T), N Babington for G Finnegan (39), K Gilsenan for P Jones (48).
Temporary sub: N Tuite for P Tuite (3-13 & 20-H-T)
Referee: S Gilsenan (Donaghmoyne).
By michael Fri 23rd Sep
