Universal Graphics Junior Football Championship First Round
Éire Óg 0-11 Aghabog 0-8 10/6/12
Éire Óg ground out a deserved three-point win over Aghabog in the JFC on Sunday in Clontibret. Éire Óg made a great start by kicking four unanswered points in the first eight minutes and although Aghabog came back into the game, the accuracy of Paddy Croarkin kept the Smithborough men in front throughout and he kicked two late points to see his side over the line. Croarkin had good support from midfielders Ronan Cassidy and Kevin Skeath, Christopher McGorman (who played as an extra defender) and Marc McBride, who did a good man-marking job on last year’s JFC top scorer Seán O’Brien. Gary McBride and Aidan and Shane Brady led Aghabog’s challenge.
Éire Óg were first off the mark courtesy of a 40-metre free by Kevin Skeath and they could have taken charge after just two minutes when Paddy Croarkin went through on goal, but he shot straight at Aghabog keeper Seán McBride. Éire Óg didn’t have long to wait for Pádraig McKenna to double their lead, before Croarkin and Ronan Cassidy both won and scored a 30-metre free each. Shane O’Brien got a much-needed first score for Aghabog with a fine point on nine minutes and Seán O’Brien quickly added a good point, but Matthew McQuaid linked up with Cassidy to keep Éire Óg on the front foot. Croarkin added a brilliant individual point when he made a high catch from an Enda Doran ball in and turned to swing it over with his left foot. A 20-metre free by Shane O’Brien, after a foul on Paddy O’Brien, kept Aghabog in touch, however, and poor finishing by Éire Óg prevented them from moving further clear. Aghabog got a break in the final minute of the half when Gary McBride booted the ball in from way out and it bounced over the bar to leave them trailing by just two at the interval: 0-6 to 0-4.
Croarkin converted a 30-metre free for a foul on Matthew McQuaid just over a minute into the second half, but 12 scoreless minutes followed before Dermot Smyth responded in kind, following a foul on Seán O’Brien. A fine point from play by Croarkin was cancelled out by a 20-metre free from Gary McBride, after a foul on Shane O’Brien, before McBride sent over a well-taken score to close the gap to just one. A hurried free in the Aghabog full-back line went straight to Kevin Skeath, however, and he punished them with a stylish point off the outside of his right boot, although Johnny Mullen got one back to keep Aghabog well in contention. Éire Óg got back on top in the closing minutes, though, as Croarkin kicked a brace of points from 25-metre frees for fouls on Cassidy and McKenna. That was enough to secure Éire Óg’s place in the next round, where they will play Drumhowan for the first slot in the semi-finals. Aghabog have been drawn against Killanny in the losers’ group.
Éire Óg: P Hand; C McGorman, C Casey, D McCluskey, S Flynn; C Toal, M McBride, M McQuaid (0-1); K Skeath (0-2, 1f), R Cassidy (0-1f); D Tierney, P McKenna (0-1), E Doran (Capt.); J McMahon, P Croarkin (0-6, 4f), C McGorman.
Subs: P Skeath for Tierney (35 mins0, S Kerr for Casey (38), R Sherlock for Toal (inj., 61).
Aghabog: S McBride; M McBride, M Fox, S Brady (Capt.); G Treanor, G McBride (0-3, 1f), Damian Smyth; A Brady, Shane O’Brien (0-2, 1f); L Kelly, Seán O’Brien (0-1), J Mullen (0-1); Dermot Smyth (0-1f), P O’Brien, C Logue.
Subs: F Dolan for Logue (42), D Smyth for Treanor (52).
Referee: P Caulfield (Blackhill).
By michael Sun 10th Jun
