McGuigan Builders Intermediate Football Championship Preliminary Round
Doohamlet 0-15 Seán McDermotts 1-8 3/6/12
Doohamlet overcame a scare from Seán McDermotts to safely advance from this keenly-contested IFC preliminary-round game in Clontibret on Sunday. These teams are at opposite ends of the IFL table and Doohamlet looked set to show why when they burst out of the traps, but struggling Seán McDermotts put it up to them, as a Damien Larkin goal helped them take the lead. The sides were level five times between the 18th and 44th minutes, but Doohamlet’s superiority eventually shone through in the final quarter, which they won by five points to one. Mark Murphy and Paul McArdle were the key attackers for Doohamlet, hitting five points each, while Greg Duffy got through a lot of work at midfield and Gabie Casey and Martin Hughes led the defence. Damien Larkin, James Treanor, Shane Larkin and Emlyn Clerkin were to the fore for the Seáns, who will take heart from their improved performance
Doohamlet made a flying start by kicking three points in as many minutes, the first coming as early as ten seconds in when Mark Murphy linked up with Philip Mone to open the scoring. Stephen Gilsenan quickly added a point after good work by Paul McArdle and Jason McElroy, before McArdle converted a 30-metre free for a foul on McElroy. The Seáns almost wiped out their deficit when a through-ball from Patrick Kieran found Shane Larkin, but Doohamlet keeper James Casey was quick off his line to clear, although James Treanor did get the Threemilehouse men off the mark from the rebound. Damien Larkin reduced the gap to one when he tapped over a 20-metre free for a foul on Brian McQuaid, but Murphy replied for Doohamlet after he took a pass from McArdle.
The Seáns gave their challenge a shot in the arm on 15 minutes when Damien Larkin made a fine catch from a McQuaid sideline and turned to slide home the only goal of the game. Greg Duffy got on the end of a long ball from Shane McManus to provide a quick response for Doohamlet, but a long-range point by Martin Kieran regained the lead for the Seáns. Philip Mone equalised after good approach play by Ciarán McManus and McArdle, who then kicked a superb point from play, but McNally levelled it up from a 20-metre free after a foul on Damien Larkin. Doohamlet had a great goal chance when a Shane McManus shot came back off an upright for McElroy, but his point-blank effort was brilliantly saved by Mark Keogh, who then went up to the other end to kick a point from a ’45, which gave the Seáns a 1-5 to 0-7 lead at half-time.
Greg Duffy got Doohamlet up and running in the second half with a point, but Damien Larkin cancelled it out after he won a Patrick Kieran free in the air. An off-the-ball foul on McElroy allowed McArdle to tap over a 20-metre free for Doohamlet, who edged ahead once again when Murphy split the posts after a strong run by Ciarán McManus. A well-taken point by Treanor briefly brought the Seáns back on terms, but McArdle booted over a 45-metre free for a foul on McElroy, before Murphy landed his fourth from play. Ted Duffy converted a 30-metre free for a foul on McArdle and Doohamlet could have been out of sight were it not for Keogh’s save from a Philip Mone shot.
Strong work by substitute Darren Connolly set up Murphy to kick a fine point and although Treanor sent over a 30-metre free for a foul on Patrick Kieran to leave just a goal between the teams, McArdle won and scored a 40-metre free for Doohamlet’s insurance score. The O’Neills will play Inniskeen in the first round on July 8.
Doohamlet: J Casey; G Casey, M Hughes, S J Connolly; K McArdle, C Walshe, S Gilsenan (0-1); G Duffy (0-2), C McManus; M Murphy (0-5), P McArdle (0-5, 4f), T Duffy (Capt., 0-1f); P Mone (0-1), S McManus, J McElroy.
Subs: D Connolly for S Connolly (47 mins), O Hughes for T Duffy (55).
Seán McDermotts: M Keogh (0-1, ’45); E McElvaney, E Clerkin, J McElvaney; E McQuillan, M Kieran (0-1), C McElroy; C Hughes, D McMahon; P Kieran, S Larkin, B McQuaid; J Treanor (Capt., 0-3, 1f), D Larkin (1-2, 0-1f), D McNally (0-1f).
Subs: E McEntee for Hughes (27), P Farrell for McElroy (42), D McGuigan for McNally (50), M Corrigan for McQuaid (58).
Referee: M McNally (Corduff).
By michael Sun 3rd Jun
