Universal Graphics Junior Football Championship Round 1B
Éire Óg 0-12 Scotstown 0-8 22/6/13
Éire Óg got their JFC hopes back on track with a hard-earned back-door win over local rivals Scotstown in Truagh on Saturday. Éire Óg won both halves by six points to four as they held off the challenge of Scotstown’s third string, despite injuries restricting key players Paddy Croarkin and Padraig McKenna to substitute roles, while captain Johnny McMahon missed out altogether. With Ryan Sherlock kicking four of Éire Óg’s first five points and Ronan Cassidy adding their last five, they did enough to get over the line. Marc McBride, Stephen Kerr and Enda Doran were also prominent for Éire Óg, while Ciaran Treanor, Damien F McKenna and sub Nicholas Corrigan led Scotstown’s challenge.
Scotstown were first off the mark with a point from a 25-metre free by Mark McDevitt after a foul on Mark McKenna, but that proved to be their only time in the lead. Ryan Sherlock converted a brace of frees for Éire Óg following fouls on Stephen Kerr and Kevin Skeath and he added a point from play after a pass from Niall Cadden, although Emmet McCrudden kicked Scotstown’s first score from play on 12 minutes. A well-struck ’45 by Marc McBride and a good point by Sherlock moved Éire Óg four clear, before Mark McKenna fired a Scotstown goal chance over the bar after he had been put through by Declan McCarville. Kerr replied for the Smithborough men, but an Adrian Carbin free then fell for McDevitt to leave Scotstown trailing by just two at half-time: 0-6 to 0-4.
Neither side scored in the first ten minutes of the second half, with the closest call being when Sherlock hit an upright from a scoreable free. Sherlock then tapped over a 20-metre free for a foul on Kerr, before Mark McKenna blazed over from another glimpse of a goal. Ronan Cassidy linked up with Séamus Bell to open his account and he quickly added a fine point at the end of a move involving Sherlock and Kerr. Scotstown got a point back when a 40-metre free by Ciarán Treanor was pushed over by Paul Hand, but a brace of 30-metre frees by Cassidy, after fouls on Paddy Skeath and Kerr, increased Éire Óg’s lead and they went close to scoring the only goal when Cian Mohan denied Stephen Tierney, who had been released by fellow substitute Paddy Croarkin. Mark McKenna was off-target from a good chance, but Scotstown did close the gap to three, thanks to a couple of well-taken points by sub Nicholas Corrigan. Éire Óg closed the game out, however, with Cassidy landing a fine score in the first added minute to secure his side’s progression to a Round 2B clash with Oram.
Éire Óg: P Hand; C Toal, C Casey, S Ward; E Doran, M McBride (0-1, ’45), N Cadden; R Cassidy (0-5, 2f), C McGorman; R Sherlock (0-5, 3f), S Kerr (0-1), D Tierney; M McQuaid, K Skeath, S Bell.
Subs: P McKenna for Skeath (H-T), M Tierney for Casey (inj., 34 mins), P Skeath for McQuaid (40), P Croarkin for D Tierney (43).
Scotstown: C Mohan; M McCague, C Treanor (0-1f), R McKenna; B McMeel, D Caulfield, D McKenna; D F McKenna, C McAleer; S Rice, M McKenna (0-2), E McCrudden (0-1); A Carbin, D McCarville, M McDevitt (0-2, 1f).
Subs: T Moyna for D McKenna (27), N Corrigan (0-2) for McDevitt (37), M McCarville for Moyna (inj., 45), K McKenna for McMeel (53), N McCrudden for McAleer (60).
Referee: H Leonard (Oram).
By cshalvey Sun 23rd Jun
