Gormley uPVC Senior Football Championship Round 1A
Scotstown 0-12 Magheracloone 1-5 17/8/13
Scotstown saw off Magheracloone in the SFC for the second year in a row in this first-round tie at Clontibret last Saturday. The league leaders scored the first seven points and they dominated at midfield and although Magheracloone improved as the game went on, they were toothless up front in the illness-enforced absence of Tommy Freeman. Scotstown lost Darren Hughes to injury in the first half, but they had enough in the likes of Francis Caulfield, Kieran Hughes, Shane Carey, Dónal Morgan and Damien McArdle to come through against a Magheracloone side who were led by James Hand, Gavin Doogan and James Ward.
Scotstown started brightly, with Shane Carey opening the scoring after an assist from Kieran Hughes, before Darren Hughes doubled their lead. Kieran Hughes and Carey combined to create a point for Orin Heaphey and Dónal Morgan added a point after good work by Fergal McPhillips and James Turley, who then kicked a point at the end of a strong run. Kieran Hughes got on the end of a long ball in from Francis Caulfield to kick a good point and Shane Carey won and scored a 25-metre free to move Scotstown seven clear, although Magheracloone finally got off the mark in the 27th minute with a point from Killian Rudden, who had been set up by substitute Paudie Kirk.
Carey converted a 25-metre free for a foul on Kieran Hughes, before Magheracloone missed a great chance to get back into the game when Niall Babington hit the post after he had been released by Kirk. James Hand did get Magheracloone’s first score from play with a good point in added time, but they still trailed by six at half-time: 0-8 to 0-2.
Rory Beggan got the first point of the second half with a well-struck ’45 from well out on the left wing and Kieran Hughes added another from a 20-metre free after an off-the-ball foul on Paul Grant, although Babington replied for Magheracloone, before winning a close-range free which Hand tapped over.
Francis Caulfield and Grant linked up to create a point for Brian McGinnity, before Magheracloone got a lifeline when a foul on Paul Jones allowed Hand to tuck away a penalty. Nicholas Corrigan and Hand swapped points from 20-metre frees after fouls on Heaphey and Jones and that concluded the scoring, as Magheracloone were unable to break down the Scotstown defence. Next up for the Blues is Clontibret, while Magheracloone will play Castleblayney.
Scotstown: R Beggan (0-1, ’45); D McArdle, W Carroll, E Beggan; F McPhillips, D Morgan (0-1), E Caulfield; D McCague, F Caulfield; J Turley (0-1), S Carey (0-3, 2f), D Hughes (Capt., 0-1); O Heaphey (0-1), K Hughes (0-2, 1f), B McGinnity (0-1).
Subs: P Grant for D Hughes (inj., 21 mins), P Keenan for E Caulfield (inj., 42), P O’Hara for F Caulfield (47), N Corrigan (0-1f) for Carey (51).
Magheracloone: S Duffy; M Gilsenan, J Ward, M Jones; N Tuite, J Kieran, P Tuite; P Finnegan, G Doogan; K Rudden (0-1), N Babington, B Morris; P Jones, J Hand (1-3, 1-0 pen, 0-2f), Damien Freeman.
Subs: P Lambe for M Jones (inj., 22), P Kirk for Morris (25), David Freeman for Rudden (39), C Burns for Gilsenan (57).
Referee: G Treanor (Truagh).
By cshalvey Fri 23rd Aug
