Scotstown up their game in 2nd half

By Mary McEneaney Sun 26th Aug

GREENFIELD FOODS SENIOR FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP.

Scotstown 1-14, Carrickmacross 2-8.

A more experienced, battle hardened. Scotstown got the defence of their senior football championship title off to a winning start but they had to battle back from being 6 points behind at one stage in the 1^st half, to where they took the lead for the 1^st time in the 13^th minute of the 2^nd half.

Carrickmacross had the better of the opening exchanges and led by 1-4 0-2, after just 12 minutes, the goal by Stephen O’Hanlon and Stephen Gollogly rattling over a number of points. Gollogly put Carrickmacross 6 points up in the 25^th minute but Scotstown pulled back 2 in quick succession to reduce the margin to 4, and that margin still separated them at the break when Carrickmacross led by 1-6 to 0-5.

The reigning champions were a transformed side at the start of the second-half with Kieran Hughes, Darren Hughes, Shane Carey and Conor McCarthy putting in some hard work and Kieran Hughes crashing in a vital goal as Scotstown took increasing control.

An unanswered 1-7 in the opening 20 minutes of the second-half saw Scotstown open a 6 points lead and while Carrickmacross pulled one back Scotstown tagged on 2 further points to open a 7 points lead entering the final minutes of normal time. Carrickmacross their credit never gave up and they fought back for a goal and a point, the goal by Killian Cromwell in stoppage time to leave 3 points between them at the finish.

Teams and Scorers: Scotstown: R Beggan, P Sherlock 0-2, M Duffy, D McArdle, J McDevitt 0-1, J Turley, E Caulfield, F Caulfield, D Hughes 0-1, J Hamill, D Morgan, J McCarey, C McCarthy 0-3 (1f), K Hughes 1-3, S Carey 0-4 (3f). Subs: R McKenna for J hamill, O Heaphey for J McCarey, M McCarville for F Caulfield, B Boylan for J McDevitt.

Carrickmacross: M McNally, K McMenamin, C Duffy, C Cromwell 1-0, G McEnaney, J Conlon, C Martin, N Loughman, P O’Hanlon, A Lynch 0-1, S Gollogly 0-5 (3f), S O’Hanlon 1-2, Conor McEnaney, Cathal McEnaney, S Downey. Subs: R O’Connor for Conor McEnaney, M Downey for Cathal McEnaney, j McGeown for C Martin. Referee: Ciaran Mulligan (Aghabog) B Grimley (Cremartin).