Drumkeerin advance after tough battle with 12 manOglenfarneKilty

Drumkeerin put in a storming second half performance to claim victory over north Leitrim rivals Glenfarne/Kiltyclogher in Sundays entertaining Leitrim U-21 B quarter-final, which was played in a wind swept and hail shower soaked Shane McGettigan Memorial Park, Drumshanbo.

U-21 B CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTER FINAL
DRUMKEERIN 2-11
GLENFARNE/KILTYCLOGHER 0-8

Glenfarne/Kiltyclogher lined out for this game a man short, as they only could field twelve players on the day.

Aided by a very strong breeze, Drumkeerin used the extra man to full advantage in the second half when they outscored Glenfarne/Kiltyclogher by a 1-8 to 0-2 margin.

Drumkeerin keeper, Barry McPadden brought off a series of top class saves that thwarted Glenfarne/Kiltycloghers best goal Scóring efforts at three crucial junctures in the first half and again on two further occasions in the second half.

In a period that Drumkeerin struggled, Glenfarne/Kiltyclogher claimed a three point lead during the opening eight minutes of the action when Fergal Clancy and Niall Clancy shot over from play while Padraig Sweeney tapped over a free.

However Drumkeerin fought back to get on level terms by the thirteenth minute after Eddie McTiernan converted a free and shot over from play, while James McPartlan also hit a point from play. But Glenfarne/Kiltyclogher went back in front after James Murray shot over in the 17th minute.

Fergal Clancy found the target from two frees over the next ten minutes, to edge Glenfarne/Kiltyclogher into a 0-6 to 0-3 halftime lead.

Drumkeerin started the second half well and reduced the deficit onÓglenfarne/Kiltyclogher to the minimum in the first four minutes of the second half after StephenÓgilhooly and Eddie McTiernan fired over a point each from play.

Fergal Clancy responded with a thirty fifth minute Glenfarne/Kiltyclogher point from play.

Drumkeerin lifted their game again and got on level terms over the next five minutes after James McPartlan and StephenÓgilhooly added a point apiece from play.

A forty first minute Ciaran Walpole goal put Drumkeerin ahead for the first time in the game. This was a vital strike for the Drumkeerin men, as it gave them the upper-hand onÓglenfarne/Kiltyclogher, who were forced to play second fiddle for the rest of the game.

Padraig Sweeney replied with a point from play for Glenfarne/Kiltyclogher three minutes later but this proved to be his sides last score in the game. After that Drumkeerin extended their lead to nine points in the last sixteen minutes of action.

In this period StephenÓgilhooly led Drumkeerins charge to secure a place in next Sundays semi-final with Bornacoola when he shot over a forty fifth minute point.

Eddie McTiernan stretched Drumkeerins advantage to four points three minutes later when he fired over from play.

Drumkeerin kept pulling further ahead of Glenfarne/Kiltyclogher as the second half wore on with Aidan Dolan whipping over points from play in the 50th and 53rd minutes. There was no way back for Glenfarne/Kiltyclogher after StephenÓgilhooly fired home a 54th minute goal, which completed the Scóring in the game.

After a slow start Drumkeerin finished very strongly and gave a strong indication that they will provide a stern test for Bornacoola in Sundays semi-final.But it is unlikely that Bornacoola will allow Drumkeerin come from behind should the north Leitrim side not get down to business right from the start.

Glenfarne/Kiltyclogher, who suffered a heavy defeat at the end of their quarter-final game in Drumshanbo, still managed to put up a good show for three quarters of the encounter, despite playing with a player less than Drumkeerin.

Drumkeerin:

Barry McPadden, Fintan Harvey, Dean McVeigh, Jason Beirne, Aidan Dolan 0-2, Thomas Lavin, James McPartlan 0-2, Keith Gallagher, StephenÓgilhooly 1-3, Thomas Davitt, Eddie McTiernan 0-4, Ciaran Walpole 1-0, Kevin Forde.

Glenfarne/Kiltyclogher:

Francis Keaney, John Sheerin, Ronan McGowan, Dermot Harkin, Sean McManus, Niall Clancy 0-1, Jonathan Keaney, Diarmuid Clancy, James Murray 0-1, Padraig Sweeney 0-2, Shane McLoughlin, Fergal Clancy 0-4.

Referee: Raymond Kerrigan.

 

 

 

 

28-Nov-08 by PJ Leddy – C/o LeitrimObserver.ie