Junior B Championship Semi-Final – report
When it comes to Leitrim football championship semi-finals this year, more evidence was produced in Drumreilly on Sunday that Glencar/Manor seems to hold the Indian sign over St. Mary, as they Carrick men suffered a late defeat for a second time at the hands of their north Leitrim rivals.
JUNIOR B CHAMPIONSHIP SEMI-FINAL
GLENCAR/MANORHAMILTON 2-7
ST MARYS KILTOGHERT 1-8
A late rally in the dying minutes of Sundays entertaining GWP Junior B semi-final in Carrickmakeegan secured a place for Glencar/Manor against Kiltubrid in the County Final at the expense of St. Marys, who had got on level terms in the 55th minute with a Ross McLoughlin free.
A goal in the first half by Niall Hickey gave Glencar/Manor a slight edge in the an evenly match opening 30 minutes. Another Hickey goal, in the final ten minutes, enabled Manor to pull off a come from behind win by the time the final whistle sounded.
Glencar/Manor will face Kiltubrid in the Final as they chase their second adult football crown of the year, highlighting once again the great reserves at the disposal of the Manorhamilton club.
Kiltubrid, who defeated a strong Aughawillan team, will take some beating in the final but Manor will be confident of adding another crown to their list of achievements for 2008.
St. Marys, on the other hand, are locked in a relegation battle that could yet see all their teams relegated down a Division if their Senior team fails to maintain its Division One status.
St. Marys controlled the proceedings for greater part of the of the second half after Shane Fitzpatrick put them three points ahead when he shot an unstoppable 36th minute goal. Glencar/Manor was forced to play second fiddle until Niall Hickeys late goal resurrected their drive for a place in the final.
Manor impressed in the opening exchanges and took a two points lead in the first three minutes after Niall Hickey put over a free and Declan Ryan added a point.
But St. Marys battled back to get on level terms by the 9th minute thanks to a Damien Butler free while his brother Barry hit over a well-taken point from play.
St. Marys grabbed the lead two minutes later when Damien Butler found the range with his second free. However, Glencar/Manor got their noses ahead again in the 14th minute when Niall Hickeys ground shot eluded the clutches of St. Marys keeper Colm Guckian after Hickey was put through with a pass from a quick thinking Damien McDermott.
The Carrick men cut Manors lead to the minimum some eight minutes later after Damien Butler found the target from his third free. But James Gilmartin put some more daylight between the sides when whipped over a 24th minute point.
St. Marys ended the half firing on all cylinders when they levelled matters by the break with points from play by Owen Tivnan and Shane Fitzpatrick. St. Marys finished the half strongly with 0-6 to their credit while Glencar/Manor had notched up 1-3 at this stage.
A Shane Fitzpatrick goal, six minutes after the restart, gave Marys what appeared to be a decisive grip on the proceedings. But Manor cut back the Carrick sides lead to a single point over the next eight minutes after Dermot McMorrow shot over and sub Seamus Leddy tapped over a free.
Neither side managed to register a score for a spell as the battle for supremacy continued unhindered.But Mary’s then edged back into a two point lead in the 49th minute after Fitzpatrick fired over from play.
It was four minutes later whenÓglencar/Manor breached the Mary’s defence decisively after sub Patrick McEneaney sent a long ball into the goalmouth and Niall Hickey was on hand, to finish to the St. Mary’s for a second time.
Hitting back with admirable resolve, St. Mary’s fought hard to grab a lifeline, which Ross McLoughlin provided, when he slotted over a 55th minute free, to level matters. But the Carrick men’s challenge lost its impetus to some degree following the score.
Glencar/Manor went on to stage a grandstand finish and Pauric Kerrigan led their charge for victory when he coolly shot over 57th minute point from play. Following that Niall Hickey made the win secure for his side, six minutes later, when he tapped over a 13 metre free.
Glencar/Manorhamilton
Sean Boylan, Colm Farrell, Kenneth McMorrow, Brian Kerrigan, Dermott McMorrow (0-1), Ian Feeney, Enda Healy, Pat Gilmartin, James Gilmartin (0-1),Pauric Kerrigan (0-1), Colin Ryan, Sean Watters, Declan Ryan (0-1), Niall Hickey (2-2), Damien McDermott. Subs Seamus Leddy for B. Kerrigan (28 mins), Patrick McEneaney for Gilmartin (39 mins).
St. Mary’s Kiltoghert
Colm Guckian, Rory McLoughlin, Barry Crowe, Sean Clancy, Barry Guckian, Barry Butler (0-1), Brian Crowe, Francis Molloy, Brian O’Donnell, Damien Butler (0-3), Ross McLoughlin (0-1), Ashley Molloy, Owen Tivnan (0-1), Olcan Conway, Shane Fitzpatrick (1-2). Subs Alan Duffy for Conway (24 mins), David Keegan for Molloy (40 mins), Richie Doran for R. McLoughlin (48 mins), Paddy Guckian for D. Butler (56 min).
Referee: Gerry Spellman.
This full report is available thanks to John Connolly and Leitrim Observer
– its available in this weeks edition of the Observer
13-Nov-08 by Leitrim Observer.ie
