Chris saves the day

Chris saves the day

21 June 2017

THERE wasn’t a kick of a ball between the sides after an absorbing contest that could have gone either way at Macartan Park on Friday night.

However, you never would have thought that Drumaness were a side battening down the hatches in preparation for a relegation dogfight and that Loughinisland were chasing promotion back into the top flight as the visitors gave as good as they got.

Both sides were missing several key players, but Drumaness settled first and after chances were wasted at opposite ends in the opening flurry of exchanges, three points from Gary Murdock, two from frees, gave the St Colman’s side a 0-3 to 0-0 lead by the ninth minute.

After a few abortive raids, Loughinisland finally got on the scoreboard when Gavin McDonald split the posts with a fine score from out on the right following an incisive run and pass from Ruari Deegan.

Conor Megoran pointed a 21m free to leave a point in it, but with 16 minutes gone Nathan Jones got in front of his marker and turned on a sixpence before slotting the ball between the posts.

A minute later goalkeeper Chris Turley effortlessly pointed from a 45 to reduce the leeway and a Gary Stranney free in the 19th minute brought the sides level.

The impressive Deegan surged through the Drumaness cover to fist his side 0-5 to 0-4 ahead in the 20th minute, but Loughinisland were unable to push on from here and Ryan Connolly brought the sides level again with a 45.

Gary Murdock edged Drumaness back in front with a free as Paul Gilchrist and Connolly continued to influence proceedings from midfield.

Loughinisland finished the first half on the offensive and points from the reliable Turley and McDonald sent Brendan Mason’s side in at the break with a 0-7 to 0-6 lead.

Gilchrist and Michael Brannigan swapped points at the start of the second half before Donal Kennedy levelled matters in the 35th minute.

Stranney and Connolly also swapped points as did Gary Murdock and Megoran as the tit-for-tat nature of the game continued.

With 45 minutes gone Deegan, who was a threat all night, pointed Loughinisland back in front, Gilchrist quickly responded to maintain the status quo.

Deegan lofted Loughinisland into a -12 to 0-11 lead, but Gilchrist was having none of it and converted a 25m free to level things up.

Dean McLaughlin bombed forward from his defensive role to fist Loughinisland in front gain, but Drumaess were like a dog with a bone and Gary Murdock levelled yet again.

Gilchrist gave Drumaness a 0-14 to 0-13 lead with a minute left, but ice cool Turley split the posts with an unerring 44m free to salvage a point for a relieved home side.

Loughinisland: C Turley (0-3), P Cochrane, S Cochrane, H Dornan, D McLaughlin (0-1), P Digney, C Fay, C O’Toole, N McClements, M Branniagn (0-1), P Martin, G McDonald (0-2), R Deegan (0-3), G Stranney (0-2), C Megoran (0-2). Subs: C Noade for Martin, D O’Toole for McClements, P Megoran for Stranney. 

Drumaness: C Donnelly, M Rainey, S Carville, P Cassidy, T McConville, G Murdock (0-5), B McGivern, P Gilchrist (0-4), R Connolly (0-2), J McGivern, N Stranney, R Walsh, N Jones (0-1), D Kennedy (0-1), R Murdock: Subs: J McClean for Jones, G McCormick (0-1) for McConville, B McIlmurray for Walsh.   

Loughinisland 0-14

Drumaness 0-14

ACFL DIVISION 2