Heartbreak for the Town as Carryduff beat the odds

Heartbreak for the Town as Carryduff beat the odds

14 August 2019

CASTLEWELLAN slipped on the banana skin that was Carryduff at St Patrick’s Park, Newcastle, on Friday night.

D J Morgan’s Division 2 table-toppers served notice of intent with an imperious display that Castlewellan just couldn’t match.

Donal McKibben gave Castlewellan a first minute lead, but this was quickly cancelled out by county player James Guinness who lofted over two-in-a-row for his side.

Castlewellan had wind advantage in the first half, but they were  not able to make full use of it with passes often going astray. Nevertheless, Gareth McKibben eventually brought the sides level in the 13th minute with a point from play.

Liam McKibben and Daniel Morgan plundered the next two scores as the Town took a 0-4 to 0-2 lead after 18 minutes, 

Two Ronan Beatty frees brought the sides level again by the 24th minute before Carryduff’s Gary Morris was black carded after tangling with Barry Travers.

However, this failed to disrupt Carryduff’s flow and further points from Patrick McConnell and Guinness helped their side take a 0-6 to 0-4 first half lead.

Things were evened up somewhat just before the break when Castlewellan’s Caolan Corrigan was also black carded.

The second half was just as tight and tense. Beattie and Gareth McKibben exchanged points in the opening exchanges at the start of the second half as did Conor McCullagh and Donal McKibben, but a goal from James Guinness in the 40th minute certainly put the cat among the pigeons.

Carryduff now held a 1-8 to 0-6 lead and Castlewellan were up against it.

The Town buckled down to cutting that deficit and points from Daniel Morgan and Liam and Donal McKibben left just two points in it 1-8 to 0-9, with 15 minutes remaining.

Beatty and Sean Dornan swapped scores as Carryduff held on grimly to their hard-earned lead, but Castlewellan suffered a severe blow when county U-20 star John McGeough split the posts with two unerring frees.

Daniel Morgan cut Carryduff’s lead to three points as the game entered the last five minutes, but as Castlewellan, who earlier had hit the woodwork on two separate occasions, went for goals, Guinness sent over an insurance point to give DJ Morgan a night to remember. 

Carryduff: Mark Hynes, Daniel Coogan, Conor Cassidy, Gary Morris, John McGeough (0-2f), Gareth Henderson, Patrick McConnell (0-1), Josh Connery, John Kelly, Conor McCullagh (0-1), James Guinness (1-4, 1f), Joe McFlynn, Peter Loughran, Jonny Henry, Ronan Beatty (0-4f). Subs: Caolan Cunningham for Morris (black card), Ciaran Sherry for Kelly, Michael Lawson for Peter Loughran.

Castlewellan: Kevin Duffin, Fergal McLaughlin, Conall Corrigan, Barry Travers, Daniel Morgan (0-3, 1f), Caolan Corrigan, Ryan Lundy, Rory Burns, Luke Toner, Damian McGrady, Rossa McCartan, Liam McKibben (0-2), Gareth McKibben (0-2), Donal McKibben (0-3, 1f), Davy Gilmore. Subs: Sean Dornan (0-1) for McGrady, Niall Cassidy for McCartan, Aidy Brogan for Caolan Corrigan (black card), Matthew Stratton for McLaughlin.