Dromara give Drumaness a tough time in championship

17 August 2016

DRUMANESS didn’t get things all their own way at St Patrick’s Park , Newcastle, on Sunday as Dromara gave them a run for their money with a committed display.

The St Colman’s Park side will now meet St John’s in the quarter-finals and they will surely have to tighten up at the back if they are to progress any further in the competition.

Drumaness went on the offensive from the throw-in and Ryan Connolly ended a driving run with a super point from play.

Conor Murdock quickly followed this up with a well worked goal and Paul Gilchrist tagged on two points as it looked as if Dromara were in for a painful afternoon.

However, dogged play from the Kelly contingent saw points from Conor Burns and Kieran Kelly to leave Dromara trailing 1-3 to 0-2 by the 15th minute. Ryan Noade and Kieran Kelly exchanged points before John Fegan blasted the ball past Gary O’Hare to leave a point in it after 20 minutes.

Drumaness responded with a point from James McGivern and a goal from Gilchrist after McGivern and Neil Stranney did the spade work.

Brian McIlmurray made it 3-5 to 1-3 with a third Drumaness goal in the 30th minute, but this was immediately cancelled out when Eamon Kelly netted after a goalmouth scramble.

This left Dromara trailing 3-5 to 2-3 at the break and all to play for.

McGivern extended Drumaness’ lead in the first attack of the second half, but Kieran Kelly threw the cat among the pigeons when he netted Dromara’s second goal in the 37th minute to leave three points between the sides, 3-6 to 3-3.

Ryan Noade and Kieran Kelly swapped points as did Paul Kelly and Stranney before Shea Carville, Gary Murdock and Stranney (2) to give Drumaness a 3-12 to 3-5 lead going into the last few minutes.

Colm Kelly reduced the arrears to six points, but Drumaness had the final say when McIlmurray registered the last score of the game with a point from play.

Drumaness: G O’Hare, G McCormick, J Noade, B McGivern, R Connolly (0-1), G Murdock (0-1), C Murdock (1-0), P Gilchrist (1-2), R Noade (0-2), S Carvill (0-1), N Stranney (0-3), J McGivern (0-2), N McAleenan, B McIlmurray (1-1), R Murdock. Subs: N Jones for C Murdock, S Savage for McCormick, P Bell for Carvill.

Dromara: S O’Hare, C Malone, D Walker, B McNeill, S McNally, E Kelly (1-0), B McElroy, C Kelly (0-1), K Kelly (1-3), C Burns (0-1), P Kelly (0-1), P J Drake, J Fegan (1-0), A Strain, C Quinn. Subs: P Doyle for Fegan, G Drake for E Kelly, L Kelly for McNally.

Drumaness 3-13

Dromara 3-6

TROCAIRE IFC

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