Odyssey is over for Johnston’s warriors

27 January 2016

LOUGHINISLAND’S bid for All-Ireland glory ended in tearful anguish at Kingspan Breffni Park, Cavan, on Sunday.

Jerome Johnston’s side certainly didn’t bring their A game with them, but their cause most definitely was’t helped by what was judged to be defensive indiscipline and their Mayo opponents made them pay.

Hollymount-Carramore raced into a 0-2 to 0-0 lead after six minutes, thanks to two converted frees from the ultra-reliable Darren Coen.

Loughinisland had a glorious goal chance in between these two scores when Dan Gordon, Johnny Flynn, Conor Megoran and John McCarthy combined to rip their opponents’ defensive cover wide open, but the referee blew for a free out at the most inopportune of times.

Loughinisland, who were seeing plenty of the ball, registered their first score in the ninth minute when Rory Mason converted a free. Kevin Feerick did likewise for Hollymount-Carramore in the 10th minute to give his side a 0-3 to 0-1 lead.

Rory Mason finished off a mesmerising run with an equally impressive point, but another free from Feerick and a classy point from Coen gave the Mayo men a 0-5 to 0-2 lead by the 19th minute.

Loughinisland stuck at the task in hand and Aaron McClements produced a superb score after he ran half the length of the pitch to create the opening. Rory Mason followed this inspirational score up with a brilliant point from play to leave Hollymount-Carramore with a 0-5 to 0-4 lead after 23 minutes.

The Mayo side finished the first half on the up and two scores from Coen, one a ridiculously accurate sideline kick, sent his side in at the break with a deserved 0-7 to 0-4 lead.

Loughinisland had a few chances for scores at the start of the second half, but none were taken and Hollymount-Carramore seized the moment when they broke upfield and Kevin Costello fisted the ball over the bar to extend his side’s lead to four points.

It was now Loughinisland’s turn to turn the screw and a monster point from Rory Mason was followed by a score from John McCarthy as the Blues suddenly looked as if they were back to their fluent best.

Alas, it was a false dawn as points from Stephen Coen and Ian Costello eased Hollymount-Carramore into a 0-10 to 0-7 lead after 41 minutes.

Paddy McKenny, who was only on the pitch a matter of minutes, split the posts for Loughinisland with a magical point from play, but the Mayo men responded with a similar score from Darren Coen.

It was all or nothing for Loughinisland now as they trailed by four points and Stefan

Mason had a shot blocked when a goal looked a certainty after a searing run from McClements.

Loughinisland were denied another goal minutes later when Gareth Johnson laid the ball into Stefan Mason’s path, but Hollymount-Carramore had men to put their bodies on the line when it mattered.

Darren Coen and Stefan Mason swapped frees before Kevin Feerick put Hollymount-Carramore into a 0-13 to 0-8 lead with only minutes remaining.

Points from Conor Megoran and Rory Mason gave Loughinisland every chance of pulling this game from the fire, but Hollymount-Carramore put the final nails in Loughinisland’s coffin with late points from Keelan McNamara and the deadly Darren Coen.

Loughinisland: K Gordon, R Nixon, P Megoran, M Cochrane, P Digney, C O’Toole, R Mason (0-5), D O’Toole, D Gordon, J McCarthy (0-1), R Stranney, J Flynn, A McClements (0-1), C Megoran (0-1), S O’Hare. Subs: S Mason (0-1) for O’Hare, P McKenny (0-1) for Stranney, S Cochrane for Digney, G Johnson for D O’Toole, D McLaughlin for McCarthy, C Killen for S Cochrane.

Hollymount-Carramore: N Campbell, R Connolly, D McHugh, D Feerick, P Feerick, B Sheridan, R Molloy, K McNamara (0-1), S Coen (0-1), K Feerick (0-3), I Costello (0-1), K Costello (0-1), C Keane, D Coen (0-8), D Costello. Subs: C Heneghan for Keane, L Macken for Connolly, B Maloney for K Costello.

Loughinisland 0-10

Hollymount-Carramore 0-15

ALL-IRELAND IFC SEMI-FINAL

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