Drumgoon senior men retain Intermediate Status

Drumgoon stay up as Lacken slip to junior ranks.

Drumgoon 1-10 Lacken 0-12

Celt Report, A late injury time winner from the boot of Dean Carroll prevented Drumgoon from falling through the trapdoor to the Junior Championship for 2026, thus relegating a wasteful Lacken side in the process in this Intermediate relegation playoff final on Sunday afternoon last, in Belturbet.

With ten minutes to go in a very cagey and evenly fought contest, Lacken led by three at 0-12 to 1-6 and were looking good in consolidating their Intermediate status. However, Drumgoon finished strongly against a strong breeze and, although an excellent Darragh Lynch point on the cusp of normal time looked to have sent the tie to a replay, Carroll popped up in their next attack to strike calmly over the bar for a huge win.

This was Drumgoon’s 10th relegation playoff between league and championship across the last four years (W4, D2, L4), with seven of those playoffs coming in the Intermediate Championship. Arguably, it was that experience that reaped dividends in the last ten minutes when they needed ir most.

Lacken themselves have also appeared in 10 relegation play offs across the last three years (W3, D2, 1.5), but it looked like they were doing enough to hold on and see the game out, especially when they had the bulk of the possession in the second half with Peter Galligan fielding well in the middle of the field. However, it was Drumgoon’s ability to dig out the result in those closing minutes, and they had more in the tank as they were possibly the better conditioned team as Lacken faltered badly.

Playing with the breeze in the first half, Keith Fannin got Drumgoon up and running with a point within the first minute before Mark Wilson soon levelled with a good score from play for Lacken two minutes later.

Martin Sexton proceeded to bring the ball forward in the sixth minute because of dissent, with Raymond Galligan duly obliging in pointing from a free.

The same player opened a two-point gap with another placed kick in the eighth minute. John McDermot pointed from a mark for Drumgoon before the attendance witnessed the beginning of some poor decision making in front of goal, with both team registering as many wides in as many minutes. Fannin levelled the contest at 0-3 apiece from a free in the 12th minute, but six minutes later came arguably the game’s most crucial score. A Lacken free fell short in front of the Drumgoon goal and from there, the ball was swept upheld. After Matthew McDermon picked out Conor Moynagh with an excellent pass, Moynagh swapped a one-two with Dylan Hand, who then spotted the clever run of Ben Brennan. Once Brennan received possession, he bore down on the Lacken goal and made no mistake in rifling to the net to give his side a cushioned lead at 1-3 to 0-3.

Galligan caressed over a brilliant ’45 into the wind, which was quickly followed though ther up with two excellent scores at both ends. Dylan Hand bombed user a good score for Drumgoon, with corner forward Cian  Galligan replying instantly with an excellent individual score of his own.  More sloppy play followed as both teams again showed little composure in front of the posts. 

However, Lacken almost raised the green flag in first half injury time when Paul Leddy Intercepted a Corey Smith short kick-out that went awry. Although the goal was on, Raymond Galligan received Leddy’s past to tap over and have the sides going into the dressing rooms at 5-4 to 0-6 in favour of the Boyle Park men.

Both sides frustratingly increased their wides tally at the beginning of the second half, but Shane Moynagh almost grabbed a goal for the Sky Blues when be latched onto an intricate move involving Leddy and Raymond Galligan, only to see his effort hit the post before the Drumgoon defence scrambled the ball away to safety.

Wilson levelled the scores with a good point and soon after Lacken were two in front when Raymond Galligan collected possession after good work by Peter Galligan to boom over a superb two pointer from over fifty yards out. Corey Smith and Wilson exchanged frees as the wides continued to mount over the next few minutes before a well-worked move saw Drumgoon centre-back Darragh Lynch ghost up unmarked to fist over and reduce the deficit to a minimum, with Lacken having their noses in front at

0-10 to 1-6 At this stage, Lacken looked the efficient team and although there was a concern with the missed opportunties they were racking up, they hit 12 wides with 3 falling short. Raymond Galligan looked to have allayed these worries with a superb two pointer from the sideline to push his side 0-12 to 1-6 in front in the 51st minute 

However despite being outplayed somewhat  Drumgoon dug deep and showed greater resolve, Scores from Brennan and a Fannin free brought them back into it as Lacken visibly began to fade. The Sky Blues squandered twi more opportunities to push themselves further in front, but Drungoon’s tails were up. An excellent point from Lynch along the wing was soon followed by a late Carroll winner, which ensured that Drumgoon will remain intermediate for 2026.

Drumgoon Corey Smyth (0-0, Andrew Murray, Dylan Hand (0-1), Euan Crossan. Gerry Morris, Darragh Lynch (0-2), Enda Shalvey, Darren Lavery, Conor Moynagh, John McDermott (0-1,1m). Matthew McDermott, Conall Farrell. Keith Fannin 10-3, 30, Ben Brennan (0-1), Dean Carroll

Subs: Aogan Farrell, Killian Moynagh, Liam Fox, Joseph Lee Mc Quillan, Joe Coughlan, Philip Morris, Ben Mc Donald, Conor Mc Gorry.

Lacken: Eoghan Donohoe. Aodhagan Halton, Craig Lanauze Joe Galligan, Peter Galligan, Shane Moynagh, James Pryce, James Smith, Darragh O’Reilly, Karl Clerkin Mark Wilson (0-3, 10, Stephen Brady, Raymond Galligan (0-8)

(0-6,12pt 1.12pt. 20.1:45) P Leddy, Clan Galligan (0-1) Subs: Sean Galligan tor James Smith

Referee Martin Sexton

Management Team, Gerard Mc Geough, Seamus Morris, Damien Clarke