IT was the proverbial game of two halves at Blacklion last weekend as Drumgoon scored 12 points to claim the spoils with a bit to spare. The visitors started brightly and notched the opening three points courtesy of strikes from Aogan Óg Farrell, Conal Farrell and Shane Smith inside the opening 12 minutes.
Two minutes later though, the Gaels hit the jackpot when Stephen Fitzpatrick found the Drumgoon net with a fine strike; a score that was added to seconds later by a Shane Walsh point (16).
Caoimhan McGovern’s point added to the hosts’ momentum and, although Shane Smith pulled a point back for Drum- goon, the Gaels found the jugular with a goal in the 21st minute by erstwhile minor Clive Moffitt. The Gaels continued their fine form and proved to be the best team in the first half, going in at the half-time break ahead by 2-3 to 0-7 had every reason to believe that they were heading for a win.
However, the visitors had other ideas and although the aforementioned McGovern scored seconds after the throw-in to enhance the Gaels’ lead, points from Keith Fannin and Shane Smith (35) signalled something of what was to come. The hosts had one final sting though, and a Stephen Fitzpatrick penalty conversion – after a foul on McGovern – had the Shane Walsh (1-1). Gaels ahead by 3-4 to 0-9.
Amazingly, that was to be the end of the Gaels’ scoring run and, instead, Drumgoon went up through the gears to notch 10 unanswered points with particularly good efforts from the likes of Aogan Óg Farrell, Paddy Smith and Corey Smith.
Shannon Gaels: Conor McNiff; Harry Moffitt, Oisin Dolan, Gearoid Flanagan;
Kevin McGovern, Stephen Fitzpatrick, Daniel Fitzpatrick; Billy O’Mahony, James Maquire: Sean McHugh, Donal Flanagan, Niall McGrath; Clive Moffitt (1-0), Caoimhán McGovern (1-3),
Kevin McGovern, Stephen Fitzpatrick, Daniel Fitzpatrick; Billy O’Mahony, James Maquire: Sean McHugh, Donal Flanagan, Niall McGrath; Clive Moffitt (1-0), Caoimhán McGovern (1-3),
Subs used; Niall Higgins; Shane Dolan; Dean Feehilly.
Drumgoon: Corey Smith: Donal Keappock, Killian Moynagh, Mark Murray: Dylan Hand, Conor Moynagh (0-2), Shane Smith (0-2); Conal Farrell (0-1), Barry Cooney; Ben Brennan, Darragh Lynch (0-1), Dean Carroll (0-3); Aogan Óg Farrell (0-5), Keith Fannin (0-3), Paddy Smith (0-2).