Drumgoon seal promotion and place in final
A turbo charged first half display proved to be the launching pad for Drumgoon to thwart a gutsy Drung side in an entertaining ACFL Division 3 semi final in Butlersbridge.
Drumgoon weren’t flattered by their comfortable winning margin and their 1-8 to 03 Interval lead left drung with a mountainous challenge which they never looked like over coming in the second hall for all their bravery and determination.
Drumgoon made honest men of the bookies with a dominant display over the hour plus. The winners were the stronger running team, the more experienced out fit and the more physically robust team and were deserving winners.
With a clutch of in form attackers, a good balance to their side and strength in depth, the Eire Og men will be handful division 2 opponents next season and in immediate term, a difficult opponent for either Denn or montnugent in the upcoming final
For their part, Drung died with their boots on and can hold heads high
The Dalcassians didnt manage to perform to the best of the ability and the postponement of the game from the previous evening meant they were missing key defender Ryan O’Reilly
in truth Drung could have no complaints with five of their starting line-up age 18 and with emigration, injuries and suspensions ravishing their resources and putting their achievement in making the league semi-final into perspective.
For all that. Drung were always competitive and a Stephen Jackson point after Just 20 odd seconds gave the underdogs the lead for the one and only time in the game
Drumpoon travelled to the game in sleeves rolled-up mode and they countered Jackson’s opener with interest with four points from Fannin among seven unanswered points recorded by the eventual winners up to the 20th minute. A brace of points by declan mc entee in the next 5 minutes stopped the rot but then disaster struck for the chasing team when Darragh Lynch found the Drung net with a precise effort in the 31st minute. Thereafter a converted free by Dean Carroll after 33 minutes left drumgoon with one foot in the final, leading by 1-8 to 0-93.
As the second half got under way it was a clear that Drung needed a goal(s) to nick a foothold in the match. However, it was the run away winners who nabbed yet another major with centre-half forward Darragh Lynch netting just two minutes after the restart. A converted free by fergal hueston in the 38th minute, briefly stymied the drumgoon jugernaut.
A further Fannin point was countered by a fine Sean Donnell point but the eventual winners showed a hunger and a appetite for scores that kept Drung on the backfoot
Two converted frees by Dean Carroll left no doubt about the destination of the spoils entering the final quarter. Fergal heuston scored a neat point (49) for the Dalcassians but a Fannin point proceeded the dismissal of Declan McEntee for a second yellow card offence with six minutes of normal play left to play.
to their credit the 14 man team kept plugging away and Sean Curran’s 55th minute effort brought the scoring to a close
Drung
Francis Hughes, Ben Fitzpatrick
Paul Huston, Oisin Brady, Greg Rossiter, Michael McEntee, Ronan Brady: Aaron Crowe, Decian McEntee Martin reilly Sean Curran fergal Heuston Sean McDonnell, Stephen Jackson, Cian O Reilly
Subs: Niall Fitzpatrick, Colm Brady, Aidan Mc Caul
Drumgoon:- Corey Smith, Dylan Hand, Killian Moynagh, Mark Murray, Shane Smith Conor Moynagh, Dominic Donegan Conal Farrell Darren Lavery: Dean Carroll (0-5), Darragh Lynch (1-0) , Barry Cooney: Patrick Lynch, Keith Fannin 6, Paddy Smith 1-1
Subs, Ben Brennan Adrian McCluskey Liam Smith, Aogan Farrell