Intermediate Championship

CORNAFEAN stitched together a composed, clinical performance to defeat Drumgoon by seven in Kingspan Breffni, the Reds harnessing a stiff breeze in the opening half. It finished 1-19 to 0-15, a result that looked likely once Martin Cahill’s men exploded from the blocks and built a cushion they never relinquished.  Drumgoon struck first. Attacking into the Flaggy Bottom end, Ben Brennan clipped over inside the opening minute. From the restart, Oisín Browne gathered beyond the 40 and, with the wind at his back, launched a raking effort that carried all the way for a two-pointer to flip the lead. On four minutes came the game’s only major. Jack Trainor burst straight through the centre, drew cover and slipped a handpass to Culann Mac Seain, who turned onto his right and rifled high to the top corner. That left Cornafean 1-2 to 0-1 ahead and purring.  With the elements behind them, the Reds were ruthless, Barry Doyle landed another long-range two-pointer from the right flank and, by the sixth minute, it was 1-4 to 0-1. Drumgoon steadied with a Dean Carroll point from around 36 metres on ten minutes, and moments later Keith Fannin converted after a late challenge to keep them in touch.

The Cornafean response was immediate and stylish. Browne manufactured a gorgeous score from a tight angle near the right sideline, turning back onto his left and just clearing the blue spot.

Cornafean’s press on the kick-out then paid off. Jack Wharton read a short restart, intercepted and fed Trainor, who tapped over to restore momentum. Drumgoon replied when Dylan Hand broke forward to split the posts from the left wing off his right boot, but the closing stages of the half belonged to Peter Doyle. On 29 minutes he thumped over from around 45 metres, straight from the next restart he gathered again and launched another booming effort that also drew the orange flag for two points. It might have got worse for Drumgoon when Barry Doyle squared to Trainor three metres out, only for goalkeeper Corey Smyth to spring from his line and smother brilliantly. Just before the interval, Sean McFaul trotted up and clipped a ’45 to push the margin out once more. Half-time score read, Cornafean 1-11, Drum-d goon 0-6.

 

Drumgoon had 5. created plenty, five first-half er wides told a story, while Cornafean, with the wind, registered three. Peter Doyle resumed where he had left off a minute into the second half, taking command around the 45, gliding past three defenders and splitting the posts from 25 metres.

Browne immediately added his third from play to make it 1-13 to 0-6. Drumgoon’s reply was courageous and emphatic. From 46 metres, Smyth marched up and, off the ground, hammered over a two-pointer to energise his side.

Substitute Gerry Morris, just on, announced himself by turning onto his left more than 40 metres out and sailing over, a long-range effort raising an orange flag. When Fannin curled over a right-sided free after Morris, the gap was back to five and the contest had real heat. Cornafean didn’t panic. Browne clipped a free after Peter Doyle was fouled to steady the leaders.

Wharton, kicking into the wind, nailed one from about 35 metres. A clever short free from Wharton then located Browne centrally and the corner-forward turned onto that trusty left to pop another.

The bench contributed too. A brisk kick-out sequence worked cleanly through the lines to Dean Kilkenny, who accelerated down the left and, hitting the 13, knocked over on the run.

Still Drumgoon came. Wing-back Euan Crosson surged up the left side line and cut inside to arrow a fine point off the instep. Kilkenny turned provider soon after, slipping a nicely weighted pass into Browne at the top of the D for yet another Cornafean white flag as the clock nudged past 27 minutes. From the next restart Drumgoon broke quickly and Fannin, unerring once more, dispatched a two-point free from the right to trim it back to seven. Crosson then powered forward again to claim his second from distance and leave it a six-point game entering the red. 

There would be no grand-stand finish. Kilkenny won a free 35 metres out and, after Drumgoon delayed the quick take, it was advanced to the 13, the substitute tapped over and Cornafean were safely home.

 

Cornafean: Sean McFaul (0-1,45); Pete Hogan, Dan Wharton, Ronan Trainor; Mark Johnston, Jason Miney, Barry Doyle (0-2,tp); Culann Mac Seain (1-0), Cormac Doyle; Jack Wharton (0-1), Peter Doyle (O-5,2tp), Gerard Sheridan; Oisín Browne (0-7,11,1tp), Jack Trainor (0-2,1f), James McGahern

 

Subs: Andrew Wharton for J McGahern, Dean Kilkenny (0-1f) for J Trainor

 

Drumgoon: Corey Smyth (0-2f, 2tpf); Andrew Murray. Dylan Hand (0-1), Euan Crosson (0-2); Donal Keappock, John McDermott, Enda Shalvey: Darren Lavery, Conor Moynagh; Conor McGorry, Matthew McDermott, Conall Farrell; Keith Fannin (0-4,2f,1tpf), Ben Brennan (0-1). Dean Carroll (0-1)

 

Subs: Gerry Morris (0-2.tp) for CMcGorry, Aogan Farrell for J McDermott.

Conor McGorry protects the ball as James McGahern closes in.