Donaghmore Ashbourne 2-07  Duleek Bellewstown 0-09

Donaghmore Ashbourne managed to overcome the tough elements and a strong home challenge to book a place in the next round of the Feis Cup with a narrow victory over Duleek/Bellewstown on a cold Sunday afternoon in Bellewstown.

With a strong wind blowing it was a case of a game of two halves with Donaghmore Ashbourne's hard work in the opening half setting the foundation for the victory.

The home side playing with the wind opened the scoring in the first minute with Eric Callaghan replying for Donaghmore Ashbourne with a free on 3 minutes.  Two further points from play gave the home side a 2 point cushion early in the game.

Donaghmore Ashbourne took the lead courtesy of a bit of good fortune when Paul Gilligan intercepted a hand pass in the Duleek/Bellewstown large square and finished to the net from close range on 10 minutes. The home side registered two quick wides before the before they raised the white flag to draw level late in the first quarter.  They took the lead again on 16 minutes with another point from play. Ciaran Beirne restored parity with a point on 18 minutes.

The home side finished the opening period with a strong performance and added further scores to enter the  interval with a 0-07 to 1-02  margin and should have been further ahead but  missed a  number of scoring opportunities both from play and from  frees.

Both sides registered wides early in the second half before Donaghmore Ashbourne took the  lead when Ciaran Beirne found the net on 33 minutes as he was first to react to an attempt that came off the  crossbar. Eric Callaghan increased the Donaghmore Ashbourne lead with two consecutive converted frees on 34 and 36 minutes. The home side were dealt a blow when their keeper was substituted as a result of a back injury however they did reduce the deficit to two points with a free on 41 minutes.  Callaghan did restore the three point margin with another free on 48 minutes but Donaghmore Ashbourne found it difficult to shake off the home side challenge.

The home side were dealt a further blow on 50 minutes when they were reduced to 14 men for a second yellow card offence but year again they never gave up and reduced the  deficit with a free on 51 minutes. A converted  free from Paul Gilligan on 55 minutes and a point from play by Aidan Hughes on 60 minutes gave Paul Clarke's men a  four point cushion  heading into additional time.

Overall both sides deserve credit for serving an entertaining game in tough conditions and Donaghmore Ashbourne will be happy to turn over the 2014 result between these teams and book a place in this year's second round.

Donaghmore Ashbourne: P. Durkan: G. Deery, C. Carton, JP. Casserly; P. Gilligan (1-1) (1f), T. Mc Govern, C. Ellis; R. O'Connor, S. Curran; A. Hughes (0-1), E. Callaghan (0-4)(4f), D. Mc Govern;  C. Donnelly, C. Beirne (1-1), E. Riordan. Subs: S. Cavanagh for Beirne, D. Murtagh for Deery D. Brady for D. Mc Govern

Duleek Bellewstown Report

Duleek Bellewstown 0-9  Donaghmore Ashbourne 2-7

This was a classic game of two halves with the wind dominating the scoring opportunities and dictating the pattern of play and with both teams scoring just  9 times it was the visitor's ability to poach goals at vital times in each half which saw them emerge victorious in a cold and blustery Bellewstown.

Playing with the strong wind the home side opened well and had their first score when Anthony Burke was played through  following a quick free after a foul on Darren Mills. Ashbourne responded immediately and pointed. The home side responded themselves when Michael Dowling found Shane Townley on the overlap and he was allowed to drive on and point from 25 metres. Podge Howard added a third when he fielded a high cross field from Conall Mc Ginley and using the wind he direct his shot over.

Donaghmore Ashbourne's response was in the form of an opportunist goal when their wing back intercepted an attempted clearance within the home defense and drove the ball the net to put them into the lead.  Anthony Burke then levelled when he pounced on a pass from Podge Howard and pointed from the left to draw the sides level. The following an Donaghmore Ashbourne appeal for a penalty the ball was quickly worked downfield to Peter Curran and again using the wind he pointed from 35 yards  to regain the lead

Donaghmore drew level and further points from a John flood free and another from Podge Howard and after good work by Cianan Byrne extended the lead to two with 5 minutes of the half remaining but despite a number of chances they just could not extend the lead any further leaving them just two points in front at the interval

Donaghmore Ashbourne got a dream start to the second half when after 90 seconds a cross come shot was palmed onto the cross bar by keeper Anthony Dowling, a half time substitute for Ricky Nolan, and the ball landed kindly for the inrushing Donaghmore Ashbourne forward and he slotted it to the back of the net. Within a further minute the visitors had extended their lead with a free when the ball was moved forward to a more scoreable position following some dissent.  Another Ashbourne point followed in the 6 minute to further extend their lead and when Stephen Nolan landed a 45 yard free against the gale it looked as it there was a comeback on the card

The home team, to their credit continued to search for the scores which would get them back into the game but the Donaghmore Ashbourne defence withstood the attacks. A major downpour then reduced the last quarter of the game to a lottery as both sides struggled with the conditions and with Ashbourne pointing 3 times to home sides single score they ran out comfortable winners

The home team will be disappointed with the result as the spurned chances at the end of the first half could have made life more difficult for the visitors. A feature of the first half was the high fielding by goalkeeper Kicky Nolan who managed to save two point bound shots.

Duleek/Bellewstown - R Nolan, J Brannigan, R Clarke, J Murphy, J Flood(0-1), S Crosby S Townley(0-1), M Dowling, S Nolan(0-1), D Mills, C Byrne, A Burke(0-2) , P Curran(0-1), C McGinley(0-1), P Howard(0-2). Subs D Teeling, E Ryan

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