Club Football Roundup
November 02, 2008
By Cóilín Duffy
With the county football final action pretty much dried up the focus was on Provincial action in Ulster and Leinster today with five games down for decision as St. Eunan's, Ballinderry, Cavan Gaels, Éire Óg and Kilmacud Crokes emerged winners.
Tyrone side Clonoe were backed by the suspended Emmet Teague and Colm Doris, due to a loophole as the pair await their appeal hearings by the Tyrone County Board, but this wasn't enough as St. Eunan's emerged 2-10 to 1-8 winners at Coalisland.
Although Doris was firmly on target for Clonoe and defender Teague played an instrumental role in the half-back line, Eunan's were well primed for victory.
Clonoe held a 1-6 to 1-5 interval lead, but the Donegal champions held their Red Hand counterparts to just two second half points and gave a firm exhibition of football.
Ryan O'Neill and David McGinley traded first half goals but the second half was all about Eunan's with Donegal players Brendan Devenney and Rory Kavanagh performing strongly.
Devenney scored four first half points and continued to torment the Clonoe defence in the second half. He had planted the ball in the net with six minutes remaining only to be pulled back after a penalty was awarded.
Nonetheless Eunan's possessed a hungry attack with Ciaran Sharkey converting from the penalty spot, while scores from Sharkey and Ross Wherrity were the insurance points to seal a deserved five-point win.
St. Eunan's will now meet Crossmaglen or Fermanagh side St. Patrick's in the semi-finals.
Cavan Gaels secured a 1-7 to 0-7 win over St. Galls at Casement Park thanks to a first half Michael Lyng goal.
Gaels finished with 14-men following the dismissal of Darren Rabbitte in the first half, but their Antrim counterparts were reduced to 13 by the full-time whistle following red cards for Sean Burke and Kevin McGourty.
McGourty's injury-time dismissal compounded Galls woes in a game which saw the hosts miss a lot of scoring opportunities.
With the sides level midway through the second half, and Galls on top in the possession stakes following three well taken points it looked like the Antrim champions could secure a semi-final spot.
However a Ciaran McGourty goal miss and wasted opportunities by Karl Stewart and Aodhan Gallagher opened this game up for a strong Cavan Gaels finish.
In a game full of off-the-ball incidents, no more than three points separated the sides throughout this contest.
It was a scoring spree from Seanie Johnston who finished with five points which ultimately secured a Cavan Gaels win and they will now meet Ballinderry in the semi-final, after the Derry side were 1-11 to 0-10 winners over Latton at Ballinascreen.
The decisive score came three minutes into the second half when Raymond Wilkinson fired home a goal.
Talented Derry player Michael McIver was forced to withdraw from the contest during the first half because of injury, with his side level at five points each at the interval.
It was Ballinderry who made a strong start leading by 0-5 to 0-1 early in the contest thanks to four points from the boot of Conleith Gilligan.
Gilligan top-scored with six points for the eventual winners in a game which also produced some controversy with Latton reduced to 14-men late in the opening half.
The Monaghan champions had finished strongly before half time with Bernard O'Brien kicking three fine points to equalise by the interval, but they suffered a late blow following a red card for Barry McCabe after an off-the-ball incident.
Latton were hit again on the restart with Wilkinson's goal propelling Ballinderry back in front and they failed to look back from this to finish strongly, and earn a four-point win.
In Leinster a highly entertaining contest was produced at Dr. Cullen Park where Éire Óg of Carlow emerged 3-10 to 1-12 winners over Wicklow side Kiltegan.
Mark Kelly fired two first half goals to give his side a 2-4 to 0-5 interval lead, but Simon Rea and Brian Carbury also contributed strongly for the eventual winners.
Kiltegan failed to score in the opening quarter yet kicked five points without reply to cut the gap to two points, however Kelly scored his second goal in injury time to open up a double-scores advantage at the break.
Kiltegan worked hard on the restart, but despite the efforts of Wicklow player JP Dalton scores failed to flow freely for them.
Eric McCormack completed the Éire Óg hat-trick and although Rory Finn got a late goal back for Kiltegan it was too little too late as Éire Óg progressed to face Colmcille of Longford in the next round.
At Parnell Park Kilmacud Crokes showed no ill effects of their recent busy schedule in the Dublin SFC by taking a 0-13 to 0-8 win over first time Kildare champions Celbridge.
Kilmacud fired on all cylinders in the opening half and led by 0-9 to 0-3 at the break, with Mark Vaughan firmly on song.
But it wasn't all positive news for Crokes who paid dearly for a momentary lapse of indiscipline midway through the first half with Cian O'Sullivan shown a straight red card following an off-the-ball incident.
Celbridge upped their game in the second half as they held Crokes to just four points but with captain Jonny Magee now leading by example for his side they held out for a five-point victory and a quarter-final against Louth champions Newtown Blues.
Meanwhile Meath champions Navan O'Mahony's have been given the nod to progress to the quarter-finals of the Leinster Club SFC after being handed a walkover.
Killanerin, home club of Mattie Forde were crowned Wexford champions on Saturday afternoon but following a meeting after that game they decided not to fulfil their Leinster opening round fixture, which was due to be played in New Ross.
It remains to be seen if Killanerin will appeal this decision with Westmeath champions Castledaly waiting in the wings at the quarter-final stage.
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