Bank of Ireland Ulster Senior Football Championship Derry 3-13 Monaghan 0-11
THE composure with which Eamonn Burns reflected on his own polished performance amidst a lacklustre Derry display suggests there is much more to come from the Oak Leafers in the Championship.
Mindful of what happened last year, yesterday’s 11-point drubbing of Monaghan, which was comprehensive if not totally convincing, will not be talked about in glowing terms in the Clones dressing room in four weeks time.
According to Burns, it will be immediately forgotten.
“Last year we hammered Tyrone by a similar scoreline but that didn’t count for anything when we went out against Cavan in the next match,” he said. “So we’ll be very aware of that when we play Armagh or Down in the semi-final.
“We didn’t expect to beat Monaghan by that much but we’ll not get an easier game than that in the Championship this year so we will have to improve on that performance.”
The high count of fouls and off the ball niggles ensured the match was not one for the purists. Burns indicated that for him, it was all over at half-time. He said: “Neither side really got going in the second half but I thought it was over by half-time anyway, our second goal just before the break killed them off.”
The 28-year-old admitted a certain amount of satisfaction in his personal tally of 1-3, the goal giving him the confidence to help the outstanding Dermot Dougan take the game by the scruff of the neck.
Monaghan manager Eamonn McEneaney was in sombre mood having watched his side killed off in clinical fashion. His quiet demeanour altered considerably though at talk of Mick McGrath’s decision to send his captain Edwin Murphy to the line after only 10 minutes.
“I didn’t really see it too well, but I asked Eddie afterwards what he done and he said he pushed him (Seamus Downey),” said McEneaney.
“He didn’t hit him, he pushed him. If you get sent off these days for pushing people....”
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PADDY Corry hit a glorious injury-time winner to send Trillick through to the second round of the Tyrone Senior Football Championship with an unexpected 0-12 to 0-11 victory over Coalisland.
The first half developed into a battle between free kickers Richard Thornton, who converted six, and Paddy Corry, whose five points kept Trillick very much in contention.
And a four-minute blitz by Damien Gormley, during which he hit three superb points, helped the reds to a narrow 0-8 to 0-7 half time lead. A closely-contested second half saw Trillick play some fluent football, but they could never pull clear, with Paddy McShane bringing the sides level for the seventh time in an absorbing contest.
Another draw looked certain until Corry broke away from his market to hit his seventh point of the contest from an acute angle.
Trillick scorers: P Corry 0-7, D Gormley 0-3, J Gormley, N Corry 0-1 each. Coalisland scorers: R Thornton 0- 6, P McShane 0-3, J P Kane, N Wylie 0-1 each.
