AIB Uster Club Junior Football Championship semi-final: Rockcorry (Monaghan) 0-11 Glasdrumman (Down) 0-6
ROCKCORRY are on course for a unique double as they booked their place in the final of the Ulster junior football championship when they proved too adept for Glasdrumman in this entertaining game that was played in difficult, greasy conditions in the Athletic Grounds yesterday.
Rockcorry got off to much the better start and had four points on the board from Noel Carroll (two), Mark McGuirk and Fergal McGeough from a free by the end of the first quarter.
They could well have been further in front with a number of efforts dropping short and Noel Carroll being denied what looked a certain goal when his shot cannoned off an upright.
Connaire Harrison opened the scoring for Glasdrumman in the 20th minute with keeper Jamie Smith then pulling off a brilliant save to deny Raymond Magorrian.
Rockcorry led at half-time by 0-5 to 0-3, Connaire Harrison and Cormac Murphy hitting injury-time points from frees for the Down champions to keep them in the game.
“We went in at half-time knowing we had a battle on our hands,” said Rockcorry manager Jimmy McGeough.
“But fair play to the lads, that was a brilliant second half despite that fact that we had a few players carrying injuries, but they lifted it and we deserved to win it.”
In the second half, Rockcorry consolidated to first of all outscore Glassdrumman by five points to two to lead by six at the end of the third quarter, by which stage the Down men had been reduced to 14 players with the red card dismissal of Frank O’Neill in the 43rd minute as tempers threatened to flare.
A Cormac Murphy free reduced the deficit to five and Glasdrumman had a glorious chance to close the gap further when Connaire Harrison was fouled for a penalty, an indiscretion that saw Keith Daly pick up a black card.
Jamie Smith, though, came to Rockcorry’s rescue again when he denied Cormac Murphy from the spot kick with five minutes remaining and Rockcorry held out for a deserved five-point victory.
“They were the better team,” Glasdrumman manager Emmet Devlin admitted.
“They played very well and used the ball well. The penalty miss was crucial and we were down to 14 men with the red card for Frank (O’Neill) but we didn’t see it that way.
“Good luck to Rockcorry though, I hope they go on and win it.”
Rockcorry: J Smith, C McGeough, N McKeown, C Quinn, J Reilly, K Daly, S McGuirk, M Daly 0-2 (1f), M Thornton 0-1, N Carroll 0-2, P McKeown 0-1, C Sheridan, L Smyth, M McGuirk 0-2, F McGeough 0-2 (1f); Subs: A Tate for K Daly (Black Card (55), A McGorman for L Smyth (60).
Glasdrumman: S Cunningham, D McCartan, F O’Neill, C Carr, R Doran, A McCartan, C McDowell, C Rodgers, S Harrison, S McDowell, R Clarke, N McGovern, R Magorrian, C Murphy 0-3 (3f), C Harrison 0-3 (2f); Subs: D Joyce for R Clarke (10), P Grant for S McDowell (42), M Trimble for R Doran (45), R Clerkin for N McGovern (48), R McAteer for C Rodgers (57) Referee: N Cullen (Fermanagh)
