Morgan Fuels Down Senior Football Championship round one: St Mary’s Burren 0-12 St Peter’s Warrenpoint 1-5
BURREN had to weather a second half storm from Warrenpoint to claim a deserved win in last night’s derby battle at Pairc Esler.
Jim McCorry’s side had Down veteran Kevin McKernan in goal and brought the county class of Donal O’Hare and Armagh defender Paddy Burns into their starting line-up. They were in command in the early stages but with the rain alternating between heavy drizzle and torrential downpour, it took a mixture of determined Warrenpoint defending and their own poor finishing to limit them to a 0-1 to no-score lead after nine minutes.
Ross McGarry equalised with a quality free and then McKernan saved well from Jamie Grant – putting himself about at full-forward - before Ryan Cunningham edged Burren ahead.
Ryan Mallon ghosted past Steven Fegan but shot wide with the goal in his sights and, in tricky conditions for ball-handling, both sides let the ball go long and direct given the opportunity.
Burren took control and Kerr caught Warrenpoint goalkeeper Niall Rice in possession and showed him a clean pair of heels as he raced towards goal. He opted to take a point and Burren led 3-1 after 15 minutes.
Kerr hit the post and the ball dropped to Conail McGovern whose follow-up was smothered by Rice but O’Hare registered his first of the game and Kerr added another when he raced forward and fired in a shot that was tipped over his bar by the busy ’keeper.
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Ronan McGrath made it 6-1 with a composed finish and the ’Point almost hit back when Alan Davidson burst through and cracked in a rasping shot that McKernan did well to hold.
At the other end, Burren continued to tap them over - David McEntee was their sixth scorer.
Callan Morgan’s persistence earned a free for McGarry but Danny Magill quickly cancelled it out with the fourth left-footed Burren point in-a-row and Odhran Murdock’s block on Davidson meant it remained 0-8 to 0-2 at the interval.
Grant’s ball picked out McGarry early in the second half and he held on to claim a mark and then McGarry turned provider with a brilliant pass down the line for Aaron Magee to run on to. He fisted it over the bar to cut the deficit to four.
Danny Magill’s reply left it 0-9 to 0-4 after five second half minutes but then Magee launched the ball up to Warrenpoint’s forward duo of Ryan McAleenan and Grant, who were causing headaches for the Burren defence. McKernan came off his line to catch but the ball sailed over his head and, despite the best efforts of Paddy McCarthy, just crossed the line.
Burren didn’t panic. Danny Magill got his third of the game to leave them 0-10 to 1-4 ahead but the ’Point almost got back on terms when Grant released Niall McGovern and McKernan made amends for his earlier mistake with a point-blank save.
Another McGarry free, after Steven Fegan had been tugged back, left just two in it with 15 minutes to go.
Burren were wobbling then but they slowed the game down and Kerr cut in from the right and slotted over a morale-boosting score and Warrenpoint’s task became much tougher after full-back Peter Sweeney was sent off with five minutes left.
Both sides won the slippery ball and then lost it under intense pressure as Warrenpoint searched for a way back. Skipper Gerard McGovern, at full-back marking Grant, stood tall under a barrage of high balls and O’Hare fisted over his second as Burren held out to claim a hard-earned victory.
Warrenpoint: N Rice; S Morgan, P Sweeney, D Ruddy; R Boyle, D McAleenan, R McCormack; C McLoughlin, J Grant; J Boyle, A Davidson, R Mallon; C Morgan, A Magee (1-1), R McGarry (0-4, 0-3 frees, 0-1 mark)
Subs: N McGovern for C Morgan (38), R McGivern for S Morgan (46), E Byrne for Davidson (55), S O’Hare for McCormack (57)
Yellow card: Davidson (43)
Red card: P Sweeney (55)
Burren: K McKernan; P McCarthy, P Burns (0-1), P Fegan; D McEntee (0-1), S Fegan, D O’Hare (0-2); O Murdock, G McGovern; R Magill, L Kerr (0-3), R McGrath (0-1); D Magill (0-3), C McGovern, R Cunningham (0-1)
Subs: A McAvoy for McGrath (48)
Referee: Ciaran Brannigan
