Deja vu for Pearses over Knights
Beragh's Martin Rodgers escapes the clutches of Rock's Neil Mallon. Picture Michael Cullen.
For the second year running Fintona have dumped Beragh out of the Junior championship thanks to this hard earned victory at Killyclogher on Friday evening, writes Kevin Kelly.
In the end five points separated the sides but it was only in the final five minutes that they managed to pull away from a battling Red Knights side.
The Pearses recovered from a poor start to lead 1-6 to 1-2 at the break but with the wind at their backs Beragh fought back in the second period to reduce the deficit to the minimum and it took a fortunate late goal from substitute Tommy McGrath in the closing stages to finally decide the outcome.
Martin Rodgers hit six points on the night for Beragh but his efforts proved to be in vain with Aaron McCarney and Niall Mellon accounting for all but one of the winners’ points between them.
Fintona had the wind at their backs in the first half but it was Fintona who got off to a dream start when good approach play from Eddie Molloy sent Hugh Franey through for a well taken second minute goal.
They failed to score though for the next twenty five minutes as the Pearses began to take a grip on proceedings. McCarney [3] and Mellon scored to give them a lead that they were never to lose before Mark Donnelly provided the pass for Bernard Cassidy to crash the ball to the roof of the net.
McCarney and Beragh half back Paddy Teague traded scores but with only four between the sides at the short whistle it was still very much up for grabs.
Within ten minutes of the restart Beragh had halved the deficit thanks to efforts from Niall Owens, Sean McMahon and Eddie Molloy before McCarney responded from a placed ball.
Rodgers then converted three well struck frees as the Red Knights began to turn the screw. Beragh were having the better of things in terms of possession but Fintona were more economical with the ball and after midfielder Mark Kelly split the posts Mellon weighed in with a brace.
As the game slipped into injury time, a long range free from McGrath was fumbled into the net to end the game as a contest.
Fintona – Kieran McDonnell, Mark McCoole, Paul Martin, Eugene McCarroll, Kevin McGirr, Conor McCann, Peter Mellon, Fergal McCann, Mark Kelly, Niall Mellon, Jason Donnelly, Aaron McCarney, Bernard Cassidy, Benny McCarney, Mark Donnelly. Sub – Tommy McGrath for McCarrollScorers – Aaron McCarney 0-6, Niall Mellon 0-5, Bernard Cassidy 1-0, Tommy McGrath 1-0, Mark Kelly 0-1
Beragh – Dan McSorley, Aidan Kelly, Martin McMahon, Cathal Donnelly, Paul Owens, Cathal Owens, Paddy Teague, Declan McCann, Damian Meenagh, Hugh Franey, Martin Rodgers, Eddie Molloy, Chris Devlin, Sean McMahon, Niall Owens. Subs – Ryan O’Keefe, for Sean McMahon, Enda Donnelly for Devlin, Dan Boyle for Franey
Scorers – Martin Rodgers 0-6, Hugh Franey 1-0, Paddy Teague 0-1, Eddie Molloy 0-1, Sean McMahon 0-1, Niall Owens 0-1
Referee – Michael Connolly, Aghyaran
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Weather for Dungannon
Sunday 19 May 2013
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