All square as Cloone book quarter-final place
Cloone went home happiest after securing a hard fought draw against Drumkeerin last Saturday in the GWP Intermediate Championship that booked them a place in the competition's quarter-finals.
GWP INTERMEDIATE CHAMPIONSHIP
CLOONE 1-10
DRUMKEERIN 1-10
Drumkeerin led by four points midway through the second half and will be disappointed to have let that lead slip. They also kicked nine wides as against five for Cloone, so the chances were there for Drumkeerin, but fair play to Cloone for their never say die attitude.
They now have guaranteed themselves a quarter final spot, while Drumkeerin and Ballinaglera must battle it out for to see who joins Cloone, with a draw being sufficient for Drumkeerin.
In a hard fought, exciting encounter, it was Drumkeerin who got off to the better start with two early points from the boot of Stephen Gilhooley.
It took a great one handed save in the fifth minute from Conor Woods to prevent Cloone hitting the lead, but within three minutes, Damien O'Donnell had fired over two points, one from play and one from a free to level matters.
O'Donnell and Eddie McTiernan exchanged frees, before points from Richard McTiernan (free), Stephen Gilhooley and Jason Beirne pushed Drumkeerin into a three point lead.
But Cloone finished the half stronger and points from O'Donnell (free), Seamus McCaffrey, and two from first half substitute Michael Lohan edged Cloone in front 0-7 to 0-6 at the break.
They went further ahead in the first minute of the second half with a Donal Brennan point, but Drumkeerin responded well and points from Richard McTiernan, Eddie McTiernan and Stephen Feeney put them back in front by the minimum.
Midway through the half, they extended that lead to four points when Eddie McTiernan brilliantly dispatched a penalty, awarded for a foul on himself, after good work by Stephen Gilhooley.
Six minutes later, though, Cloone were back in the game when Damien O'Donnell cut through the Drumkeerin defence and hammered the ball past a helpless Woods to leave a point between the sides again.
But a point from substitute John Cullen, to leave his side two points up, seemed to be just enough to edge Drumkeerin to victory, but Cloone had other ideas.
They drove forward, and a pointed free from O'Donnell left just the minimum between the sides. They almost snatched victory but a late goal chance was somehow cleared off the line by the Drumkeerin defence.
But Cloone were not to be denied, and another pointed free, again from the boot of O'Donnell in the fifth minute of injury time, left the teams level after an absorbing contest.
Cloone
Dermot McCrann; Seamus McCaffrey (0-1), Aidan Mulvey, Declan Tiernan; Kevin Fitzpatrick, Mark Beirne, Declan Brennan; Alan Canning, Gavin Reynolds; Damien O'Donnell (1-06, 5f), Brian Mulvey, Ronan Mulvey; Seamus Maguire, Donal Brennan (0-1), Mark Creegan. Subs: Michael Lohan (0-2) for R. Mulvey; Derek O'Donnell for Creegan; Niall Brennan for B. Mulvey.
Drumkeerin
Conor Woods; Enda McNama, Francis Davitt, Adrian Smith; Aidan Dolan, Colm Clarke, Jason Beirne (0-1); Damien McPadden, Richard McTiernan (0-2); Tomas Davitt, Ciaran White, Stephen Feeney(0-1); Edward McTiernan (1-2), Stephen Gilhooley (0-3), James McPartland. Subs: John Cullen (0-1) for T. Davitt.
Referee: Brendan Sammon.
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Weather for Carrick-on-Shannon, Ireland
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 11 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
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