First points for reserves after win over MacCumhaill's
Senior Reserve Division 2
19 March 2017
Aodh Ruadh 4-8
MacCumhaill's 4-7
Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh
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Aodh Ruadh reserves went looking for their first league points in Division 2 with their first home game of the new season at Páirc Aoidh Ruaidh. An early exchange of scores got the game going, but a surge of goals midway through the half for the visitors saw them into a 3-3 to 0-1 lead as the half was drawing to a close. That was a seemingly insurmountable lead of 11 points as the homesters defence were repeatedly exposed as MacCumhaills drove forward.
However, a penalty nicely tucked away by debutante Shane Dorrian followed swiftly by a Rory Cullen goal had the Erne men back in the game with the deficit reduced to just four by the break at 3-4 to 2-3. Aodh Ruadh's first half points came from Oisin Rooney, Shane Dorrian and a Cáelán Drummond free.
Ballyshannon chipped another two off the deficit thanks to a second point from Dorrian and another Drummond free. MacCumhaill's were then awarded a soft penalty for a perceived tug on a jersey which was duly dispatched to extend their lead back out to five.
Oisin Rooney, who was having a powerful game on the ball, managed to ram home a goal and a point before Diarmaid Slevin equalised with curler off the outside of the boot into the wind. That left it all square with ten minutes to go at 3-8 to 4-5. Just three minutes later Aodh Ruadh were awarded their second penalty, which again the young man Shane Dorrian kept his nerve to put way.
That’s wasn’t to be the end of the action by a long shot as the visitors piled forward and replied with a point. They were then awarded yet another penalty as their man easily went to ground, a remarkable fourth penalty of the game with just two minutes to go. When Aodh Ruadh needed a hero Karl O’Brien made sure he did his bit with a fine save off his feet to deny the goal. More drama followed as the visitors kept up the pressure and sent another goal chance wide before adding another point from a short free to bring it back to a one point game.
The Erne men managed to regroup and keep their composure for the remaining few minutes of added time to see out an unlikely win and get a valuable two points on the board. There were some big performances throughout, particularly in the second half with Gary Carty putting up huge miles, Ronan Drummond and Diarmaid Slevin controlling play and Oisin Kerr, Eugene Drummond and Ryan Patton relieving a lot of pressure from half back. The contribution of Shane Dorrian was massive, tallying a fine score of 2-3 in his first senior game.
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| Teams |
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Aodh Ruadh Karl O’Brien; David McLoone, Packie McGrath, Oisin Kerr; Ryan Patton, Eugene Drummond, Gary Carty; Oisin Rooney (1-2), Ronan Drummond; James Kelly, Dermot Slevin (0-1), Cáelán Drummond (0-2f); Rory Cullen (1-0), Shane Dorrian (2-3), Marty Larkin. Subs: Emmet Chesire for Rory Cullen, Raymie Granaghan for James Kelly. |
Last modified: Monday, 1 June 2020 at 12:13pm