ACFL Division II Liatroim v Carryduff Fontenoy Park Thursday 18 May 2017
As a consequence of injuries a number of Carryduff players were drafted into the starting 15 when the ‘Duff travelled to Fontenoy Park on Thursday evening. And those called upon let management know that they will continue to press for ‘starting’ berths for the remainder of the season. To a man they played with determination to secure two valuable league points in a trappy encounter which ebbed and flowed and could have seen either of the two teams claim the spoils.
Carryduff got off to a promising start – Owen McCabe pointed in the first minute and three minutes in Conor McCullough capitalised when Liatroim failed to clear the ball from the front of their own goalmouth and finished to the Liatroim net. This sparked Liatroim into focussed action and they had points from play from Eóin Clarke 95th), from a converted 45 metre free from Pearse Óg McCrickard (9th) and from converted frees from McCrickard (10th and 13th) as Carryduff’s Joe McFlynn and Ronan Beatty failed to converted what chances fell Carryduff’s way. Beatty was unlucky in the 14th minute, his shot rattling the Liatroim goalpost. He converted frees in the 14th and 16th minutes and big Joe McFlynn sunk a 17th minute free kick from $2 metres out to give Carryduff a three point cushion. James Guinness added a point from play in the 18th minute as Carryduff’s Conor Cassidy, Daniel Guinness and Neill McGowan began to assert in the Carryduff defence
Pearse Óg McCrickard’s goal (19th minute) suddenly brought Liatroim right back into the game and their supporters became all the more vocal around Fontenoy Park. Donal McKeever rasped the woodwork for the second time for Carryduff in the 20th minute and a moment later Carryduff keeper Mark Hynes pulled off a very impressive save to deny Liatroim a major. McCrickard levelled affairs with a 24th minute point but James Guinness’s superb 25th minute point – by far the score of the game – re-established Carryduff’s lead, however slender.
The woodwork appeared to hold some fascination for the Carryduff attack – Ronan Lawlor was the third Carryduff player to rattle it in the 25th minute of play!
McCrickard’s fifth point (26th) brought Liatroim level once more but Ronan Beatty’s 29th minute goal gave Carryduff a three point advantage and Liatroim were lucky to survive a goalmouth scramble at the end of the first half. The half ended with Carryduff three points to the better on a 2-06 to 1-06 scoreline.
The second half opened with Ronan Beatty converting a free for the visitors before Jonny Henry talked himself into referee Damian Laverty’s notebook. William McCartan pulled a point back for Liatroim (36th) but Ronan Beatty’s second goal fro Carryduff stretched their advantage. James Guinness kicked wide in the 40th minute and McCrickard converted fro Liatroim (42nd) before Beatty again converted for Carryduff (45th).
The reliable McCrickard converted a further free for Liatroim (46th) and Liam Doyle’s introduction brought significant impetus to Liatroim’s attacks. He tagged points from play (47th and 51st) as both Beatty and McFlynn kicked wides for Carryduff. Jonny Henry’s 53rd minute point was significant in steadying the visitors and keeping them focussed on the task at hand Liam Doyle converted in the 58th minute to register Liatroim’s final score and the last score of the game was kicked by Donal McKeever (59th) for Carryduff.
All in all a steady performance. Carryduff’s full back line of Shea Reilly Seamus McCann and Neill McGowan played well throughout, contributing significantly when Liatroim pressure was mounted and the overall performance will have been encouraging for Carryduff management and supporters alike as the season progresses. Certainly this scribe enjoyed his night out!
The Carryduff team was;- Mark Hynes, Shea Reilly, Seamus McCann, Neill McGowan, Conor McCullough, Conor Cassidy, Daniel Guinness, Owen McCabe, Jonny Henry, Ronan Beatty, Joe McFlynn, James Guinness, Donal McKeever, Ronan Lawlor, Michael McGrath. Substitutes;- Peter Lavery (for R Lawlor, 52)
The Liatroim team was;- Declan Burns, Stephen O’Higgins, Seán Óg O’Rourke, Caolan Moorehead, Darren O’Higgins, Colman Doyle, Mark Branniff, Eóin Clarke, Oisín Duggan, WilliamMcCartan, Gerard McAnulty, Robbie O’Hare, Donough O’Higgins, Joe Moorhead. Substitutions; Liam Doyle (for Oisín Duggan,34)
