Fermanagh Senior Football Championship final: Derrygonnelly Harps 3-16 Roslea Shamrocks 3-7
DERRYGONNELLY HARPS claimed the New York Cup in some style, running out nine point winners and denying Roslea their third championship in-a-row.
A devastating 20-minute period in the first half saw the Harps hit eight points in-a-row to answer a Niall Cosgrove goal for Roslea that had got the game’s scoring underway in the first minute. That early goal conceded could have rattled Derrygonnelly but they stayed calm and totally dominated proceedings taking a vice-like grip around the middle of the field.
In attack Paul Ward was in irresistible form and hit 1-5 in the first half with all but one point coming from play. The Jones brothers, Ryan and Conall, were mopping up ball in the middle and Stephen McGullion was proving a handful at the edge of the square for the Roslea.
It has been an emotional 10 days for the Derrygonnelly club with the tragic death of their youth chairman Damian McGovern in a work accident and after the game Harps manager Martin Greene spoke about what the win meant.
“There was a real outpouring of emotion there at the final whistle. The McGovern family were deep in our minds and deep in our hearts today and we dedicate that win to Damian’s family and I am very proud of those players today, they did the whole club proud,” said Greene.
Three goals were plundered in the last 10 minutes of the first half with the first two going the way of the winners. 17-year-old Shane McGullion took a pass from Ryan Jones and blasted to the net and, just a few minutes later, the unstoppable Ward rounded his man before firing low into the corner.
Roslea managed to somewhat steady the ship and scored a goal and two points before the break, Sean Quigley on target with frees and Ruairi McGuinness volleying home after Quigley had broke the ball into his path.
Roslea needed to start the second half well but it was Derrygonnelly who fired over three vital points. Denis Greene, who was excellent throughout, got up from wing half-back to slot over. Conall Jones fired over his third score of the game with Garvan McGinley making it an eight-point game.
Sean Quigley did rattle the net for Roslea from the next attack but there was still little to suggest they could haul the Harps back.
Their cause looked to be helped when Conall Jones saw red for a high challenge but Derrygonnelly rallied again and McGullion got his second goal of the game when he fisted home a Leigh Jones centre to put the game beyond doubt.
Looking ahead to the challenge of Slaughtneil in the Ulster Club SFC preliminary round Derrygonnelly boss Greene was in a positive frame of mind.
“We have five county men and four or five county U21 and a county minor and we want to go there and compete with the best and why not? Fermanagh football is doing well at the minute and we want to go and put ourselves on the map,” he said.
MATCH STATS
Derrygonnelly: D Feely; M Jones, T Daly, E McHugh; D Greene (0-1), S Burns, G McGinley (0-1); S McGullion (2-0), R Jones; D Cassidy, P Ward (1-5, 0-1 frees), G Jones; L Jones (0-1), S McGullion (0-3), C Jones (0-3); Subs: M Cassidy for McGullion (42), G McKenna (0-1) for G Jones (50), N Gallagher (0-1) for McGullion (58), R Leonard for Greene (58), J Kelly for Feeley (59) Yellow cards: S Burns (24)
Red cards: C Jones (41)
Roslea: S Boyle; C Quigley (0-1), N Cassidy, D Reilly; C Mulligan, P Sherry, P Lynch; S Lynch (0-1), N Cosgrove (1-0); R McGuinness (1-0), Seamus Quigley, S McMahon; B Sherlock, Sean Quigley
(1-5, 0-5 free), J McMahon; Subs: M Beagan for D Reilly (21), M Jordan for McGuinnes (35), D Mohan for S McMahon (38); Yellow cards: Seamus Quigley (24)
Referee: M Higgins (Lisnaskea)
Thanks to Colm Bradley, Irish News
By Tom Mon 12th Oct
