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Muff win battle of the Naomh
Pádraigs
29.09.10
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Naomh Pádraig Muff...2-8 Naomh Pádraig Lifford...0-6 by Damian Dowds, Inishowen Independent, at O’Donnell Park FOUNDED 21 years ago in the parish of Iskaheen, Naomh Pádraig Muff finally came of age on Saturday night when they reached their first ever adult championship final. And they did it the hard way; they trailed by a point after a sluggish first half but outscored their opponents, namesakes Naomh Pádraig Lifford, by 2-4 to 0-1 in an at times scrappy second half to reach next month’s Junior A Championship final. Lifford got the kind of start they could only have dreamed of. Shane Meehan pointed within 30 seconds of the throw-in and doubled his tally in the fifth minute with a fine point from near the sideline. Indeed, Meehan should have put his side further ahead from the penalty spot after Christy Lynch got a rush of blood to the head and, bizarrely, disposed of the ball by throwing it. Meehan struck the penalty low to the bottom right, but Lynch made amends, diving full length to put the ball out for a 45 which Gary McGirr converted to give Lifford a 0-3 to 0-0 lead with just seven minutes gone. After conceding and then saving the penalty, Christy Lynch went to on to make a string of good saves and he provided solid last line of defence for the Muff men over the hour. |
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Muff slowly dragged
themselves into the game, adopting the tactic of running
straight through the middle of the Lifford defence.
Their first point came from that source, with Declan
McLaughlin and Mark Duffy setting up Dermot Keaveney.
Keeper Paul Given saved Keaveney’s shot on goal, but
Keaveney picked up the rebound and slotted it over. Colm McColgan and Cathal Gibbons exchanged points in the 21st minute, before Declan McLaughlin and Colm McColgan drew Muff level but Lorny Crossan pointed a free from the left wing to give the Lifford men an 0-5 to 0-4 lead at half time. The second half was only three minutes old when Eunan Keaveney drew Muff level after getting on the end of a three man passing |
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move down the
middle. Barry Hegarty toe-poked a goal for Muff on 34
minutes after the Lifford defence failed to deal with a
long ball in from half time substitute Aidan Lynch. Muff
never looked back after that. Despite the best efforts of Daniel McNulty, Lorny Crossan and Gary McGirr, Lifford just couldn’t pull themselves back into the game and they paid a high price for some wayward shooting – they couldn’t turn their possession into scores and hit six second half wides. For Muff, midfielder Colm McColgan was magnificent in the air while Enda McColgan did a power of work at full back. Up front, Eunan Keaveney was an excellent link man while his brother Dermot looked dangerous every time he ran at the Lifford defence. Mark Duffy put three points between the teams when Muff quickly turned defence into attack on 52 minutes and although Lorny Crossan pointed a free immediately after – Lifford’s only score of the second half – Muff sealed the deal on 59 minutes when Oisin McColgan netted from close range. Dermot McColgan’s launched a long sideline kick into the corner that Mark Duffy broke to Declan McLaughlin. McLaughlin found Oisin McColgan unmarked just outside the square and he favoured precision over power and floated the ball into the net for a fine goal. Declan McLaughlin added a point early in injury time, and with the last kick of the game Aidan Lynch converted a free to give Muff an eight point winning margin and a first ever championship final appearance where they will play the winner of Saturday’s Burt/Naomh Colmcille replay. Naomh Pádraig Iskaheen: Christy Lynch; Lawrence Lynch, Enda McColgan, John McLaughlin; Anto McColgan, Raymond McLaughlin, Cathal McColgan; Colm McColgan (0-2, 1 free), Charlie Molloy; Marty Duffy, Eunan Keaveney (0-1), Dermot Keaveney (0-1); Mark Duffy (0-1), Barry Hegarty (1-0), Declan McLaughlin (0-2, 1 free). Subs: Aidan Lynch (0-1, free) for Charlie Molloy (half-time); Oisin McColgan (1-0) for John McLaughlin (42 mins); Ryan McColgan for Marty Duffy (46 mins); Dermot McColgan for Barry Hegarty (55 mins) Naomh Pádraig Lifford: Paul Given; Michael Ferry, Mark McNulty, Paddy McNamee; David Gettings, Paul Lynch, Daniel McNulty; Lorny Crossan (0-2, 2 frees), Cathal Gibbons (0-1); Emmet Catterson, Gary McGirr (0-1, 45), Darren Gillespie; Shane Meehan (0-2), Conor Catterson, Daniel Carlin. Sub: Steve Devine for Michael Ferry (36 mins); Johnny Mahon for Emmet Catterson (55 mins) Referee: Don Langan (St Michael’s) For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent. |
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