Dungiven sneak past wasteful St. Pat’s

Football can teach you some harsh lessons. Few could argue that St. Patrick’s rank underdogs against a Dungiven side that two years ago won the All-County under-16 championship, were the better side over the hour.

But they didn’t take their chances .........

St. Patrick’s kicked fourteen wide balls in an hour’s football and failed to trouble the umpire in the final eighteen minutes.

Few could argue that Dungiven and in particular their full-forward Stephen Kerlin were far more clinical in front of goal. They were dominant in midfield, winning seventeen kickouts to their opponents six, with Sean O’Kane, Donal McGilligan and Sean Murray completely on top against the Drum / Drumsurn amalgamation who largely relied on Cahir Mullan for primary possession.

But for every kickout Dungiven won, they gave half of them away again. Up front, Kerlin had a superb dual with young Daryl Mullan who, despite being under sixteen stuck tight to his man in the wide open spaces left by the thirteen a side encounter.

Martin Burke was the official man of the match, and his influence on the game increased when he was pulled out into the half-forward line. Defensively, Kevin O’Connor was impressive when he picked up St. Patrick’s flying machine Cahir Friel, whose pace is absolutely terrifying, But the Drumsurn youngster never scored and a lot of their attacks needed the bullish strength of Adrian O’Kane to succeed.

The Drum full-forward tormented Sean O’Neill and although he kicked only two points from play he was involved in everything good from a St. Patrick’s viewpoint. It was a thoroughly entertaining game that hung in the balance until Donal McGilligan’s surging run and score a minute into injury time put Dungiven in front.

The score came from the underdogs pushing the self-destruct button. Three times they had chances to clear the ball and three times the slippy O’Neills size five slipped from their grasps and they were punished for it.

It was probably harsh on St. Patrick’s but it’s a lesson that will stand to them when they take on Lavey in the championship in a few weeks time.

Ryan O’Reilly’s scrappy 5th minute goal gave the amalgamated side a huge lift in what was a unique final involving three clubs from one parish.

In the end Stephen Kerlin was afforded too much space at the other end to fire home past Eunan O’Hara and give the wind-assisted Dungiven side a 1-01 to 1-00 lead after ten minutes. Two quick Adrian O’Kane scores reduced the gap before superb vision from Cahir Mullan found Ciaran Ferris and having lost control of the ball improvised superbly to lash the ball low past Kevin Farren.

Cahir Mullan strengthened the whiff of an upset by making it 2-03 to 1-03 for St. Patrick’s, but two scores from Kerlin and one each from Donal McGilligan and Kelvin White turned the lead back in Dungiven’s favour.

Half-time came seconds after Damian Brolly had surged forward to kick a superb equaliser and it was the men in green who started the second period stronger with scores from O’Kane and Ferris.

Cahir Friel almost put clear daylight between the sides but his low effort was turned up on to the post and away by the boot of Kevin Farren. The game was swinging end to end but St. Patrick’s ultimately paid the price for the fact that, despite having the wind, Ciaran Ferris’s 42nd minute score was their last. They defended stoutly to keep Dungiven at bay but Martin Burke’s superb equaliser from a forty yard free sent the teams into the last ten minutes in dead lock.

In this period both sides missed chances, with Stephen Kerlin slicing a 21 yard free kick badly wide. It was Donal McGilligan’s surging run and point that was the vital score and one that put Dungiven in front in the dying moments. Stephen Kerlin put the tin hat on it to break St. Patrick’s hearts.

St. Patrick’s
Eunan O’Hara, Eion Ferris, Daryl Mullan, Daniel Mullan, Liam Miller, Damian Brolly (0-01), Craig Chewing, Ciaran Ferris (1-02, 0-01f), Cahir Mullan (0-01), Cahir Friel, Ryan O’Reilly (1-00), Adrian O’Kane (0-03, 0-01f), Conor O’Reilly (0-01).

Subs
Michael McGonigle for Liam Miller (30 mins)

St Canice’s Dungiven
Kevin Farren, Martin McCloskey, Sean O’Neill, Kevin O’Connor, Kevin Johnston, Sean O’Kane, Sean Murry, Turlough Hendry, Donal McGilligan (0-03, 0-01f), Seamus Kealey, Martin Burke (0-01f, Stephen Kerlin (1-08, 0-03f), Kelvin White (0-01)

Subs
Jason Craig for Turlough Hendry (15 mins)