Foreglen swamp Drumsurn with second half scoring burst.

As the sides were retiring for half time, with Foreglen ahead 0- 05 to 0-03, Drumsurn midfielder Mickey Coll, who was forced to retire after ten minutes with a hamstring injury, asked me if I wanted a recliner!

The first thirty minutes was certainly sleep inducing, the game lacking pace, intensity and for the first fifteen minutes scores! It was mediocre stuff indeed, the first five minutes of the second period not much better as the wide tally mounted alarmingly in perfect conditions at O' Brien Park.

Then the game burst into life as Foreglen took complete control and destroyed the fragile Drumsurn defence with a succession of defence splitting moves, finished off in style with four superbly crafted goals.

Drumsurn battled to the end but, without Damien Canning, Martin Mullan, Dane Mullan and Jonathan Irwin and with the hamstring victim Mickey Coll lasting a mere ten minutes, they fell further behind. In a defence that looked very vulnerable they were well served by Christopher Harbinson and Michael Archibald until he limped out of the game near the end but this battling pair could not plug all the gaps that appeared.

Nigel Bradley repeatedly tormented the Drumsurn defence with his pace on the flank and capped a fine display with a stunning goal. Kevin O'Connor, James Brolly and Niall Mc Feely all finding the net. When the O'Brien's attack got going in the second half the Drumsurn defence was powerless to resist in the second half.

Young Cahir Mullan again battled hard to give Drumsurn a platform in the middle of the field but eventually Mark Mc Cormick and James Brolly took control of this sector and with Oisin Duffy and Ryan Mc Feely pushing forward effectively from half back, the openings began to appear and the scores flowed in the second half.

Inside twenty seconds Nigel Bradley took a pass from Ciaran Mc Feely, played a one two with Daryl O'Kane and then skinned his marker with searing pace before clipping the outside of the post with his parting shot as he burst up the end line.

Bradley was again involved moments later when Niall mc Feely wa fouled, Chris Harbinson doing well to flick away his free to the goalmouth before Ryan McFeely had Foreglen's second wide inside a minute.

It took Drumsurn until the third minute to get into the Foreglen half but Mickey Coll sent his long-range shot wide. The squandermania would continue for twelve minutes, as Drumsurn full back Harbinson easily cut out an intended pass inside by Kevin O'Connor, Danny O'Connor unable to hit the target from thirty metres, Ciaran Mullan equally wasteful as the sides took it in turn to exasperate their mentors with their wastefulness.

Drumsurn midfielder Mickey Coll suffered a recurrence of a hamstring injury and retired after ten minutes, replaced by Mark McLaughlin. Bradley had another run on the flank and then placed Kevin O'Connor for a pot at the target but he fared no better than the previous attempts by his colleagues.

In the 13th minute Marius Doherty was penalised and Paul Butcher played an accurate pass to Danny O'Connor who set up Ciaran Mullan for a much needed score ina game that was as dull as dishwater in the opening quarter.

A minute later Kevin O'Connor intercepted an intended Chris Harbinson clearance, linked with Daryl O'Kane before fisting the ball inside to Ciaran mc Feely who levelled the scores. Daryl O'Kane then took a pass from Niall Mc Feely, turned his marker and slotted the ball effortlessly between the posts.

Paul Butcher had a long range wide after a foul on Colm Feeny, Mark McLaughlin then getting a yellow card for dissent when Cahair Mullan was penalised for picking the ball off the ground. Another wide from Ciaran Mullan was followed by a converted free from the later after a foul on Cahair Mullan, the sides level at 0-02 each eight minutes from half time.

Foreglen cut open the Drumsurn defence and Chris Harbinson was shown a yellow cardfor dragging down Daryl O'Kane as he passed the ball inside to the unmarked Niall McFeely. Bradley put the O'Briens ahead.

In the 25th minute Daryl O'Kane increased the lead to 0-04 to 0-02 from a free when Mark McCormick was pushed. Still the wides piled up as Daryl O'Kane, Nigel Bradley, Eamon Ferris and Paul Butcher all spurned chances before Bradley scored a terrific point in the 31st minute. Ciaran Mullan then took a pass from Colm Feeny and cut the lead to 0-05 to 0-03 just before the half time whistle.

While the opening period had done little to enthuse the respective supporters, the second half started in similar fashion, Nigel Bradley taking a pass from Oisin Duffy on the throw in and ballooning the ball wide, Daryl O'Kane widing a thirty metre free when Ke vin O'Connor was fouled. Bradley then cut up the end line but blazed the ball across the goalmouth and wide. Danny O'Connor off target in the 5th minute.

An then, as if somebody had found the "on switch", the whole trend of the game changed dramatically as scores flowed in torrents, the ball attracted to the net like a magnet.

In the 6th minute Ciaran McFeely floated the ball across the goalmouth from a right wing free and Nigel Bradley nipped in to flick the ball deftly to the corner of the net. Drumsurn had a chance to respond immediately following a pacy move down the left wing but Danny O'Connor's shot rippled the side netting.

Full back Harbinson fouled Daryl O'Kane and Bradley stretched the lead to 1-06 to 0-03 from the free. James Brolly carried the ball forward, Kevin O'Connor and Oisin Duffy joining the move before Nigel Bradley placed Daryl O'Kane for a peach of a point. Brolly was then fouled and Bradley pointed the free, brolly the provider after ten minutes for O'Kane to put the O'Brien's 1-09 to 0-03 ahead.

From a game in the balance five minutes into the second half at 0-05 to 0-03, and with wides the order of the day from both sides, it was transformed inside five minutes as Foreglen found the rhythm that had been mostly absent all season and they pulverised Drumsurn with a 1-04 scoring spree.

They took a rest for four minutes until Darren O'Kane started another sweeping move out of defence, Bradley, Daryl O'Kane and Niall Mc Feely then involved before Kevin O'Connor took the ball from the latter and then returned it to send him in for a simple "tap in" to the unguarded net.

Micheal Anderson, who had a terrific battle with the pacy Bradley until he retired injured five minutes from time, disposed the Foreglen flier but Drumsurn were unable to get the ball forward against a now rampant and confident home outfit. Bradley off target in the next Foreglen raid midway through the half.

In the 46th minute another high-speed passing movement sliced open the Drumsurn defence, Brolly involved at the start, O'Kane and Mc Cormick then driving it forward, Brolly rejoining to bullet the ball to the roof of the net coming in at pace on the right wing.

At 3-09 to 0-03 the game was over as a contest, although Drumsurn did battle to the final whistle, both sides making a host of changes in personnel in the final quarter. Danny O'Connor took a pass from Ciaran Mullan and scores, Daryl O'Kane off target for Foreglen ten minutes to full time.

In the 51st minute Ciaran Mullan sent Mark McLaughlin through on the right but his blistering drive was tipped over the bar by a fingertip save from Foreglen keeper Gary Magee. Four minutes later Kevin O'Connor capped a stunning second half display from Foreglen with the fourth goal, cracking a ground shot to the far corner of the net after he'd lost possession coming in on the right wing. In the last minute Niall McFeely completed the scoring, Foreglen convincing seventeen point winners.

The Foreglen scorers were Nigel Bradley 1-04, 0-03 from frees, Niall Mc Feely 1-01, James Brolly and Kevin O'Connor 1-00 each, Daryl O'Kane 0-03, 0-01 free, Ciaran McFeely 0-01.

The Drumsurn scorers were Ciaran Mullan 0-03, 0-01 free, Mark McLaughlin and Danny O'Connor 0-01 each.

Drumsurn:
Stephen Harbinson; Micheal Archibald, Chris Harbinson, Barry Moore; Conal Shivers, Colm Feeney, Paul Butcher; Mickey Coll, Cahir Mullan; Eamonn Ferris, Dean O'Neill, Ciaran Mullan; Pearse McNicholl, Danny O'Connor, Ciaran Ferris

Subs:
Mark McLaughlin for Mickey Coll (10 mins inj), Craig Chewing for Conal Shivers (45 mins), Kevin Friel for Ciaran Ferris (45mins), Ronan Mc Nicholl for Eamonn Ferris (50mins), Ciaran Ferris for Micheal Archibald (55 mins inj)