Drumsurn may have made life more difficult for them than four days earlier in the league, but Foreglen were still able to get their championship campaign back on track on Thursday evening.

The only surprise about this result was that it was so close. On Sunday last, Foreglen had cruised to a 21 point lead but at Banagher in the championship, Drumsurn were never going to roll over so easily.

In absolutely perfect conditions, the wide expanse of the venue suited the fast moving and extremely fit Forglen team, whose cohesion and pace was something that Drumsurn could never match.

When a Foreglen player got the ball he had options but for Drumsurn who won most of the high duels around the middle of the field there was no such luxury.

Too often they were forced to hump the ball forward or pass to a standing team mate who was quickly swallowed up by the quick tackling winners.

Drumsurn’s lack of team play was understandable. They have had an awful season with injuries and players working overseas and not once have they been able to get a full strength team out this season or have a fully fit squad to work with in training.

They did put in a big effort and in the opening quarter looked the better team, but Foreglen were playing a consistent running game led by Kevin O’Connor and Nigel Bradley. By the final ten minutes of the first half, they were totally dominant.

In this period Darren O’Kane, normally a half back, was orchestrating most of the Foreglen attacks with intelligent passing and the use of space.

There was a period early in the second half when Foreglen might well have conceded three goals in a four minute spell.

After keeper Tracey had flapped at a high ball, Pierce McNickle somehow managed to hook the ball over the bar from almost underneath it. His brother Ronan had a shot blocked for a ’45 and then the chance of the night fell to full forward Paul Butcher.

Sub Ciaran Ferris played a superb ball over the Forglen full back line into the flight path of the running Butcher who carried the ball forward and with only the keeper to beat blazed over the bar.

At that stage Foreglen had a seven point lead and with those missed chances went any chance the St Matthew’s side had of staying in the championship.

Young Ruari Duffy had a terrific game at corner back for the winners, hoovering up a lot of ball and pushing out to set attacks in motion. His brother Oisin at centre half never put a foot wrong.

Brolly and Doherty had their work cut out at midfield while, in an attack shorn of the injured duo Ciaran McFeely and Martin Farrell, there was still the superb Kevin O’Connor and deadly accurate Nigel Bradley to carry the can.

If O’Connor wasn’t in scoring mode he was back in his own half back line carrying the ball forward to heaping further grief on an overworked Drumsurn defence.

It has been said that if you win midfield you win the game but Drumsurn put the lie to that theory for long periods Michael Coll and Damien Canning, who commutes from England for games, caught everything above shoulder height. But they did not have enough support from the half backs and half forwards to carry their plans through.

In a loose marking defence, 17 year old Owen Ferris emerged with a lot of credit at corner back and Christopher Harbinson put in a big effort.

Paul Butcher and Pierce McNickle had their moments in the forward line but until Ciaran Ferris arrived from the subs bench, the quality of the ball forward left a lot to be desired.

One man who stood tall in the loser’s team was burly ‘keeper Francis Chivers who pulled off a number of top class saves.

After both teams had hit a number of early wides it was Kevin O’Connor who set the tone for the game with a brace of points inside half a minute.

In an effort to shore up the defence, full back Cahir Mullan and centre –half Colm Feeney switched positions, and it had the desired effect.

By the eleventh minute Drumsurn, now in total control of the midfield area, were level thanks to a fine score from Paul Butcher and a brilliant long range effort from Stephen Harbinson.

Thirteen minutes in and with confidence rising, Drumsurn took the lead when Chewing pushed up from defence to set Pierce McNickle up for the lead point.

Foreglen were quick to respond and a fantastic move involving Darren O’Kane, Nigel Bradley and Kevin O’Connor resulted in O’Connor finishing superbly to the net. Drumsurn hit back quickly with a converted Butcher free.

Gradually the burning pace of Foreglen began to tell and the experienced Eddie Dunne opened up a two point gap.

It would have been wider had Francis Shivers not pulled off a super save from Nigel Bradley at the expense of a point.

Kevin O’Connor finished off another sublime move with a point eight minutes from the break and by the interval, a brace of Nigel Bradley frees left the score 1-07 to 0-04.

Just fifteen seconds after the restart O’Connor pointed again but Drumsurn still had a bit of fight left and Christopher Harbinson pushed forward for a point.

Nigel Bradley with two points (one from a free) made the score 1-11 to 0-07, and then came the trio of missed Drumsurn chances which just yielded points from Pierce McNickle and Paul Butcher. That was virtually the end of any meaningful Drumsurn challenge.

At the three quarter stage Oisin Duffy pushed up from defence to send over and this was quickly followed by a long range Kevin O’Connor free.

Just prior to another fine O’Connor point, Butcher landed a Drumsurn free and the game drifted to its inevitable conclusion with James Brolly and Pierce McNickle exchanging meaningless points.

Drumsurn
Francis Chivers; Owen Ferris, Cahir Mullan, Michéal Archibald; Craig Chewning, Colm Feeney, Christopher Harbinson (0-03); Damien Canning, Michael Coll; Mark McLaughlin, Ronan McNickle, Conal Chivers; Stephen Harbinson (0-03), Paul Butcher (0-05, 0-3f), Pierce McNickle (0-03)

Subs
Ciaran Ferris (0-01) for Conal Chivers (42)