On Sunday past the seniors beat John Mitchells, Claudy in the final league game before the break for the first round of the football Championships.

Previous matches between the teams have always proved to be high scoring and exciting and this encounter proved to be no different with the seniors running out eventual winners by a single point.

First half points from Ciaran Ferris, Paul Butcher and Ciaran Mullan coupled with a brace of goals from the McNickle brothers Ronan and Pierce left the score line at half time 2-3 to 0-6 in the seniors favour.

Within four minutes of the restart Claudy had turned a 3 point deficit into a two point advantage and then over the next ten minutes increased the gap between the teams even further to four points. Cathair Friel fisted a point over the bar in the same period.

With fifteen minutes remaining to play the seniors found some form.

Points from Ciaran Ferris and Ciaran Mullan reduced the gap to two points before Claudy converted another free kick to leave a single score between the teams 2-6 to 1-12.

With two minutes to play Matt Ferris lobbed the keeper and found the back of the net to draw the team’s level and then with a minute to play Ciaran Ferris kicked the winning point to secure the two points.

Some may say the seniors stole this game and they probably did, but over the course of the past four years we have been on the end of many one point defeats so on this occasion it was good to taste victory.

Keep it going lads and watch out for those frees …. None of Claudy’s six points in the first half came from play. Teams like Claudy will always hit you with the counter attack so kick the ball dead. It was good to see five out of six starting forwards getting on the scoreboard.

Next up is the James O’Hagan Cup Final against Ballerin on Saturday 18th June at Ballerin followed a week later by a first round championship game against Steelstown in Banagher. We need to be firing on all cylinders for both of these.

Good Luck ……

Team: Francis Chivers; Michael Archibald, Cahir Mullan, Colm Feeney; Paul Butcher (0-1), Michael Coll, Christopher Harbinson; Damien Canning, Ronan McNickle (1-0); Ryan Mullan, Ciaran Ferris (0-3), Matt Ferris (1-0); Cathair Friel (0-1), Ciaran Mullan (0-2), Pierce McNickle (1-0)