The crowd certainly got value for money at Celtic Park, after the excitements and controversy of the first game Drumsurn and Foreglen turned on a quite brilliant game of football with great scores, great moves and just about everything that football should be.
Experienced referee Martin McErlean got quickly into the tempo of the game realising that he had two teams all out to play football and he let play flow wherever possible.
Foreglen went in as slight favourites in a game where both teams had to bring a number of players home who were working in England and Scotland. Drumsurn won because they were more potent up front and had the ability to put scoring sequences together. Foreglen tended to over egg the pudding up front and ran 'themselves into trouble by allowing Drumsurn time to get numbers back and smother their attacks.
In perfect conditions, both teams settled into action with the play switching from end to end as both sides showed a remarkable amount of durability considering how many players were working away from home and unable to take part in team training sessions.
One third of the Foreglen team was made up of the five Duffy brothers but on the ay some of their players did not live up to expectations in particular their fill back line that were unable to deal wit the high ball or the winners full forward Pierce McNickle who was master of the 'square'
Foreglen a light weight team with pace to burn did make regular trips through the Drumsurn defence but they did not always make the best use of possession, they showed great spirit by recovering from the shock of two back to back goals between the 21st and 23rd minutes but each time they looked like getting a grip on the game they were undone by Drumsurn's often brilliant counter attacks which inevitably produced scores.
Apart from their ability to take their chances the winners can look back on the powerful displays of wing half backs Paul Butcher and Daryl Mullan, it was their driving runs into the heart of the Foreglen defence that the losers simply could not cope with. Cahir Mullan was a strong presence at full back while attack leader Ciaran Mullan gave Oisin Duffy a testing hour. The clinical finishing of Pierce McNickle at full forward and his haul of 2-2 went a long way to defining this surprise result. Ciaran Ferris also put in a good shift in the half forward line. Ryan Mullan put in an awful lot of unseen work as he tracked back to help out in the half back and midfield areas.
Foreglen played well enough in attack where Niall McFeely, Kevin O'Connor and Nigel Bradley were a constant threat Teenager Eoghan Duffy looks one for the future. Mark McCormick did what he could in the middle of the field in the first half but at the back there were worrying signs every time Drumsurn attacked. At a time when Foreglen had clawed their way back into the game late on the normally reliable Ruairi Duffy allowed a Ciaran Ferris shot to slip through his hands to the delight of Drumsurn sub Matthew Ferris who stuck it in the net and it was game over. Oisin Duffy although not at his best and Ryan McFeely did their best to plug the alarming gaps at the back. Remarkably Drumsurn hit 3-9 from open play.
The game started at a blistering pace with Ciaran Ferris putting Drumsurn ahead in the first minute but a sustained bout of , Foreglen pressure saw Kevin O'Connor point a free, Niall McFeely cut through for a point and Kevin O'Neill miss an open goal.
After eleven frantic minutes Kevin O'Connor sent over a free but Drumsurn were beginning to get it together as Paul Butcher set up Ciaran Mullan with an exquisite cross field pass and he pointed from the narrowest of angles.
Foreglen regained their two point lead with a Nigel Bradley free but the warning signs began to illuminate when Pierce McNickle sent one effort narrowly wide and sent another off a post.
Nine minutes from the interval McNickle was pulled down en route to gaol and Ciaran Mullan made no mistake from the penalty spot to put the villagers 1-2 in front. Two minutes later John Duffy lost possession and Cahir Friel sent the ball to McNickle and he found the net for a 2-2 to 0-4 lead.
Foreglen responded with a superb long range Nigel Bradley free but the rampaging McNickle was back on the ball with an excellent point at the other end. Foreglen finished the half very strongly with a Kevin O'Connor point after Niall McFeely had been fouled and a superbly worked goal in the 32nd minute when Nigel Bradley and Kevin O'Connor worked the ball in for Eoghan the youngest of the five Duffy brothers to apply the perfect finish to leave the half time score Foreglen 1-6 Drumsurn 2-3.
Thirty seconds after the restart O'Connor put Foreglen in front from a free and they quickly doubled their advantage with a long range effort from the younger Duffy. The Foreglen defence was again caught badly when they allowed a long Paul Butcher shot to bounce over the bar and after four minutes Cahir Friel had the teams’ level.
Midfielder Michael Coll now very influential at this stage finished well from a McNickle pass to put his team into a 2-6 to 1-8 lead.
After Nigel Bradley had sent over the equalising free Ciaran Mullan set up Chris Harbinson for the lead point. Midway through the half a Ciaran Mullan free made the score 2-8 to 1-9 and the game was wide open. Then the game took a big turn in Drumsurn's favour, Michael Coli chipped the ball in and Ryan Mullan beat a couple of Foreglen defenders to tap the ball to McNickle and he thundered the leather to the net via the underside of the bar and now the score was 3-9 to 1-9.
Foreglen never a side to fly the white flag got up a head of steam, Kevin O'Connor hit over two frees and Nigel Bradley one to leave three points in it with seven minutes left.
Then came that slip by Ruairi Duffy from a Ciaran Ferris shot and sub Matthew Ferris could not miss and the game was now out of Foreglen’s reach. Oisin Duffy and O'Connor closed the gap but Drumsurn shut up shop and had the last score from Pierce McNickle to end the most entertaining of games, unless you were from Foreglen.
Drumsurn : Stephen Harbinson, Dane Mullan, Cahir Mullan, Thomas O'Kane, Paul Butcher (0-01), Shane Moore, Daryl Mullan, Damian Canning, Michael Coll (0-01), Ciaran Ferris (0-02), Ciaran Mullan (1-02, 1-00pen, 0-01f), Ryan Mullan, Cahir Friel (0- 02), Pierce McNickle (2-02), Christopher Harbinson
Subs : Craig Chewning for T O'Kane (28), Matthew Ferris (1-00) for C Harbinson (45). Martin Mullan for M Coll (48)
Foreglen : Gary Mc Gee, Ruairi Duffy, Shane Duffy, John Duffy, Ryan McFeely, Oisin Duffy (0-01), Kevin O'Neill, Mark McCormick, Eugene O'Neill, Niall McFeely (0- 01), Ciaran McFeely, Darren O'Kane, Nigel Bradley (0-04, 0-03f) , Kevin O'Connor (0-07, 0-06f), Eoghan Duffy (1-01)
Subs : Martin Farrell for M McCormick (42), Sean Morahan for C McFeely (48)
Referee : Martin McErlane (Ballinderry)