PARADOR LODGE DOWN INTERMEDIATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP – ROUND THREE
CLARKIE CLAWS RESURGENT REDS INTO QUARTERS
ROSTREVOR 0-10 – 0-09 ANNACLONE
Kieran McNally at St. Mary’s Park, Burren
Gairiad Clarke parried away a late drive from Sean McIlroy, as Rostrevor climbed up from the canvas and back into the championship reckoning with a spirited comeback win over Annaclone in Friday night’s tight tussle in Burren. Having trailed for much of the opening half of the contest, the Reds turned the screw with some big performances and returns playing their part in a tense finish. The Clone will perhaps rue that they came up against two of the pre-competition favourites in five nights, with narrow defeats to Saval and Rostrevor ending a frustrating season for John Clarke’s charges. DJ Morgan; on the other hand, will be more than happy to see his side battle back into the last-eight with late cameos from the returning Shaun Parr and Conor Doyle adding to a potentially simmering red revival.
The proper commencement of knockout championship football has tantalised the supporters of all remaining clubs in the past week and; with Annaclone being a sure darkhorse and Rostrevor remaining a sizeable scalp, the pressure ratcheted up a notch as the sides vied for a place at the business end of the intermediate race once again. Indeed, both the Clone and Reds lost out to eventual winners; Liatroim at the semi final and final stages of last season’s championship, so this had all the pre-match promise that a clash between two contenders that desperately sought to avoid a premature exit. Annaclone’s battling display on Monday night; coupled with a less than routine win for Rostrevor last weekend, had many backing the West Down outfit and for the opening twenty minutes of this qualifier, it looked as though the eventual verdict may satisfy those inclinations, as Annaclone enjoyed a fine start. Odhran Heenan and Eoin Braniff were able to raise early white flags for the division three side, as they moved into the lead. Defences were deep in the balmy conditions and; much like the Reds’ first round outing at the same venue, scores had to be worked for. Tomas Mulholland squeezed a superb effort inside the left post to get Rostrevor off the mark on 11 minutes, but it was Annaclone that were creating more shooting opportunities and finiding more scores. Sean McIlroy dropped an effort over the crossbar with Cian McAvoy’s point extending the ‘Clone lead to three by the end of the first quarter; 0-1 to 0-4.
Annaclone’s impetus in the opening quarter showed little signs of fading, as the half progressed and a swift attack up the left wing ended with Eoin Braniff crashing a shot narrowly wide and into the sidenet, as Rostrevor survived a 17th minute scare. Sean O’Hare’s sweetly struck 45-yard free brought the lead out to four though, as the task in front of the Reds continued to grow. In fairness to DJ Morgan’s men; they rose to the task commendably in a stirring finish to the half, bringing themselves right back into the contest. Patrick Magee sent over a brace of left-footed frees, as Rostrevor dropped the handbrake and carried the ball menacingly into the Annaclone defence. James Rice was causing all sorts of problems and a second consecutive free; earned off a foul on the big man, allowed Conor Rocks to bring the gap down to the minimum in the final minute of normal time. The Rostrevor momentum was clear, as they surrounded Annaclone men and forced another scoring chance, this time seeing Ardghal MacMahon’s quick restart being recycled out for Colm Murney to split the posts, as the Reds roared onto level terms for the first time just before the short whistle.
HALF TIME – ROSTREVOR 0-05 – 0-05 ANNACLONE
Many of the spectators would surely have remebered the last encounter between the two clubs in 2022, as Rostrevor surged clear in extra-time to oust Annaclone in the quarter-finals and there was little to separate the sides once more. It could be argued that the separation was forged in the manner in which the Reds’ leaders really came to the fore. Odhran Heenan was black-carded for a pull back on James Donaghy, as the second half started positively for Rostrevor. Patrick Magee tapped over the resulting free from close-range before a vital interception from the excellent Hugh Pat McGeary kept Rostrevor in the ascendancy. Conor Rocks set up Tomas Gordon for a well-taken score to double the Reds’ lead in the 39th minute; 0-7 to 0-5, but it could have been an even bigger lead with Kevin Anderson’s point-blank stop from Peter Magee denying Rostrevor further joy moments earlier. The tension was palpable, as the game moved into a massive final quarter.
Annaclone had gone twenty-six minutes without a score by the time Sean O’Hare brought them back onto the scoresheet, but such was their fine start to the tie, that Kevin Anderson’s 51st minute free had the sides back on level terms. However, it was to be Rostrevor that had the quality men on the field to end Annaclone’s season. Hugh Pat McGeary’s curling effort from the right side put the Reds back in front with seven minutes to play before the joint introduction of Shaun Parr and Conor Doyle charged the Rostrevor finish further. Parr was involved almost immediately, with a piercing ball into the forward line resulting in a foul and another free from Patrick Magee doubling the Reds’ lead. McGeary thumped over a brilliant point from near the sideline, as Rostrevor moved three clear in the second minute of time added on; however, there was one last remaining throw of the Annaclone dice in the dying embers. Odhran Heenan sent over from range before the Clone’s wing-forward McIlroy struck a goalbound effort just beneath the Reds’ crossbar. Gairaid Clarke got two strong palms to the ball to crucially direct it out wide, as Heenan’s attempted delivery from the next play sailed between the posts for a point, when a goal was surely needed at the end. Darren O’Hare’s final whistle greeted the kickout, as Rostrevor moved into a third consecutive intermediate quarter-final with Annaclone’s campaign ending with the narrowest of defeats. All eyes; once again, turn to the draw for the last eight on Monday evening.
ROSTREVOR SCORERS ; Patrick Magee (0-4 4f), Hugh Pat McGeary (0-2), Tomas Mulholland, Tomas Gordon, Conor Rocks and Colm Murney (0-1 each).
ANNACLONE SCORERS ; Odhran Heenan (0-3), Sean O’Hare (0-2), Eoin Braniff, Sean McIlroy, Cian McAvoy and Kevin Anderson (0-1 each).
