Drumaness Mills Are Through To Clarence Cup Final

Jack Sharvin Scores Two Late Goals To Beat Kilmore Rec In Clarence Cup Semi-final

The NAFL,

Clarence Cup Semi-Final,

Venue: Seaview,Belfast, Saturday 18th May 2024,

Final Result: Drumaness Mills 2 0 Kilmore Rec.

Jack Sharvin will be the toast of Drumaness tonight as the Drumaness Mills supporters gave him and the team a hearty cheer at the end of what looked like to be a goalless 90 minutes in the Clarence Cup semi-final against Kilmore writes Jim Masson.

Local derbies are usually very competitive and the long-awaited Clarence Cup semi-final clash between Drumaness Mills and Kilmore Rec was certainly a high point for local amateur soccer fans in the South Down area.

Drumaness Mills is lying 4th in the NAFL Premier Division table while Kilmore Rec who looked the underdogs on paper are 4th in Division One. But despite being a league apart, the match was a fair old ding-dong from start to finish as both teams threw themselves into the action.

Both teams were on form but Drumaness was missing to half-backs, Peter Brannigan and CJ McGorty, while Kilmore was missing mid-fielder Gary Kennedy.

From the whistle play see-sawed up and down the pitch in equal measures on a very sunny hot day. Kilmore’s Michael Carvill and Anton McGrattan made a quick challenge to the Drumaness goal.

On 10 minutes, Carvill hit a solid volley but it went just over the bar. Then a long ball again from Carvill on target was well headed clear by Mills defender Daniel Bell.

But Drumaness were keen not to give away an early goal and eventually settled in to the match with defender Eoin Murray breaking out into empty space but was tripped by Harry Smyth.

SEE MATCHDAY PHOTOS ON DOWN NEWSnFACEBOOK – by Jim Masson. 

Jack Sharvin then hit a lovely long ball into the Kilmore box but Adam Kearney was given offside.

Sharvin was warming up and hit a long volley into the sun trying to dip but it went just over the post on 16 minutes.

The match became a lot more intense as the teams gathered confidence and Sharvin who had played more of a midfield role gradually came up front and it was game on.

The match was on a knife edge… it could have cut either way. Sharvin made a pass to Eoin Rooney who put the ball through to Jamie Sharvin who blasted a shot on target but it hit a defender.

Kilmore then quickly made a break and Anton McGrattan fired off a solid shot but it hit the top crossbar. Then a few minutes later he took another shot at the goal at point blank range but he bounced the ball off a defender in the crowded goal.

Sharvin continued to hastle the Kilmore defenders and one move almost paid off …. he chipped to Kearney waiting at the back post but keeper Christopher Turley rose to the occasion and grabbed the ball.

On 30 minutes Sharvin sent a volley whizzing past the right hand post showing he wanted on the score cards.

It was then Kilmore’s turn and Carvill hit a low volley on target but Jack Larkin managed to head it clear. Then Philip Larkin made a good cross to Eoin McGrattan who almost headed into the Drumaness goal but the ball was a trifle to pacey.

Then around 40 minutes, Jack Sharvin broke into the Kilmore box and ended up in a heap and despite appeals for a penalty, the referee pointed for a goal kick.

Then just before half-time, Kilmore push to get on the scoreboard as Harry Smyth launched a volley but it was held by keeper Marek Reid.

Drumaness then broke forward and Eoin Rooney almost managed to nip the ball into the right hand post but went inched wide.

And then Kilmore’s Jonathan Murray made a scorching run from the half-way line and almost created a goal opportunity.

Jamie Sharvin managed to break through the Kilmore back line again but the
linesman lifted his flag for offside.

The first half ended goal-less but there was plenty of sharp, exciting football played by both teams.

The fast-paced action started again on the whistle and Jamie Sharvin made a pin-point cross to Eoin Rooney who was racing towards the right hand post but keeper Turley beat him to the draw getting to the ball first.

Kilmore too were attacking quickly and Harry Smyth made a solid header but it unluckily bounced off a defender and was quickly grabbed by Turley.

There were quite a number of corners on both sides as defenders cleared their lines sometimes in desperation.

Work-horse Rooney was battling more for Drumaness on the right wing and Kearney was doing the same taking on defenders in relentless attacks.

Then a moment of danger arose when Drumaness captain was booked or a tackle on midfielder Joshua Smyth.

Spectators were waiting for baited breath for a goal and one almost came when Anton McGrattan lashed at a powerful volley but it rose just over the bar.

On 75 minutes Jack Sharvin was levelled on the edge of the box and appealed for a penalty as Drumaness tried to up the pressure on Kilmore. The game got quite physical but neither side was going to roll over.

SEE MATCHDAY PHOTOS ON DOWN NEWSnFACEBOOK – by Jim Masson. 

Eoin Rooney who was putting in a good shift on the right, broke forward hemmed by two Kilmore defenders by held his ground and could have scored but keeper Turley came out sharply to block
him.

Drumaness midfielder Joe Healy found space to take a shot from the back of the Kilmore box but just went inches wide.

Then finally… the match turned.

Drumaness striker Jack Sharvin had been pressing the Kilmore defenders on a number of occasions and wove his way into the box and was tripped. The referee pointed immediately to the spot.

Sharvin stepped up and sent the ball low past Kilmore keeper Turley. The expression of relief in the Drumaness side and bench was as sudden as it was loud. Spectators roared their hearts out.

And coming up to full-time Drumaness had a clear advantage.

Then minutes later as Kilmore threw everything including the kitchen sink at Drumaness for the remaining minutes, it was Sharvin again who received a long pass and ran forward on a solo run defying the Kilmore defenders and he struck again.

On a one to one with keeper Turley he attacked the Kilmore goal and sent the ball in low and hard putting Drumaness two goals ahead with the clock ticking despite being flanked by defenders for most of the run. 

Sharvin kept his cool and delivered the knockout punch. 

The pressure was off for Drumaness.  The final whistle blew and they were into the Clarence Cup final. But Kilmore had put up one hulluva fight and were so close themselves to scoring on a number of occasions. 

Drumaness Mills will face either Willowbank FC or Deriaghy CC also playing at Seaview in Belfast this evening. 

The NAFL Clarence Cup final now takes place on:

 Friday 25^th May

At Seaview, Belfast,

Starting at 8.00pm.

SEE MATCHDAY PHOTOS ON DOWN NEWSnFACEBOOK – by Jim Masson. 

Drumaness Mills: 1 Mark Reid (GKL) 2 Eoin Murray 3 Thomas McNeill 4 Daniel Bell 5 Gary Murdock (C) 6 Joe Healy 7 Eoin Rooney 8 Adam Kearney 9 Lewis Casement 10 Jack Sharvin 11 Jamie Sharvin. Subs: 12 Keegan Domican 14 Rory Deegan 15 Thomas McConville.

Kilmore Rec: 1 Christopher Turley (GK) 2 Christopher Magee 3 Jonathan Murray, 4 Jack Larkin 5 Tomas Murphy 6 Eoin McGrattan 7 Joshua Smyth 8 Harry Smyth 9 Philip Larkin 10 Michael Carvill 11 Anton McGrattan. Subs: Niall Walsh 14 Caolan Conlon 15 Shay McGrattan.

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