Liatroim Win Parador Lodge Intermediate Cup Beating Rostrevor in Tight Match
Parador Lodge Intermediate Football Championship,
Saturday 14th October, at Pairc Esler,
Final Score: Rostrevor GAC 1-11 1-13 Laitroim GAC.
Rostrevor started of strongly in the Intermediate Cup match against Liatroim in Pairc Esler with Conor Doyle opening the scoring with an early point in play.
Liatroim fought back but Rostrevor had the bit between their teeth early on and countered. They won a free when Doyle was taken down and he took took the kick but went wide.
Then he found himself taking another free kick which he did not convert right away but came into the action and in the 4th minute Ardhal McMahon scored to give the Reds a positive lead, and this was followed by another point from Shaun Parr.
Liam Middleton opened up the score sheet for Liatroim with a point in play but that was met with half-back Conall Gordon claiming a point for Rostrevor in the 9th minute.
Then as Rostrevor tried to put their stamp on the game, Conall Gordon secured another point in play after an 8 minute pointless period.
Liatroim’s Conor McElroy then kicked the ball at the Rostrevor goals and hit the post, and in the forthcoming scramble for the ball, keeper Gareth Clarke received an injury, but eventually got over it to play on.
At this point in the match Rostrevor were showing excellent passing skills and looked confident.
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But then in the 18th minute, Liatroim went up a gear and scored 4 points, three were in play by Pearse Og Crickard and Conor McCrickard.
Referee Conor Curran allowed an extra 6 minutes to be played in the first half given the injuries that had occured.
At half-time, Liatroim were trailing 1-05 to 0-05 and had work to do in the second half.
The second half was a much livelier affair but started off with Doyle claiming a point from 2 frees for Rostrevor followed by another by Conor Fegan.
Then on 6 minutes, Pearse Og McCrickard pressed the button for Liatroim and their fightback started. He pointed from a free which was matched with another.
Conall Gordon replied with a point for Rostrevor but Liatroim were well fired up and pressing. Pearse og McCrickard took a point from a free then the game turned when midfielder Eoin O’Hare kicked the ball into the Rostrevor net for an equaliser.
The teams were now hung at 11 points a piece.
But Liatroim were pressing more now and saw a minor setback when Conor Fegan pointed for Rostrevor.
But Liatroim battled on, working harder, and after a Rostrevor change bringing on Miceal Mackin for Peter Magee, Liatroim took 4 straight points over the next 10 minutes.
Then as Rostrevor were feeling the pressure, James Rice received a second yellow followed by a red card a a crucial stage in the match with minutes to go.
The referee added on 4 extra minutes because of injuries.
Conor Fegan claimed back a point from a penalty when a defender was deemed to have made a foot block. He hit the ball over the bar safely taking an important point.
Conor Doyle then took a point in play and Rostrevor were fighting back into contention with a couple of minutes left on the clock.
Then disaster struck for Rostrevor. Conor Fegan who had played a key role in Rostrevor’s performance collided with a defender and went down and appeared to suffer from a serious neck injury.
The St John’s ambulance was called on to the pitch and paramedics assessed him.
They carefully got him safely onto a stretcher and into the back of the ambulance bound for A&E.
When the match resumed after a 20 minute break, a shadow hung over the game as paramedics assessed him.
Liatroim’s Pearse Og McCrickard who had played his part in the victory for his side, scored the last point in play.
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Liatroim managed to fight back after a slow start and closed the deficit, and moved on to win by 2 points.
It was a close match and Rostrevor always looked as though they could take the crucial points to turn the game.
The second half was certainly more of a physical business, but players in a County Final do give their all for their clubs in hard fought contests, often to the wire.
Wishing Conor Fegan a speedy recovery from his injury.
Liatroim GAC: 1 Darren O’Higgins 2 Niall McElroy 3 Colman Doyle 4 Sean Og O’Rourke 5 Daire Morgan 6 Ruairi McCrickard 7 Conor McElroy 8 Liam Middleton 9 Eoin O’Hare 10 Gerard McAnulty (C) 11 PJ Davidson 12 Robbie O’Hare 13 Chris Kelly-McEvoy 14 Conor McCrickard 15 Mark Owens.
Rostrevor GAC: 1 Gareth Clarke 2 Finn Murdock 3 Colm Murney 4 Eoin Murdock 5 James Donaghy 6 Tomas Gordon 7 Canall Gordon 8 Darren McRlhinney 9 James Rice (C) 10 Peter MNagee 11 Conor Doyle 12 Patrick Magee 13 Ardhal McMahon 14 Shaun Parr 15 Conor Fegan.
