Magheracloone end Season on a high Note

Magheracloone 1-9

Clontibret 0-4

Publication: Anglo Celt

Date: November 2001

Magheracloone ended their season on a high note when they deservedly took the senior football league title, making for a celebratory end to a year that had seen them also experience disappointment. They had been one of the most consistent teams in the senior league all year and were never out of the top three and they justified that form on Sunday last when they produced the more cohesive display in a rough and tumble game in Donaghmoyne.

The win made up for their disappointment earlier in the season when they went out of the championship after defeats by Clontibret and then C'Blayney and while the ultimate prize has eluded them this victory will do wonders for morale. Magheracloone have been one of the dominant teams in the league in recent times, they last won the title in 1999 and went out at the semi final stage last year but that did not effect their hunger on Sunday and they showed the greater appetite for the fray all through. The match was the last game in the domestic programme and Magheracloone took the Owen ward Cup for the second time in three years at the expense of a disappointing Clontibret, but they can have few excuses as they never matched the winners in any aspect of the game.

As a game it failed to live up to its pre-match billing with Magheracloone were the better side overall and Clontibret having no answer to the penetrative powers of the Freeman brothers, Damien and Tomas who ran up eight points between them, Damien with five, four in the first half, at the end of which Magheracloone led by 0-7 to 0-1. Damien Freeman was in devastating form at full forward and it was his rampaging attacks that gave Magheracloone an early foothold and helped establish the cushion they had going into the second half. His brother Tomas was in equally devastating form, his ability to carry the ball, pass accurately and drift into space being aspects of his game that Clontibret could not control and he was the perfect foil for this older brother in hatching the little plots that repeatedly unhinged the Clontibret defence.

In contrast Clontibret had no one to play such roles, they enjoyed plenty of possession but lacked the direction of their opponents who always seemed to have an option. In that respect too the options open to Clontibret were restricted given the good work done by the Magheracloone defence in which Pauric Kelly was superb once he recovered from an indifferent opening ten minutes or so while Francis Doogan was a revelation at center back and looks to have found his niche. Midfield was a real battle ground but by and large, except for a period early in the second half, Magheracloone dominated this sector and won most of the loose play although there were some good high catches by Colin McCaul and Fergal Monaghan for Magheracloone while Ronan Mooney also fetched a couple.

Magheracloone were never headed in this game, Clontibret level once after nine minutes after Damien Freeman had opened for Magheracloone in the sixth minute, working well along with brother Tomas to create the score. From there to half time Magheracloone took an increasing hold on the game with the Freeman brothers adding five more points, Damien three and Tomas two to help Magheracloone to a 0-7 to 0-1 half time lead. Clontibret did have chances but could not hit the target while the Magheracloone defence gave very little away.

The second half was something of a stop start affair with referee Brendan McMahon issuing three yellow cards in the third quarter, two to Clontibret and one to Magheracloone and at the end of the quarter each team had only scored a point. Cathal Leonard gave Clontibret cause for some hope early on with a point from a free which was cancelled out by Damien Freeman in the 11th minute Fergal Mone pulled back another point for Clontibret in the 17th minute and they did create a number of other chances but any hope they had of making a late fight of it was killed off when Paudie Finnegan crashed the ball to the Clontibret net six minutes from the end.

Fintan Kindlon put in a high center but the Clontibret defence did not deal adequately with it and Finnegan nipped in to win possession on the post and effectively seal the issue. Tom Freeman added a point from a free in the 29th minute and Clontibret registered their fourth score in injury time from Ronan Mooney but in the end they were a well beaten side.

TEAMS AND SCORERS;
MAGHERACLOONE: Shane Duffy, James Kierans, Pauric Kelly, Donal Kindlon, Eddie McCabe, Francis Doogan, Gerry Jones, Colin McCaul, Fergal Monaghan, Fintan Kindlon, Tom Freeman 0-3, Paul Jones, Paudie Finnegan 1-1, Damien Freeman 0-5, Keith Gilsenan. Subs: Francie Jones for D. Freeman.

CLONTIBRET: Paul McElroy, Aidan Kerr, John Hughes, Cathal Leonard 0-1, Padraig McGuigan, Anthony Rooney, Brian Morgan, Ronan Mooney 0-1, John Paul Mone, Gregory Leonard 0-1, Fergal Mone 0-1, Brian McSkane, Damien McKenna, Vincent Corey, Niall Malone. Subs: Rory Mone for B. McSkane.

Referee: B. Mc Mahon (Eire Og).