Rockcorry 8-15 Clones 2-2 (Minor Championship)

Rock always in control in one sided win over Clones

Team: Aaron Clerkin, Gavin Lynch, Matthew Greenan, Peter McPhillips, Conor McGeough 0-1, John Greenan, Keelan Clerkin 1-1, Mark McGuirk 3-2, Nathan Duffy 2-1, Lorcan Smyth 1-3, Gavin Farrelly, Fergal McGeough 0-7 and Christopher Greenan 1-0.

Subs: Ryan McDermott for Gavin Farrelly, Andrew Mulligan for Mark McGuirk

After a couple of tough encounters against Clones in the league campaign we travelled to Pairc Emmett, Agahbog on Tuesday 6^th July to take them on in the division 3 minor championship semi-final and what looked on paper as a competitive game developed into a very one-sided affair as the margin of victory was a massive thirty-one points as our lads totally outclassed the lads from Clones over the hour to emerge with a comfortable victory.

On a drizzly evening for football we dominated the early exchanges but we squandered a number of chances in the first couple of minutes before Keelan Clerkin made a trademark solo run, in the 4^th minute, and finished in style. A minute later that was added to by Mark McGuirk when he scored a superb goal after he collected a pass from Gavin Farrelly. Our defence halted a Clones attacked in the 6^th minute and we broke at pace and when Mark McGuirk was hauled down, Fergal McGeough stepped up to sail over the free kick to open up a 1-2 to 0-0 lead. Clones opened their account in the 10^th minute when they slotted over a fine point from play and when Keelan Clerkin and Nathan Duffy collided with each other it allowed the Clones attacker to notch over another point to close the deficit. This was immediately cancelled out when Mark McGuirk curled over a point following good defensive work by Gavin Lynch. A minute later we gave away possession from a sideline ball and Clones took full advantage as they attacked with purpose and lobbed a high ball into our danger zone and Aaron Clerkin managed to fist the ball away but it fell to a Clones player who shot to the back of the net to close the gap to a single point.

At this stage, we began to work through the gears and soon raced ahead with a succession of unanswered scores and it began when Lorcan Smyth was fouled in the 16^th minute and Mark McGuirk opted to play a one-two with Fergal McGeough then he slipped a lovely pass through to Lorcan Smyth who pointed from twenty metres. Mark McGuirk stretched our lead in the 18^th minute when he rifled home his second goal following good work by Nathan Duffy and shortly afterwards the Clones keeper was taking the ball out of the net for a third time as Fergal McGeough and Mark McGuirk combined to set up Lorcan Smyth who weaved his way through the Clones defence to blast the ball past the Clones keeper to open up a commanding 3-4 to 1-2 lead. Nathan Duffy kicked wide in the 20^th minute before Clones scored their second goal when a long delivery was misjudged by Aaron Clerkin and the ball dropped harmlessly into the net. In the 24^th minute, an effort from Nathan Duffy fell short and into the hands of the Clones keeper but he got a second chance twenty seconds later and he made no mistake this time as he sailed over a terrific point. Keelan Clerkin won the ensuing kick-out and played a one-two with Nathan Duffy and he surged forward and broke through the Clones defence and sent a rasping shot to the net. Fergal McGeough and Lorcan Smith hit a point a piece in the 25^th and 26^th minute and when Nathan Duffy collected the ball following good work by Christopher Greenan and Lorcan Smith he scored our fifth goal. We finished the half with a brace of late points from Lorcan Smyth (0-2) and Fergal McGeough (0-1) to leave the half time score Rockcorry 5-10 Clones 2-2.

 Clones tale of woe continued in the second half as we continued our dominance on the change of ends and within ten seconds of the throw-in Lorcan Smyth hit the upright. A minute later Conor McGeough was fouled and his younger brother Fergal floated over a glorious long range free-kick from the dead ball. Clones kicked wide in the 3^rd minute before Fergal McGeough slotted over a point following good passing movement between Gavin Lynch, Keelan Clerkin and Mark McGuirk. Good defensive work by Peter McPhillips a minute later halted a Clones attack and when Keelan Clerkin was fouled he delivered a pass into Fergal McGeough who off-loaded to Mark McGuirk and he turned inside his marker and sent a low shot pass the keeper. Clones missed scoring opportunities in the 7^th and 9^th minutes and when Mark McGuirk collected a pass in the 13^th minute he extended our advantage when he notched over a brilliant point. A minute later, Christopher Greenan got his name on the scoresheet when he tapped in our seventh goal after good work by Fergal McGeough, Keelan Clerkin and Nathan Duffy and when Conor McGeough made a burst up the field, in the 22^nd minute, he showed his accuracy when he bisected the uprights. In the closing stages of the game Fergal McGeough curled over point and Nathan Duffy rounded off the scoring when he sent a powerful shot to hit the back of the net to leave the final score Rockcorry 8-15 Clones 2-2.

I imagine the sound of the final whistle came as a relief for the Clones players but to be honest they were missing a number of key players and the team tried their level best to compete but apart from a brief flurry in the first half they were outclassed over the hour as we were simply “awesome”. That being said our team management will be quietly satisfied with the performance but no doubt will be astutely aware that the level of resistance they experienced was poor and will know they face a tougher test in the final. Anyway lads keep up the good work and here’s hoping you can bring home the first piece of silverware in 2010, well done!

 (back row) Fergal McGeough, Keelan Clerkin, John Greenan, Aaron Clerkin, Christopher Greenan, Nathan Duffy, Matthew Greenan, Gavin Farrelly. (front row) Ryan McDermott, Mark McGuirk, Andrew Mulligan, Conor McGeough, Lorcan Smyth, Gavin Lynch, Peter McPhillips.