Drumalee finish the season with silverware
Reserve Division 3 Championship final
Drumalee 2-10
Drumlane 1-8
Drumalee, who re-entered a reserve team this year for the first time in five years, lifted the club’s first adult cup in seven years when they got the better of Drumlane on the 3G pitch at Kingspan Breffni last Friday evening week.
An early goal gave the St Felim’s Park lads the perfect start and although Drumlane hit back well, that early major was what separated the sides at half-time and a second goal, also from Darragh Byrne, on the home stretch saw the Cavan Town side run out winners with five points to spare.
After three minutes of play Drumalee opened the scoring with a bang as centre forward Darragh Byrne hit the back of the Drumlane net. The sons of O’Connell responded well hitting five points in a row. Cormac Flynn who started the game in top form sent over three points with Oisin Kennedy and James Pratt raising the other two white flags.
Drumalee moved Enda McCormick on to Cormac Flynn to curtail his influence which turned the tide in their favour. A Niall Young free ended a long wait for Drumalee’s second score and left a single point between the sides. Wing forward Jamie Heffernan sent over a point to level the game as Drumalee began to take control in the middle of the field.
The Lilywhites hit the front again 10 minutes before the break thanks to a well taken point from Tommy Walsh. The Drumalee full forward line of Shane Rehill and Micky Brennan rolled back the years with their ball winning and set up play leading to points from Kevin Tighe and Jamie Heffernan.
The would-be winners ended a run of six scores in a row through a right footed point from Micky Brennan. The lads in green and white now trailing by four points needed to stop Drumalee momentum and scoring run. A free won by Stephen McCann was converted by Cormac Flynn before the short whistle sounded with the score Drumalee 1-6 Drumlane 0-6.
Drumlane closed the gap to two points immediately after the break through another Cormac Flynn free. Enda McCormick ventured up the field for Kevin Downey and Peter McGinnity’s side to split the posts with his trusted left foot, restoring Drumalee’s three-point advantage.
From the resulting kick-out Drumalee bagged their second major in spectacular fashion as Darragh Byrne showed his class, finishing to the net for the second time. Micky Brennan and Niall Young added a second point to each of their tallies, pushing Drumalee into an eight-point lead with nine second-half minutes played.
A beautiful strike from a 45 by Darragh Byrne with 13 minutes played extended the Drumalee lead but would prove to be their final score of the game. Defending was the name of the game for the final quarter as Drumlane tried to force their way back into the game.
Cormac Flynn raised a sixth white flag seven minutes from the end and less than a minute later he hit the back of the net to leave just five points between the sides. Gareth Corrigan’s side continued in search of a second goal but Conail Robinson’s line wasn’t breeched and Drumalee held on for a five-point win with captain Eoin Donohoe lifting the cup.
Both clubs fielded teams with a mixture of youth and experience on the evening, with little between them but Drumalee’s two timely goals proved crucial as they held on under pressure from Drumlane late on for a deserved victory which rounded off the year on a high.
Drumalee: Conail Robinson; Niall Galligan, Enda McCormick(0-1); Adam Soden, Eoin Donohoe, Kevin Gavigan; Tommy Walsh(0-1), Niall Young(0-2,1f); Kevin Tighe(0-1), Daragh Byrne( 2-1, 45), Jamie Heffernan(0-1); Shane Rehill, Micky Brennan(0-2)
Subs used: Tomas O’Keeffe, Daire Donohoe, Jamie O’Rourke
Drumlane: Jake Blewitt; Shane Gunn, Ciaran Gunn; Caolan McAnenna, Ciaran Crowe, Sean Cassidy; Jake Rogers, Eoghan Cassidy; Eoghan Walsh, Stephen McCann, Oisin Kennedy(0-1); Cormac Flynn(1-6), James Pratt(0-1)
Subs used; Donal Reilly.