Belturbet on top in local derby

ACFL Division 2 round 1

Belturbet 1-14

Redhills 1-8

Belturbet came out on top in this local derby clash against neighbours Redhills to get their Division 2 League season off to a winning start when the sides met in a windswept Rory O’Moore Park yesterday.

Belturbet opened the first half scoring with five minutes on the clock when Fionnan Donohoe split the posts after Rorys captain Stuart Dunne had picked him out with an inch perfect pass. Jack Dunne kicked a long range free which was a two pointer for the away side to move them ahead after seven minutes.

With a ferocious wind at their disposal in the first half, Redhills then proceeded to tack on 1-2 to their tally in quick fashion. A free from out on the wing was driven in towards the Belturbet goal but the wind meant it hung and then dropped short, with Sean Martin appearing to get the final touch to poke the ball past Belturbet keeper Danny Anscombe. Padhraig Smith and then Jack Dunne quickly then shot a point apiece as Redhills’ lead was extended to 1-4 to 0-1 after 15 minutes.

Belturbet, who enjoyed long spells of possession, then began to finally make it count on the scoreboard as Sean O’Reilly broke through the Redhills defence to slot over a well-taken point after Enda Henry’s assist in the 16th minute.

Fionnan Donohoe bent over a shot from close range to further reduce the arrears and then Enda Henry kicked a free in the 21st minute to leave a goal between the sides at 1-4 to 0-4.

Padhraig Smith shot over his second point of the half in the 30th minute to push Redhills four points ahead as the game entered into first half stoppage time. Sean O’Reilly scored a cracker with the outside of the boot to pull a late point back for Belturbet in the 34th minute, to ensure the half time scoreline would read 1-5 to 0-5 in Redhills’ favour.

The second half saw Belturbet dominate the exchanges and they would go on to turn a three-point half-time deficit into a nine point lead. Henry got the opening score of the second half just seconds upon the resumption. Colum Dennehy and Callum McGreevy both added a point apiece to draw the sides level for the first time in the 37th minute as the scoreboard read 1-5 to 0-8.

Henry kicked Belturbet’s first two-pointer of the match with a free as Belturbet moved 0-10 to 1-5 clear after 40 minutes. The home side were firmly on top at this stage, with the midfield pairing of Cormac Donohoe and Sean O’Reilly controlling that sector, which was the launchpad for wave after wave of home attacks.

McGreevy and Henry both added a point apiece to their tallies with both scores from play as Beltubet opened up a 0-12 to 1-5 advantage. The Rorys were dealt a blow when skipper Stuart Dunne was black-carded in the 51st minute, but they remained defensively extremely solid in the second half, with Redhills struggling to penetrate through for scoring chances.

Luke Mulvanny, who got through a serious workload, was fouled in the square in the 57th minute and referee Joe McQuillan had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Henry was clinical with the spot kick, sending Gary Kelly the wrong way to leave the scoreboard 1-12 to 1-5 in the hosts’ favour.

McGreevy kicked over a two-pointer for Belturbet in the 60th minute to leave a nine-point gap between the sides.

This was a game that was niggly throughout, with a lot of heavy hits, ensuring that there was a sizeable chunk of stoppage time in both halves and Redhills managed to rally for the closing stages of the second half. Andrew Dunne kicked a point under pressure from a Belturbet defender and Jack Dunne added a free in the 63rd minute to leave seven between the teams.

Ryan Smith added a point late on for the away side for a consolation point but in truth the outcome of the tie had long been confirmed.

Belturbet: Danny Anscombe, Killian Murray, Liam Mulligan, John Cahill, Killian Collins, Fionan O’Reilly, Stuart Dunne, Cormac Donohoe, Sean O’Reilly(0-2), Luke Mulvanny, Enda Henry(1-5, 1f, 2ptf, 1-0 pen), Jack O’Callaghan, Calum McGreevy(0-4, 2pt), Donal McDonald, Fionnan Donohoe (0-2)

Subs: Colum Dennehy(0-1), Martin Donohoe, Evan O’Reilly, Brian Wallace, Sean Og Lawlor.

Redhills: Gary Kelly, Shane Jenkins, Conor McMahon, Matthew Mohan, Desmond Gumley, Andrew Dunne (0-1), Fergal Quinn, Cormac Brides, Thomas Reilly, Pearse West, Jack Dunne(0-4 2f, 2pt), Padhraig Smith (0-2), Sean Martin (1-0), Niall Martin, Paul Martin

Subs: Colin Reilly, Richard Murphy, Ryan Smith(0-1).

Ref: Joe McQuillan