Disappointment as Craigbane end Knockbride’s Ulster hopes

Ulster Club JFC quarter-final

Knockbride 1-10

Craigbane (Derry) 1-7

Damien Donohoe at Kingspan Breffni

Knockbride have exited the Ulster junior club championship after a slow start that saw them go 28 minutes in the first half without a score registered. Craigbane, by that point, had five points on the board and were able to create more scoring chances. Having played and won a preliminary round the previous weekend, the Derry champions looked that bit sharper in the opening half of the game.

On October 30, 2022 Craigbane came to Kingspan Breffni to face Drumlane and came away with nothing but disappointment after a single point defeat. In the build-up to their return to Cavan town the Derry champions spoke of that loss and clearly had redemption on their mind when the ball was thrown-in. Knockbride will have regrets from this one as it was an under-performance from the Cavan champions with no less than four goal chances passing them by.

Two minutes into the game and the pace was frantic as both sides looked to get their noses in front. Jude McLaughlin made the decision to go backwards with a free just outside the 45-metre line to his centre back Rory Moore. Moore returned a pass to McLaughlin now in front of the goals for the opening score of the game.

The visitors quickly doubled their advantage by winning the next kick-out and sending it to Lee Moore on the edge of the D for a point on his right foot. Craigbane showed their defensive quality in the fifth minute when Matthew Traynor picked out Lorcan Reilly in a one on one close to the Craigbane goal. Reilly won the ball in the air but Eoin Coll held him up until the cavalry arrived to stripe the ball.

Knockbride were guilty of wasting opportunities in front of goal while winning a lot of possession and can maybe feel a little hard done by some of the call from referee Shane Murphy in the opening half. With 14 minutes on the clock Eoin Coll won a foot race with Lorcan Reilly to set up Fergal Mortimer for a point on the counter.

A minute later Mortimer the Craigbane captain added a second point to his name to see his side take a four point lead into the second quarter. Quick hands by the Craigbane, playing in an all white stripe, placed the ball in the hands of Lee Moore waiting in the pocket to extend their lead to five points, eight minutes before the break.

Two minutes before halftime Liam Fay won a free 30 meters from the Craigbane goal and Lorcan Reilly sent it over the bar for Knockbride’s opening score. Aidan McCabe’s side could have closed the gap to a single point when Kyle McCabe broke through on goal but a block by Bliain Gormley denied the major. Two minutes into injury-time Lee Moore tapped over a free for Craigbane to see them lead by five points at the break.

Determined to not go down without a fight Knockbride took control of the game after half-time. Lorcan Reilly won a Craigbane kick-out and followed it up by converting his free with three second half minutes played. Liam Fay saw his shot for goal saved by Ben O’Kane after five minutes.

After again not making their possession of the ball count on the score board, Ciaran Smith was set up for a point by Ben Mulvey, who had replaced the injured Niall McCabe in the first half, to end eight minutes without a score. Craigbane came back with a goal chance of their own but James Lynch saved Jacob McElhinney’s shot.

With 14 minutes played Lorcan Reilly done well to pass the ball to Liam Fay while being fouled and Fay hooked the ball over the bar to leave just two points between the sides. A minute later Knockbride had the best goal chance of the game to that point when Matthew Traynor was played in to face O’Kane in the Craigbane goal but his shot from 20 metres went to the left of goal and wide.

Three minutes into the final quarter Knockbride’s hill turned into a mountain. Aaron Sharkey blasted a shot at the Knockbride goal but the crossbar intervened with the rebound falling into the hands of Jude McLaughlin who side stepped and tucked the ball into the corner of the net.

Now chasing a five point deficit Knockbride replied with a point off the left foot of Michéal Smith  but Lee Moore cancelled that out at the other end of the field two minutes later. Knockbride battled hard to get back into the game with a second point from Liam Fay with eight minutes remaining.

Craigbane’s experience of winning the Ulster Intermediate Championship in 2011 came to the fore in the closing stages as Lee Moore and Conor McLaughlin raised white flags to leave six between the sides. Michéal Smith manufactured a shot at goal from close range by again Gormley was on hand to keep it out.

As the game entered injury-time Ben Mulvey capitalised on a high ball to the Craigbane square and finished to the net to open a window of hope. With the next kick-out Jude OgMoore won a mid-field mark to set up Jude McLaughlin who was fouled and tapped over the insurance point.

Ciaran Smith had time to win a free and send it over the bar for Knockbride but the final whistle sounded with the ball in the air from the resulting kick-out.

Craigbane: Ben O’Kane; Eoin Coll, Fintan Lynch, Oisin O’Donnell; Conor McLaughlin, Rory Moore, James McLaughlin: Bliain Gormley, Jude Og Moore; Jacob McElhinney, Aaron Sharkey, Fergal Mortimer(0-2); Brian Rainey, Lee Moore(0-4,2f), Jude McLaughlin(1-2,1f)

Knockbride: James Lynch; DJ Cassidy, Mark Magee, Daniel McGuinness; Micheál Smith(0-1), Philip Nulty, Roy Donohoe; Kyle McCabe, Patrick Rogers; Patrick Smith, Liam Fay(0-2), Niall McCabe; Ciaran Smith(0-2,1f), Lorcan Reilly(0-2f), Matthew Traynor

Subs: Ben Mulvey(1-0) for N McCabe, Fergal Smith for P Smith, Declan Nulty for DJ Cassidy, Niall O’Reilly for K McCabe.