All square in dour JFC final
Killinkere 0-7
Drumlane 0-7
Paul Fitzpatrick
at Cootehill
Drumlane and Killinkere must do it all over again after a poor Junior Championship final at Cootehill.
Nerves were certainly a factor as both sides failed to reproduce the outstanding form they had shown earlier in the competition and while both will argue that they could have won, a draw was probably a fair result.
Killinkere were much the better side in the first half, despite losing full-back Kevin McCabe to a straight red card in the 18th minute, but only carried a two-point lead in with them at the break while Drumlane dominated the third quarter.
In the end, though, in a match which produced no goals and just six points from play, fittingly it took a free from Ryan Connolly deep in injury time to force stalemate.
At the interval, Killinkere held a narrow lead, 0-5 to 0-3. Ryan Connolly and Emmett Fitzsimons exchanged frees early on before Connolly kicked another and Darren Smith hit back with a fine left-footed effort.
Further frees from Connolly and Fitzsimons followed but Killinkere had the final say of the opening half with another super point from play by Smith and a free from the same player.
Defences were on top – Darragh Dolan was the pick of the Drumlane attack while Killinkere’s vaunted speedsters up front struggled to find room to manoeuvre – but a good point from Ciaran Sexton three minutes after the resumption sent Killinkere into a double scores lead.
Impressive sub Donal Reilly hit back with two good scores for Drumlane and Connolly equalised with another free to set up a tense final 10 minutes.
Smith, in the 53rd minute with a good free from the right, made it 0-7 to 0-6 but after a throw-up was won by Kian Monahan, the referee signalled for a free which Connolly gratefully accepted.
The county man had another late chance but his kick was off target and that was that. The replay has been provisionally fixed for next Saturday in Kingscourt.
Drumlane: Gareth Corrigan, Declan Lunney, John O’Dowd, Sean Smith, Shane Dolan, Donal Monahan, Darragh Brady, Dane O’Dowd, Kian Monahan, Francis Lunney, Philip King, Ciaran Crowe, Gary Tubman, Ryan Connolly (0-5f), Daragh Dolan
Subs: Donal Reilly (0-2) for Lunney, Fergal Brady for King, Killian Tubman for Tubman
Killinkere: Sean McGovern, Mark Farrelly, Kevin McCabe, Liam McCabe, Gary Denning, Lewis Fay Cooper, Breen Smith, Jason McMahon, Noel McGovern, Darren Smith (0-4, 2f), Ciaran Sexton (0-1), Anthony Brady, Damien Sexton, Emmett Fitzsimons (0-2, 1f), Peter McCabe
Subs: Daniel Sweeney for McGovern (BC), Paul Kerr for C Sexton, Jamie Smith for D Sexton, Ciaran Cusack for Brady