The
City side raced from the traps to dominate
the opening quarter. They appeared bigger,
stronger and more purposeful than our team
but if they had a failing it was in front
of the posts. Only two of their forwards
scored and it’s unlikely their next
opponents will give them similar time on
the ball.
Brendan Loughran raced in from the left
wing to fist the opening score, Karl
Murphy lofted over the next and Collie
Burns was denied a goal chance by a great
block down from Deaglan O’Reilly.
As
Shamrocks did not seem to want to press
their advantage An Riocht tried to get a
foothold and Kieran McVeigh opened our
scoring in the tenth minute.
Murphy had an all too easy point in reply
while on the quarter hour a John Clarkes
free left the minimum between the teams.
Then
wee Loughran cut in off the left
and his shot for a point dipped under the
bar, Johnny McBurney getting fingertips to
it but unable to keep it out. The next
ball too almost went over the line with
keeper and defender getting in a muddle
and a fifty conceded which was taken short
to the unmarked Murphy who slotted over
his third score. Loughran ran in another
as Shamrocks went six clear.
A
free from Paddy Cole and Ciaran
Walsh after our best piece of play halved
the margin before Murphy at last under
pressure still managed a good point for a
1:6 to 0:4 interval lead.
Murphy with a free for touching the ball
on the ground got Shamrocks off to a flyer
on the restart but again they were
incapable of pressing their advantage.
Frees from John Clarke (3) and Paddy Cole
looked likely to punish Shamrocks and
when Paddy carried from deep and fired
over only the minimum separated the teams
with five minutes to play.
Kevin
McGuigan lifted the siege with a difficult
Shamrocks free but Paddy Cole from play
replied in the next attack. An Riocht had
a chance to draw level but fumbled in the
tackle and a long relieving clearance
found Murphy who with the last kick
insured a Newry success.
Scorers SHAMROCKS K Murphy 0:6 (1f), B
Loughran 1:2 K McGuigan 0:1 (1f). AN
RIOCHT P Cole 0:4 (2f), J Clarke 0:4 (4f),
K McVeigh 0:1, C Walsh 0:1.
