Div. One Playoff Burren 0:13 An Riocht 1:8

Burren played with the wind and were good value for a first quarter five nil lead. Their points coming from Eoin McCartan, Aidan McGivern, Daniel McCartan and Kevin McGivern (2).

Then Liam McVeigh carried the ball a long way for An Riochts opener and moments later they had a penalty, after a rebound off the bar had caused panic in the Burren square, ably despatched by Neill Doran.

Burren hit back with Kevin McKernan impressive around midfield pointing twice. An Riocht did not help themselves as they persisted with big kick outs which were not going any real distance and which they were not winning.

Burren pressed their advantage and Eoin McCartan, Kevin McGivern and Aidan McGivern (2) extended their lead to 0:11 to 1:1 by the break.

It was all An Riocht on the restart. Paddy Cole (3), Neill Doran (2) and John Clarke left one in it with six minutes to play.

Then Eoin McCartan converted a relieving free only for John Clarke to make it a minimum margin again. Clarke fluffed his next free and the chance to tie the game and Burren broke up the left for substitute Glenn McMahon to put two between them with the last kick from a close in free.

Senior footballers 03/10/2005
In Kilcoo the Senior footballers lost 1:16 to 0:10. A very poor first half left us wit a mountain to climb in the second. Three points from John Clarke on the restart had us almost there but a clumsily conceded penalty undid the good work and Kilcoo were   always able to pick off enough scores to keep comfortably clear.

Senior Football v Castlewellan  22/09/2005
This was not a great game but it provided the win which has looked so elusive since the Championship. An Riocht were never behind though the teams were level on four occasions, three times in a tense mistake ridden first half. Again we struggled with our scores which allowed the visitors stay in touch. The highlights of the first half were a John Clarke point after good play by Liam McVeigh, a Johnny McBurney save from Ciaran McCabe, and a Tony McAtamney fisted point after a feint left our defender for dead. At the break the teams were level, 0:4 apiece. Points from Liam McVeigh and Paddy Cole put us two up on the restart but by the fortieth minute it was six all. We slotted over two more in quick succession around the fiftieth minute and Mickey McVeigh caught two above the bar. With three minutes to play Castlewellan made it eight seven and the game could have gone either way. Johnny McBurney advanced to deny Marty McKibben and from his save the ball swept up field for Paddy Cole to point. From the kick out Richard Annett added another and then Paddy Cole placed him for a goal with the last kick of the match. Final score 1:10 to 0:7. Team J McBurney J McVeigh A Flanagan D O’Reilly M Trainor 0:1 J Clarke 0:1 L Fitzpatrick L McVeigh 0:2 B Sloan P Cole 0:3 S Flanagan N Doran K McVeigh R Annett 1:2 C Walsh 0:1. Sub M Harper.

Senior Football v Warrenpoint  13/09/2005
The Seniors lost a high scoring challenge game 3:11 to 1:16 on Sunday morning. After a slow start we hit back to level at 0:7 to 1:4 at the break. Though our goal leveled on the restart the visitors struck for two quick goals of their own. It was level on forty five minutes, 1:12 to 3:6 and with five minutes to go at 1:15 to 3:9, before Warrenpoint nicked it at the finish.  Team J McBurney; L Fitzpatrick A Flanagan P Sherry; J McVeigh D O’Reilly M Trainor; B Sloan 0:1 L McVeigh; M Harper 0:3 N Doran 0:5 P Cole 0:5; K McVeigh S Flanagan 1:1 R Annett 0:1. Subs B McVeigh A O’Hanlon C Sloan J Clarke C Flanagan. 

Senior Football An Riocht v Mayobridge  06/09/2005
All the old failings returned to produce a disastrous showing at Burren. Johnny McBurney in goals was our best player and that really tells it all. Conor Walsh did well when introduced. Ciaran Walsh late goal was greeted by silence.

Senior Football An Riocht v Kilcoo  06/09/2005
Briefly it looked like there would be no Championship hangover and we led 1:6 to 0:7 at half time, Kieran McVeigh goaling. However Kilcoo went in front on the restart and we went a man down and there followed a procession of scores for the visitors. Even a late Martin Clarke goal failed to mask the magnitude of the defeat with Kilcoo replying with the three later points. That’s
5:39 conceded in our last two games and the keepers have been faultless.

Seniors An Riocht v Ballyholland 22/08/2005
The Seniors secured two more points in their quest for the play-offs with a nine points to seven win over Ballyholland. Overall we dominated possession but failed to put Harps away due to too many misses from play and from frees and the fact that for long periods our defence had no long outlet as the half forwards were very deep into our own half. Every ball had to be played out and inevitably some went astray, though Paul Murneys second half point came from text book short forward passing. Indeed it was an attacker back in our own square whose clumsy tackle gave the visitors a seventeenth minute penalty which thankfully Johnny McBurney saved. At that stage the score was a low two points apiece but a better finish to the half saw us lead seven three at the break.

Ballyholland had the breeze on the restart but our defence which has come into its own in recent games repelled them. We were eight four up with ten minutes to play when Harps strung together three points to leave the minimum in it. That would previously have been a signal for us to lose but we responded with a Paddy Cole point to secure the win. Team: J McBurney J McVeigh A Flanagan L Fitzpatrick D O’Reilly L McVeigh 0:1 Conor Walsh B Sloan 0:1 P Murney 0:1 P Cole 0:3 A Cunningham N Doran 0:3 C McVeigh S Flanagan R Annett. Subs Ciaran Walsh M Harper J Cunningham K Flanagan.

The next match is the Championship quarter final on Wednesday 31^st August v Mayobridge in Burren followed by Kilcoo at Dunavil in the league on Saturday 3^rd September.

Action shots By Diarmuid Cahill from An Riocht Burren Championship Game- August 2005

Championship Action as An Riocht defeat Burren
Photo by louis McNally

Senior Burren v An Riocht 15/08/2005
The seniors gave a mighty performance in the Championship to beat Burren 1:13 to 1:12. We were the better team but a nervous start and finish to the hour allowed our opponents keep in touch. Burren outscored us 0:4 to 0:1 in the first five minutes and 1:4 to 0:1 in the final five minutes, so for the fifty minutes in between which made up the bulk of the game we outscored them 1:11 to 0:4 which was a fair reflection on the play.

Seniors An Riocht v Clonduff

The Seniors lost this vital match by 1:11 to 3:11 yet with three minutes to play were only two points in arrears, 1:11 to 2:10, and had the momentum with them. This after a disastrous opening in which John Fegan and Shane Ward created havoc as Clonduff went five one up and missed two good goal chances. We were always second best, looked unbalanced and made numerous unforced errors as too many of our main players had an off day. For all that Clonduff were unable to put us away and at the break only two points separated the teams, 1:5 to 1:7. Despite Clonduff scoring a second goal in the fortieth minute and our inability to point from play the result was in doubt until moments from the finish when Clonduff swept up the field on a counter attack and goaled at the second attempt.

Seniors Shamrocks v An Riocht 08/08/2005

After some confusion over the day and venue this tournament game eventually took place in Glasdrumman on Tuesday and An Riocht came from behind to win by eight points 2:12 to 1:7.

Backed by the wind Liatroim dominated the early possession and Johnny McBurney saved well from JP Owens. PP McCartan was exerting a major influence and Liatroim went four points to one in front. Kevin Flanagan scored our opening point and Conor Sloan blocked a clearance but the ball was hacked off the line. Liam McVeigh soloed through but his shot was well saved. Just as we were getting back into it Liatroim seized on a poor clearance to goal and went on to add a point from McCartan. With the game slipping away wing backs Fergal Doyle and Joe McVeigh advanced for points apiece to set up a storming finish to the half. Conor Sloan converted a penalty after a foul on Marc Taylor and then Marc finished off a second goal after Conor and Liam combined and we went in two points ahead at the break.

Six unanswered points in the third quarter made it double scores, the pick a Joe McVeigh effort. Liatroim managed a brace themselves as we gave the ball away cheaply in the middle third but Kevin soloed in for a rousing score and Conor Walsh’s second from top of the left ended the scoring for the night.

Team: J McBurney M Trainor A Flanagan G Small J McVeigh 0:2 D O’Reilly F Doyle 0:1 P Murney L McVeigh R Annett 0:3 K Flanagan 0:3 Conor Walsh 0:2 M Taylor 1:0 S Flanagan C Sloan 1:1. Subs G Finnegan S Clarke N McArdle D Sherry S McArdle.