Lurgan Defeat Castlerahan in Minor Championship Semi- Final.

Lurgan 1.15 Castlerahan 0.5

Just as in the Minor League Final Lurgan overwhelmed near neighbours Castlerahan in this Div 1 Minor Championship semi- final played in Bailieboro on Tuesday evening last 31st August. It was a beautiful summer evening for a game of football however the game itself failed to live up to the pre-match hype. There was a large crowd present for the occasion.

From the start Lurgan piled on the pressure. With a brace of points coming quickly from half-forward Stephen Sheridan and all the other Lurgan forwards moving and scoring well the pattern for the game was set. The Lurgan back line of Hopkins, Gaffney, Brady, Reilly, Lynch and Emmet Daly stuck to the much-fancied Castlerahan forwards Flanagan Mackey and Lynch denying them possession and scoring opportunities. Anton O'Reilly and Luke Mulvey dominated the mid-field area for the hour. The defining score of the game came in the fifteenth minute of the first half when Mike Keating latched on to a Stephen Monaghan cross to finish Cantona-Like to the Castlerahan net. Castlerahan never recovered from this score. The half time score-line read Lurgan 1.8 Castlerahan 0.3. Shane Mulvanney had a great game in goal and his reading of the game and command of the goal area ensured that no goal chances were going to succeed. The Lurgan forwards took all the scoring chances their teams stronger efforts afforded them. The full time result of Lurgan 1.15 to Castlerahan's 0.5 reflected just how Lurgan dominated this game from start to finish.

Castlerahan never really got going in this game. Ronan Flanagan showed good early form with two well-taken points from the full-forward position he took up. The other county players Cian Mackey and Daniel Lynch were well marshalled for the hour scoring only two points from Mackey and one from Daniel Lynch. Castlerahan had a chance to stage a comeback in the second half when awarded a penalty kick mid-way through the half. It just wasn't their night and the kick went narrowly wide. The game resumed its pattern of Lurgan dominance thereafter with the Lurgan forwards scoring at will.

Lurgan manager Garry Farrelly along with selectors Sean Cole, Ogie Farrelly and Derek McDonnell have gelled this team into a well-spirited, good-footballing outfit who have already tasted success in the Minor League. Who would bet against them going on and completing the double and giving a much-needed boost to football in East Cavan.

Teams:

Lurgan: S Mulvanney. M O'Reilly. E Daly. D Lynch. J Hopkins. A Brady. S Gaffney. A O'Reilly. L Mulvey. D Farrelly. D Nolan. S Sheridan. M Keating. S Monaghan. M Rock.
Subs used; R Reilly. R McKeown.

Castlerahan: B Coleman. J McEnroe. P O'Reilly. S Coleman. S Fitzpatrick. S Boylan. P Smith. C Mackey. A Malone. F Corke. R Brady. B Cusack. R Flanagan. D Lynch.
Subs used: C McBreen. T Tracey. P Fitzsimons.

Referee: Donal Reilly.(Kingscourt)

Match report by Peter Soden, Ramor United PRO