Tourlestrane edge past DRP in a tense tie
Homeland SFC
Group Two – Round Five Tourlestrane 0-8 Drumcliffe-Rosses Pt 0-7
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N THIS intense, absorbing to-andfro tapestry of passing and pressing, Tourlestrane had the edge – albeit a slight one – when beating Drumcliffe-Rosses Point by a point, 0-8 to 0-7, in the Homeland Senior Football Championship Group Two fixture at Markievicz Park last Sunday.
The holders’ ability to retain their composure – when faced with Drumcliffe-Rosses Point’s stifling tactics – was key here, so too the individual performances of Adrian McIntyre, John Kelly, Gary Gaughan and James Leonard.
A marvellous point from James Leonard gave Tourlestrane a twopoint cushion, 0-8 to 0-6, in the 53rd minute and in such a low-scoring contest – with goal chances non-existent – this proved a major score. Drumcliffe-Rosses Point goalkeeper Paul Durcan’s long-range free closed the gap to a point with three minutes of normal time left.
In the third minute of stoppage time the former Donegal player could have tied up matters with a score attempt from similar range but this time his free was off target.
Tourlestrane, who wrapped up this typically hard-working, robust display with a big catch by Cathal Henry, could only afford to relax at the final whistle. They had to work so intensely for this result, which extends their current unbeaten run in this competition to 40 games.
TOURLESTRANE: Having negotiated the group stage, it’s Tour Time – with them coming to the boil just in time for the county semi-finals. They take on Shamrock Gaels on Sunday week, October 2 (Markievicz Park, 4.15pm).
Fergal O’Flahery’s side been sufficiently productive to make the knockout stages and set up a potentially mouthwatering clash with their North Division rivals St Mary’s on Sunday, October 2 (Markievicz Park, 2pm).
The holders were already through to the semi-finals but Drumcliffe-Rosses Point were walking a tightrope. A win against the champions would have given them top spot in Group Two and a draw would have been OK, too.
Losing by the bare minimum – one or two points – was acceptable only if Coolera-Strandhill didn’t unleash all hell on Coolaney-Mullinabreena (as it worked out, Coolera-Strandhill won that game in Curry by 22 points but it wasn’t enough).
Given the various scenarios at play and controllable factors, it wasn’t surprising that Drumcliffe-Rosses Point played it safe – there was none of the attacking zest that saw them score seven goals against St Farnan’s. Drumcliffe-Rosses Point have improved so much since losing to Tourlestrane in the county final two years ago, both in terms of tactics and personnel, and the absence of one of their leaders, team captain Sean Power, had to be accommodated here. Cian Lally wasn’t his usual powerhouse self although he still had the basketball footwork to extract himself from cul-desacs and his point in the 50th minute was a mighty score. Connacht U-20 winner Eoghan Smith contributed four points for Drumcliffe-Rosses Point, who will take on St Mary’s in next month’s county final.
It should concern Drumcliffe-Rosses Point that they only managed one point in the first 28 minutes – Eoghan Smith’s class finish in the sixth minute after Cian Lally burst through Tourlestrane’s cover – and for 20 minutes of the second-half they only scored once, a 39th minute pointed free by Eoghan Smith (after a foul on Cian Lally).
But it wasn’t as if Drumcliffe-Rosses Point weren’t in this contest – they finished the first-half strongly with three unanswered points and, indeed, they could have salvaged a draw at the end of the second period.
James Donlon was busy as Drumcliffe-Rosses Point made themselves hard to play against and hard to break down.
Because Tourlestrane were just as good at getting players back, patiently moving the ball over and back until a potential opening, this fare would have been abhorrent to GAA purists, who can’t fathom that in the modern game possession is everything. Tourlestrane, for whom John Paul Lang and Noel Gaughan made important defensive interceptions, with Conan Marren also working hard in midfield, showed their prowess by moving 0-4 to 0-1 with 18 minutes played.
Liam Gaughan fisted an early point when he had a glimpse of goal after Gary Gaughan and John Francis Carr created the chance.
Cathal Henry landed a free from distance and there were good points by Oisin Kennedy and James Leonard.
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