Curry book place in Intermediate final
CURRY CASTLECONNOR
Curry will face either Shamrock Gaels or Enniscrone/Kilglass in next month’s intermediate football final after they survived two Castleconnor comebacks in an entertaining semi-final at Tourlestrane on Sunday afternoon.
Curry looked like they might make light work of the west Sligo men as an authoritative start from JP Duffy’s men saw them sail into a four point lead early on.
Alan Reilly sparked this tie into life with no more than two minutes gone as he fired past Colin Gordon in the Castleconnor nets, before David McDonagh returned shortly after to kick over a well worked point. Stephen Curley sent over the first of his five for the day from a free on eight. While the evergreen Adrian Marren matched that feat at the opposite end.
Despite a speedy opening, Curry were to go an incredible 18 minutes without a score, allowing Castleconnor back into the tie. Sean Carrabine hit the first and second of his personal tally of three to reduce the deficit to two points. While Kevin Langan, who looked to be shooting for the roof of the net only for the ball to sail over the black mark, made it a one point game.
The red and white levelled proceedings on 28 when a powerful run from McDonnell brought him past three men. The county man picking up the first of his two white flags.
Red Og Murphy eventually jolted Curry from their slumber with a fine left footed score in added time. The south Sligo men lucky to lead this one by a single point at the break. Marren and Curley exchanged points early on in a more competitive second period. While McDonnell had one of the scores of the game on 41 minutes when he found the posts from 40 yards out to the left. Both teams kept the scoreboard ticking over in the late evening sunshine. McDonagh and Reilly for Curry, while Curley had his third from another free on 43.
Gordon pulled off an excellent two-handed stop from Reilly’s next fist at goal from close range. But Curry returned again as Murphy slotted over a free and a score from play.
With a just goal separating the sides, Curry then opened dup another sizeable lead. The Castleconnor back line losing sight of Marren as he ran inside before unselfishly supplying Michael Gordon who was left with a simple finish. Curry now leading by two goals.
Marren himself pushed Curry further ahead with his third of the day on 52. But Castleconnor found their second wind and cut the gap from seven to three as a Curley double along with scores from the boots of Carrabine and Eoin Kent looked to sending this game towards a tense finish.
But that was to be Castleconnor’s last act as Curry weathered the storm.
Marren was back in the thick of the action to steady the ship with scores number four and five. His fifth coming after a superb double save from Gordon.
Their progression to another county final was then secured in the 69th minute. A one two between full back Tommy Stenson and Tommy Henry resulting in the former tucking the ball beyond Gordon.
Curry: James McDonagh (Richard Wynne 65); Aaron Kearns, Tommy Stenson (1-0), Craig Gallagher; Kevin Reilly (Jason Marren 62), David McDonagh (02), Gary Walsh; Jonathan Durkin (Kenneth Morley 48), Denis Coffey (Sean Colleary 39); Red Og Murphy (0-3), Sean Davey, Alan Reilly (1-1); Michael Gordon (1-0), Adrian Marren (0-5), Tommy Henry.
Castleconnor: Colin Gordon; Ronan Keane, Keith Earlis (Paul Sweeney 35), Brendan Howley; Eoin Kent (0-1), Rory Healy, Jason Earlis; Kevin McDonnell (0-2), Sean Carrabine (0-3); Alan Cawley, Kevin Langan (0-1), Cian Barrins (Patrick Naughton HT); Brian Howley (Paul Flynn 48), John McDonell, Stephen Curley (0-5).
Referee: John Griffin.