Belnaleck edge through to last eight as Teemore face play off
Belnaleck 0-08 Teemore 0-08
BELNALECK had to show great resolve on Saturday evening against Teemore as they came away with the result needed to secure their place in the last eight of the Mannok SFC.
The Shamrocks went into the game knowing that nothing less than a victory would end their hopes of making the knockout stages of the championship and leave they the relegation play off and by the midway stage of the second half they appeared to be on their way to achieving that.
The sides had been level at 0-03 apiece at half time but Teemore started the second half with intent as scores from Eoin Mcmanus and Ronan Mccaffrey helped them into a 0-06 to 0-04 lead.
At this stage Belnaleck looked to be in a sticky position as Teemore were in the ascendancy but the Art Mcmurroughs dug deep and they answered with four points in a row to swing the game back in their favour.
Teemore though were never going to go away and they fought back to level matters at 0-08 each but Belnaleck managed to see the game out to seal their spot in the last eight.
Teemore manager Barry Owens was disappointed with the outcome.
“We’re left disappointed again,” he said. “We really thought we could get a result even at half time knowing we had lost Cian and Niall we still felt we could get the win.
“It was a good tough game, a proper championship match, but unfortunately we didn’t get the result,” he said.
Focus now turns to this Saturday’s relegation shoot out against Ederney, and Owens expects a big battle.
“Ederney on Saturday will be tough. They have been unlucky in all their games so far and they have some very good footballers all through their team so we know we have a tough battle ahead of us,” he said.
This was a cagey affair with little between the sides throughout. Teemore suffered two big blows in the first half when they lost both Cian Mcmanus and Niall Clarke to injury.
Clarke had landed a point prior to leaving the field after Eoin Mcmanus had converted a free to put the Shamrocks into a 0-02 to 0-00 lead.
It took Belnaleck nearly 20 minutes to open their account with Darragh Mcgurn slotting over while Garvan Quigley then added a second for the Art Mcmurroughs.
And the sides swapped points before half time with Bryan Owens clipping over for Belnaleck while Mcmanus knocked over a free for Teemore to leave it 0-03 to 0-03.
Oisin Murphy and Mcgurn then traded points at the start of the second half but with Mcmanus and Mccaffrey on target for Teemore they moved into a 0-06 to 0-04 lead.
With their backs to the wall though Belnaleck responded. Owens fired over a free and Quigley did likewise with ten minutes to go to level matters.
Belnaleck were now having the upperhand and Ciaran Mcbrien converted a mark before Quigley slotted over a free to put two between the sides.
Back though came Teemore and two further Mcmanus frees tied the contest but a late Teemore attack was intercepted by Che Cullen as Belnaleck held on for the win.