Our Seniors faced Newtownstewart in the opening round of the Championship this evening in Greencastle. Thanks to everyone who travelled to support the lads – it was greatly appreciated!
Newtownstewart opened scoring with a goal after four minutes. Drumragh responded well with a neat score from Paddy Colgan before Shane Cleary converted a seventh minute penalty to take the lead.
Both teams enjoyed periods of prolonged possession and territorial supremacy but it was the Drumragh midfield pairing of Colgan and Benny Drumm who were bossing the middle third. They ensured their forward colleagues received plenty of the ball and ten minutes in one such pass led to the Sarsfields’ second goal.
Full forward Tommy Murphy laid the ball off to Shane Cleary who finished low to the net for his second major of the night. Points from Marty Taggart and Tommy Mullin extended the lead to five points before Newtown narrowed the gap to leave the half time score 2-3 to 1-3 in favour of Drumragh.
The North Tyrone outfit had the advantage of the breeze for the second half but it was the Sarsfields’ that began best. Five unanswered points inside the first ten minutes of the second period put Drumragh eight clear.
Drumragh moved 2-9 to 1-4 in front following a converted 45 into the wind by goalkeeper James Colgan but were reduced to fourteen men when Patrick Colgan received a second yellow card with fourteen minutes remaining.
A brace of points and a goal from Newtownstewart reduced the gap to the bare minimum with time almost up. However Drumragh dug deep and turned the ball over twice in injury time to earn a well deserved but hard fought win.
FT: Drumragh 2-9, Newtownstewart 2-8
Thanks to TeamTalkMag for match report and coverage.
