Our Reserve’s will take on Errigal Ciaran III’s in the Reserve Championship Final this coming Saturday. The game will be played as part of a double header in Killyclogher with throw in at 2.00pm. Our Reserve Team have gone unbeaten this season with a perfect record in both League and Championship. This rich vein of form has been aided by a squad which demonstrates a great mix of youth and experience. As we approach the Final, we’ve been taking a look back at previous Reserve titles. In this post we take a look at the 1983 League & Championship winning team.
The following articles appeared in the UlsterHerald giving an account of both the Championship Semi Final and Final. Drumragh G.F.C. reserves play Loughmacrory in the Reserve final at Beragh on Saturday at 6.30 p.m. In the semi-final against a much fancied Galbally, the Sarsfields had a runaway victory on the score of 5-10 to 0-1. This was the best display of the season by the second string, and if they can produce the same display on Saturday at Beragh they will be hard to beat. Against Galbally Paul McGread had a magnificent game in the half forward line and he had good support from Cathal McLaughlin, his brother, Sean, Sean Collins, Eugene Colton, Dessie McLaughlin and the evergreen Eugene McFarland at full forward.
At Beragh last Saturday the Sarsfields turned in a power-packed display to beat a gritty and determined Loughmacrory fifteen and take the reserve championship. A strong wind made good football difficult but both teams deserve some credit for their efforts to play constructive football. Playing with the wind in the first half Drumragh dominated for long periods and only poor finishing deprived them of a commanding lead at half time. On the turnover Loughmacrory came more into the game but found the Drumragh defence in great form. At the final whistle the score stood at 1-5 to 0-4 and the second county championship had been won by the Sarsfields this year.
This was a good display by Drumragh with fifteen-year-old Patrick Campbell in goals, giving a great display. The back lines of McGread, Collins and McGovern were outstanding, giving nothing away. In the half-back line McLaughlin, O’Neill and Gallagher cut out many dangerous raids and were instrumental in setting up many attacks. The midfield of Bradley and Torney found the going tough against a very good Loughmacrory pair but played their part in this victory. McGale, McGread and the diminutive McLaughlin in the half forward played a big part in their team’s win and a feature of the second half was McGale’s ability to field the ball and carry it against the wind and this took a lot of pressure off his team. McGread turned in another great fielding was and to watch. Deasley in the corner of the attack had one of his best games to date and he got good support from McFarland and Colton. Loughmacrory certainly made a good game of it and gave a very determined display of no nonsense football. Mr. Tony McKenna, chairman of the Activities Conunittee, presented the cup to D. O’Neill, the winner’s captain, amidst great scenes of jubilation. A very happy man after the game was Paddy Mullen, the manager of Drumragh, and it was his efforts throughout the year which played a big part in capturing the title. John McDonagh handled the game in an impartial manner.
While Glenelly, Stewartstown and other interested parties await the outcome of appeals at the bottom of Division 2 and the top of Division 3, the club that can really sit back and enjoy the ending of 1983 is Drumragh Sarsfields. What a season it has been for them on several fronts and they must, surely have set some sort of record by collecting no fewer than five titles. Last Sunday their Reserves completed the Division 3 League and Championship double when they beat Derrytresk in the League decider and that put the icing on the cake for them. Secretary Pat McGlone is well pleased with how it all went as he reflects on the successes. “It was our most successful season ever in the way of winning trophies and it will take some beating in the future. We ended up with four of our teams lifting titles, which is good going for a squill club like ourselves,” he said. For the record the titles won by Drumragh Sarsfields are as follows: (1) Division 3 League; (2) Division 3 (Reserve) Championship; (3) Division 3 (Reserve) League; (4) Minor Championship (Grade 2); (5) Under-14 League Section (Section C). So congratulations to Drumragh on a memorable 1983 season.
