Drumragh U16 boys picked up a well-earned win over Eskra at Clanabogan Park on Thursday evening. It was a great game of football with the outcome in doubt right up until the end.
Two quick goals for the visitors meant Drumragh trailed by three points approaching the final five minutes, but they battled hard to secure the victory by a single point.
It was Drumragh who opened the scoring. Joseph Taggart did well to win the ball back in defence, Niall Burt then carried it forward at pace through the Eskra defence, and laid it off to Dara Cox who sent the ball over the bar. That lead was quickly doubled when Ryan Colgan pointed after good play from Shea Mullin, Mark O’Neill and Connor McLaughlin.
Back came Eskra, however, and 1-3 unanswered put them four points ahead. But Drumragh had the last say of the half when Matt Gallagher gathered Shea Mullin’s long ball in, and finished confidently past the goalkeeper, leaving it a one-point game at the break.
Drumragh captain Matthew Barrett with the referee and Eskra captain ahead of the game
The sides went point for point at the start of the second half. Ollie Hagan pointed after strong build-up play from Oisin Walsh, Lorcan Starrs and Dara Cox, Joseph Taggart was also on target with a lovely point, while Matt Gallagher set up Ben McCullagh for another.
Further points from Matt Gallagher (2) and Joseph Taggart, along with a long-range free from goalkeeper Matthew O’Doherty, put Drumragh in front. But Eskra struck back with two goals in quick succession.
That left the visitors with a three-point lead as the game approached injury time. But Drumragh refused to give in and showed plenty of determination – including from the substitutes brought on – to make sure they got a result. Connor McLaughlin hit a point, Matt Gallagher got another after exchanging passes with Lorcan Starrs, while Shea Mullin brought the teams level after a short free kick found him in a bit of space.
Both sides went searching for a winner. Matthew Barrett, Oisin Walsh and Aaron Duncan were alert to stop Eskra from scoring. And then, at the other end of the field, good pressure from the forward line lead to a turnover giving Matt Gallagher a chance to score from a placed ball. And he did, completing a good win for Drumragh.
SCORERS: Matt Gallagher 1-4, Joseph Taggart 0-2, Shea Mullin 0-1, Dara Cox 0-1, Ryan Colgan 0-1, Ben McCullagh 0-1, Connor McLaughlin 0-1, Ollie Hagan 0-1, Matthew O’Doherty 0-1
TEAM: Matthew O’Doherty, Matthew Barrett, Aaron Duncan, Ryan Colgan, Oiisn Walsh, Joseph Taggart, Shea Mullin, Connor McLaughlin, Niall Burt, Matt Gallagher, Dara Cox, Mark O’Neill, Ollie Hagan
SUBS: Ryan Baxter, Ben McCullagh, Sean O’Donnell, Che Corry, Lorcan Starrs, Tom Barrett, Padraig Gormley, Cahir Keyes, Sean Boyle
