Trim 2-13
Drumbaragh 0-14

Davy Dalton and his management team of Sean McDonagh and Maurice Power were jubilant albeit relieved when their Trim team defeated last year's junior champions Drumbaragh by four points in Simonstown. Victory was by no means easy. Indeed it was a struggle. But such is sport.

Trim were the dominant force early on and by the twentieth minute were three points ahead at six points to three in a period where they dominated the mid field exchanges and were pushing the pace. The final ten minutes of the half saw a concerning change of fortune for the Trim side as the North Meathers completely gained the ascendency and scored four unanswered points to enter the break one point ahead at seven points to six. The half time feeling among supporters was that the Trim lads were reeling while Drumbaragh, after taking a pounding early on, displayed great character in the recovery and were now the more composed side of the two. Half time score Trim 0-7 to Drumbaragh 0-6.

The half time talk seemed more effective for the Trim lads. Within seven minutes from the throw in they had 1-3 on the score board to race five points ahead as if to say "enough is enough". Once again the Drumbaragh lads made a character laden recovery by clocking up three points in a row around the tenth minute to reduce the deficit to two points. The following fifteen minutes were evenly contested with both sides keeping in touch with vital scores thus entering the final five minutes with Trim ahead by three points and looking possible victors.

"Not so", said the Drumbaragh lads. They fired over two points in the twenty seventh and twenty ninth minute to leave a one point game and narrowly wide in the thirtied to potentially tie the game. Injury during the half necessitated four minutes of nail biting extra time but Trim hammered home the nail in the final minute with a point and a goal to leave a final five point gap with an ending score line of Trim 2-13 to Drumbaragh 0-14.

In summing up the Trim performance - The old GAA adage "goals win games" is very true.

The second minute goal just after half time launched their recovery while their final score, a sixty fourth minute goal finally sealed the deal and gained the five point victory.

A vital deflection by Trim's corner back, Colm Flaherty in the tenth minute when Drumbaragh were through on goal saw the ball rocket over the bar.

The substitution of Mark McCormack early in the second half was vital. He immediately got up to the pace of the game, was a constant thorn in the Drumbaragh side and 'to boot' he fired over two great points in the final quarter.

The importance of an accurate free taker in your side cannot be over emphasised. At times when Trim were struggling out the field, free taker James Toher kept the scoreboard ticking over with four pointed frees and refreshing to see the frees being taken from the ground.

The Trim team was: Brendan Murphy, Colm Flaherty, Eoin Kelly, Shane Downes, Ciaran Joyce, Stephen Farrell, David Foley, Frankie Murphy, Robert Burke, Luke Moran, James Toher, Sean Fitzgerald, James Cullen, Ciaran O'Rourke, Mark Gilsenan.

Subs: Mark McCormack, Eoin O'Connor, Ronan Fitzsimons, Conal McGrenna, Colm McGrath, Kevin Nally, Darryl Phelin, Andrew O'Brien, James Foley, Martin McNally, Cian Downes, Robert Brennan, Cathal Birmingham, Shane O'Connor, Paul Munnelly, Karl O'Dwyer.

The Trim scorers were: James Toher 1-4, Mark McCormack 0-2, Sean Fitzgerald 0-2, Luke Moran 1-0, Ciaran O'Rourke 0-1, James Cullen 0-1, Ciaran Joyce 0-1, Robert Burke 0-1, Ronan Fitzsimons 0-1 Tweet

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