Oldcastle 3-07, Drumbaragh 2-08

With the Oldcastle panel resembling the Outpatients Department of a medium sized hospital, probably even the most ardent supporters gave us little hope going into this opening match against local rivals Drumbaragh.

It was the opposition who had all the early scores; Oldcastle were making most of the play but giving away passes, and Drumbaragh capitalised, going four points up before Garrett O’Reilly registered Oldcastle’s first. Drumbaragh came back straight away with a goal, a six point deficit. Oldcastle were awarded a penalty soon after, but it came back off the post. A Conor McHugh kickout found Thomas Sheridan, to Ryan Halpin, on to Louis Colleran, back to Thomas and in to the waiting Rory Crawley who put her to the back of the net, and revived hopes! Soon after, Lee Healy emerged from a melee with the ball, tipped on to Garrett, and over the bar. With the first half nearly gone, a Conor McHugh save was sent onwards via Cillian Connell to the flying Dylan Garrigan, to Pearse Sheridan, to Oran Mulvanny, back to Pearse and in to CJ who tipped her over the bar to leave the half-time score a more respectable Oldcastle 1-03, Drumbaragh 1-04.

The second-half got underway with Drumbaragh putting one over, but the kickout found Garrett, on via Pearse, and in to the waiting CJ Healy who put everything into it, taking a hard-shoulder at the same time as he kicked her goalwards and knocking the stuffing out of him, but the ball was heading for the net, now Lee may have also got a hand in there, but either way it was a Healy goal, we’ll give it to CJ and the lads can debate among other! A point ahead now, but Drumbaragh levelled again, then took another to go ahead once more.

A superb point from Garrett made it even once more, before super-sub Cormac Fagan pointed, Oldcastle ahead again! It was tit for tat all the way now, Drumbaragh adding on another point to level it again. Serious pressure from them straight away after, but the Oldcastle defence stood firm and cleared the threat, Pearse Sheridan with a great run upfield, getting the ball to CJ, on to Lee and over the bar, Oldcastle now one point up again.

Attack after attack from both sides, and with the clock ticking down Drumbaragh were awarded a free but sent her wide, but straight away awarded another; not going for the point but worked in and resulting in a goal! That put them two points up, with only a minute left, the kickout finding Lee Healy who hares upfield, go go go Lee, he go go goes and gets her in to Cormac Fagan who fists her over the bar, only a point behind now, but it’s 60 minutes on the clock, we are in borrowed time.

It’s Drumbaragh putting the pressure on the Oldcastle goal end, bodies everywhere, but an Oldcastle clearance somehow gets the ball out of the danger-zone and heading in the right direction, Conor McHugh on to Steven Lawless, on to Oran O’Reilly, to Oran Mulvanny, to CJ, back to Oran M, on to Lee, to CJ, back to Lee, to CJ again and finally to the golden boot of Louis Colleran who smashed her to the back of the net, the goal of all goals, maybe the goal to get him banned from Creans this weekend but it’ll be pints everywhere else.

The goal to ensure that Oldcastle beat Drumbaragh, the final whistle blowing up a game of pure entertainment on a scoreline of Oldcastle 3-07, Drumbaragh 2-08.

Oldcastle: Conor McHugh, Oran O’Reilly, Dylan Garrigan, Thomas Sheridan, Cillian Connell, Steven Lawless, Louis Colleran (1-00), Oran Mulvanny, Pearse Sheridan, Lee Healy (0-01), CJ Healy (1-01), Ryan Halpin, Rory Crawley (1-00), Garrett O’Reilly (0-03), Ryan Kevin. Subs: Tom Lynch, Cormac Fagan (0-02), Stephen Tierney.

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