Drumlane continue winning sequence in style

Drumlane 2-12 Knockbride 0-5 Drumlane have had that winning habit all season, losing just once in 11 matches in league and championship, and they lived up to the hype with a clinical demolition of Knockbride, who are rated as one of the favourites for the IFC, last Saturday in Breffni Park. Knockbride players and mentors were unhappy with the performance of referee Seamus O'Connor, with much jeering and one green and red-clad individual accosting the Maghera official and sarcastically patting him on the back as he left the field. Undoubtedly, some of the decision-making was questionable but to blame the referee in a 13-point defeat seems churlish; Knockbride were off the pace and totally overwhelmed by a fired-up and clued-in Drumlane. The Sons of O'Connell took the lead in the third minute through a Barry Corrigan free and and held their advntage from there until the long whistle, with two killer goals in five first half minutes more or less sealing the result. Drumlane were 0-4 to 0-2 ahead (two Corrigan frees and a Barry Cunningham point making it 4-0 before Larry Reilly and Niall Clarke cut the gap) when the first green flag was raised in the 23rd minute. A high ball from Corrigan found centre-forward Fergal Brady, who rose to expertly flick to the net. Moments later, the crucial second arrived. Another good Corrigan pass found midfielder Daryl McConnell. Displaying the class which made him a star underage player for the county some seasons back, McConnell threw a dummy and planted an excellent shot to the top corner of Ronan Keaskin's net to open an eight-point gap at the break. With only John Tierney - who showed up fairly well at midfield - providing any real resistance for Knockbride, Drumlane, playing a nice brand of football, kicked on after the break. Good work by wing-back JP Kelly and John Fitzpatrick yielded a simple free for Corrigan four minutes into the second half and a very soft free for teenage corner-forward Gary Tubman was converted by the same player to extend the lead to 11 with 20 minutes to play. Fergal Brady fired over the score of the match, flicking up the ball and splitting the posts from over 40 metres With John O'Dowd having an outstanding match at full-back and the Drumlane half-back line on top, Knockbride were finding it hard to make any sort of impact, with even Larry Reilly and the in-form Brendan Carolan unusually quiet. Reilly and Tierney converted two frees to bring their side to within nine again, 2-7 to 0-4, but Drumlane replied with another free from the reliable Corrigan. Larry Reilly (with an excellent point on the turn from a tight angle) cut the deficit but Knockbride players were growing increasingly frustrated with what they perceived to be poor officiating from ref O'Connor, with one player clearly being heard to ask a linesman just what a free had been awarded for. It was that kind of day for the Canningstown men, who came into this match off the back of a superb win over Killeshandra but never came close to producing their best form. It mattered little in any case; any decision, good or bad, would have made no difference by that stage. Points from McConnell, Cunningham, Brady and sub Stephen McCann (free) completed the rout for the Sons of O'Connell, who are moving ominously well as they seek to win the Intermediate Championship for the first time in their history. Drumlane: Darren Murphy, Robbie Smith, John O'Dowd, Neil McCann, , Glen Fitzpatrick, Paul Kelly, JP Kelly, Daryl McConnell (1-2), Dane O'Dowd, Gareth Corrigan, Fergal Brady (1-2), John Fitzpatrick, Gary Tubman, Barry Corrigan (0-4f), Barry Cunningham (0-3) SUBS: Stephen McCann (0-1f) Knockbride: Ronan Keaskin, Declan O'Reilly, David Traynor, Larry Maguire, Peter O'Reilly, Michael Clarke, Dermot O'Brien, John Tierney (0-1f), Oliver Mulvey, Seamus O'Brien, Niall O'Reilly, Ciaran Lynch, Larry Reilly (0-3, 2f), Raphael Rogers, Brendan Carolan REF: Seamus O'Connor (Maghera)