Templeport hold off Drumalee in league decider

ACFL Division 3 final

Templeport 1-9

Drumalee 0-10

Eddie Halligan at O'Connell Park

Templeport St Aidan's completed the perfect league campaign when they were crowned Division 3 league winners at the expense of a gritty Drumalee outfit in O’Connell Park, Milltown on Saturday evening last. Templeport’s league final success was win number 15 out of possible 15 matches available, which was the icing on the cake after securing promotion to Division Two with a win over Kill Shamrocks only seven days previous, to cap off a very impressive and flawless campaign.

However, in comparison to the high standards set from their excellent league performances, where they amassed an average of 18 points per game, strong favourites Templeport were unusually flat across the hour and were dependent on their talisman, Eoin Doonan, for scores, with Doonan totaling 1-6, including a brilliantly taken goal in the first half.

Although they had the majority of possession, both Doonan and half-back Dillon Raythorne, were the only two scorers on the Templeport scoresheet which may raise slight concerns ahead of their intermediate campaign in a few weeks’ time with the absence of Liam and Conor Galligan were keenly felt in the Templeport attack.

With promotion already secured after an excellent league campaign, Drumalee would have left Milltown wondering what might have been as they had three excellent goal chances that may have seen the Division Three trophy heading in the direction of St. Felim’s Park.

When the Lillywhites were purposeful in attack, they caused their opponents uncomfortable moments especially in the closing stages of both halves through Leigh Dunne, Cian Byrne and the effervescent Michael Brennan, and only for a superb block by Templeport captain Sean Dolan on Bryne’s goal bound effort in the dying minutes, the tie could have swung completely in Drumalee’s favour.

The aforementioned Raythorne got his side up and running with a superb point inside the ’45, using the wind to great effect within the opening minute before midfielder, Greg Duffy soon replied for Drumalee with a score of his own when he scooped up possession after a Leigh Dunne high ball was not properly dealt with in the Templeport defence.

In the 10th minute, Michael Brennan showed a brilliant piece of quick thinking when reacted quickest to Cian Byrne free which fell short to fire over his left shoulder with his back towards the Templeport goal.

Doonan replied with a free to level the scores at two points apiece, but a minute later, the same player latched onto a superb team move involving Raythorne and Eoin McCaffrey to fire an unstoppable shot low to the corner of the Drumalee net.

Once the green flag was raised, there was an undercurrent of expectation that the Bawnboy men would click into their groove and move through the gears, but Drumalee remained unflinched and could have had a goal of their own only to see a Tomas O Keeffe shot denied by a brilliant save from Donal Maguire.

Raythorne curled over another exceptional score, this time from the left boot, to push his side four in front at 1-3 to 0-2 but Templeport were dealt a blow when midfielder, Eoghan Martin, received a black card with 13 minutes of the half remaining.

Two minutes after a Doonan curler cancelled out a Sean O Kane free, Drumalee missed another glorious opportunity to raise the green flag when Leigh Dunne gathered a Brennan shot that fell short to cut inside and he found the unmarked O Keeffe but the full forward blasted his shot against the crossbar with only Maguire to beat.

Nonetheless, Drumalee kept probing and finished the half the stronger with points from Byrne (2) and O Kane free leaving the minimum between the sides at 1-4 to 0-6 in Templeport’s favour.

Playing into the wind in the second half, Templeport controlled possession from the throw in and were off the mark two minutes in with another splendid Raythorne score from inside the ’45. Two more frees from Doonan had his side in a comfortable position and their lead could been further enhanced only for Drumalee goalkeeper, Brian Coombes, to superbly deny Gavin Donohoe from close range.

Despite having the majority of the possession, Templeport were somewhat reliant on Doonan for scores as their normally razor-sharp attack was blunted by the Drumalee defence. Doonan floated over a ’45 to push side five in front at 1-8 to 0-6 as Drumalee struggled to create attacking opportunities but a Dunne curler eventually got the Lillywhites their first score of the second half in the 50th minute.

That score ignited Drumalee as they proceeded to finish out the half the stronger yet again and points from Duffy and Brennan had the scores at 1-8 to 0-9 with minutes remaining. Doonan replied with a point as the game entered into injury time when a goal looked on only to be quickly cancelled out a sweet strike from Byrne.

However, Templeport were left hanging on in injury time as the town team briefly threatened an upset and the soon to be winners were grateful to a superb block by their captain Sean Dolan on Cian Byrne’s 13-yard goal-bound effort in the dying embers of injury time to finally cement their victory.

Templeport: Donal Maguire, Liam Bannon, Sean Dolan, Oran Duffy, Dillon Raythorne (0-3), Benjamin Kelly, James Rudden, Eoghan Martin, Gavin Donohoe, Liam McAweeney, Eoin Doonan (1-6, 3f, ’45), Luke Donohoe, James Fahy, Eoin McCaffrey, Naoise McKenna.

Subs: Jack Kelly for James Rudden; Danny Maguire for James Fahy; Conor McAweeney for Dillon Raythorne

Drumalee: Brian Coombes, Daire Donohoe, Philip McArdle, Eoin Donohoe, Kieran Lynch, Enda McCormack, David O’Keeffe, Greg Duffy (0-2), Andy Fallon, Tommy Walsh, Sean O’Kane (0-2, 2f), Leigh Dunne (0-1), Michael Brennan (0-2), Tomas O Keeffe, Cian Byrne (0-3, 1f).

Subs: Gerard Reilly for David O'Keeffe; Aiden Lee for Kieran Lynch; Eamon Quinn for Tomas O'Keeffe; Ryan Somers for Eoin Donohoe.

Main photo: Eoin McCaffrey and Philip McArdle. Photo: Lorraine Teevan.