Clarke impresses as Castlerahan retain status

Senior Football Championship Relegation Play-Off

Castlerahan 4-16

Laragh United 1-11

Paul Fitzpatrick

At Kingspan Breffni

Laragh United will play their football in the Intermediate Championship next season after this heavy defeat at the hands of Castlerahan ended their seven-year sojourn in the senior ranks.

Laragh started brightly and opened up a two-point lead but were second best all over the field thereafter. In fact, they tacked on 1-5 very late in the game to put a better look on the scoreboard after Castlerahan had long since put the result beyond doubt.

Key to Castlerahan’s win was the dominance of Jamie Clarke around the middle. The county U20 player crowned a break-out campaign with another eye-catching individual performance, ruling the skies from kick-outs and repeatedly driving his side forward.

Laragh came out with real intent. Ronan Fitzsimons opened the scoring with a lovely snap-shot in the third minute and Niall Fitzpatrick followed with a well-taken effort off his left to make it 0-2 to 0-0.

Castlerahan’s response was immediate. On their first attack of substance, Cian McCabe gathered a good delivery and squared for Conor Farrelly, who bundled the ball home at the back post.

Oisin Kiernan was fouled at the other end and Ciaran Caldwell tapped over the free before Jason Walsh, after exchanging passes with Fitzpatrick, curled over to restore Laragh’s two-point advantage.

Control

From there, though, Castlerahan took complete control.

Clarke announced himself with a magnificent individual score, slaloming through heavy traffic before splitting the posts. A minute later, he forced a turnover and Kiernan finished the move off his left to edge Castlerahan in front.

Clarke then won the resulting kick-out and Caldwell punished Laragh with a two-pointer from play. Rory Smith added another after good work from McCabe as Castlerahan began to turn the screw.

Clarke continued to dominate in the air and, after he got a hand to a long delivery which Laragh goalkeeper Morgan McGovern turned around the post, Kiernan converted the resulting 45 to leave it 1-7 to 0-3.

Fitzsimons briefly stemmed the tide with a two-point free from the hands but Castlerahan struck twice in the space of a minute to effectively settle the contest.

Simple task

Clarke dispossessed a Laragh defender and bore down on goal before unselfishly laying the ball off to Caldwell, who had the simple task of finishing to the net.

Then a slick handpassing move cut Laragh open through the middle, with Stephen Cooney and Kiernan involved before Smith finished low to the net for Castlerahan’s third goal.

Senan Macken added a point and Castlerahan went in at half-time with a commanding 3-8 to 0-5 advantage.

There was no sign of a Laragh revival after the restart. Kiernan landed a two-point free from the ground before Patrick Rudden replied with a poin - but Caldwell soon added a free and then punished another Laragh kick-out with a fine score from play.

Cian McCabe clipped over an excellent point off his left and Kiernan followed with another before Caldwell struck from play to stretch the margin further.

Fitzsimons landed a two-pointer for Laragh but substitute Cormac Lynch grabbed Castlerahan’s fourth goal to underline their superiority.

To their credit, Laragh kept battling. Niall Fitzpatrick blasted home on the half-volley from close range after a goalmouth scramble and substitute Jake Mills landed a two-pointer before Fitzsimons completed their scoring.

But those late scores merely reduced the margin as Castlerahan comfortably secured their senior status.

Castlerahan: Eoin Lynch; John Linnane, Conor Farrelly (1-0), Eoin McCaul; Senan Macken (0-1), Stephen Cooney, Luke Caldwell; Jamie Clarke (0-1), Cormac Daly; Rory Smith (1-1), Cian McCabe (0-2), Padraig McGahern; Fergal Reilly, Oisin Kiernan (0-5, 45, 2ptf), Ciaran Caldwell (1-6, 2pt, 2f)

Subs: Mark McCabe for E McCaul, Cormac Lynch (1-0) for L Caldwell, Jack McCabe for P McGahern (all 53), Dylan Brouder for S Cooney (57), Peter Lynch for C Caldwell (60).

Laragh United: Morgan McGovern; Stephen Cooney, Sean Tierney, Ciaran Cooney; Darragh Fitzsimons, Jason Walsh (0-1), Conor Higgins; Sean Og Hourihane, Fergal McKenna; Raymond Lackey, Paul Smith, Danny Brady; Niall Fitzpatrick (1-1), Patrick Rudden (0-1), Ronan Fitzsimons (0-7, 2 2ptf, 2pt)

Subs: Jake Mills (0-2, 2pt) for S Hourihane (28), Paul Cooney for R Lackey (36), Aodhagán O’Reilly for D Brady (53).

Ref: Derek Argue.