Senior Championship - Melvin Gaels V Annaduff

Late Gaels rally denies champions victory

Masonite Senior Championship Group Four First Round

Champions Annaduff were denied the perfect start in the defence of their Masonite Senior Championship title when former kingpins Melvin Gaels rallied with two late points to deservedly draw this Group Four clash in Dromod last Saturday evening.

Annaduff 1-7, Melvin Gaels 0-10

In the League meeting between the sides just a few weeks ago, League and Championship winners Annaduff scored a big victory over the Kinlough side. But Melvin Gaels tore up the form book and may consider themselves unlucky not to emerge with a victory.

With 14 minutes to go, the Kinlough men moved into a two point lead but then Ray Cox finished a great move off with a cracking goal. Adrian McNulty added a point and suddenly, the Gaels, after making much of the running, were looking at defeat.

However, Melvin Gaels fought back and a Brendan Brennan point in injury time ensured a point apiece for both teams with a draw probably the fair result at the end of an exciting game. The Kinlough men may feel that they missed their chance during the first half when they hit four wides, including a great goal chance from veteran Gareth Foley. Their accuracy improved after the break as Annaduff, who had no wides in the first half, missed the target on three occasions.

Annaduff may feel they should have held on for the victory but nevertheless, defeat was avoided by the champions and the point will set them up nicely for the remaining games against St. Caillin’s, Ballinaglera and Carrigallen. The champions also showed the necessary battling qualities to retain their title as they withstood a strong Melvin Gaels challenge.

Annaduff opened the scoring when County panelist Brendan Guckian shot over a fourth minute point. But two minutes later, David McSharry hit the first of his seven points from a thirty metre free. The Gaels could have gone further ahead when former County player Gareth Foley saw his eighth minute goal shot go narrowly wide, in what was a major let-off for the champions.

They took advantage of it when Joe Cox scored from close-range a minute later but Melvin Gaels hit back to level once more on 12 minutes when Martin McCarron shot over from play while Damien Sheridan put his team into the lead for the first time with a first time pull on the ball after 13 minutes.
The tight nature of the exchanges was emphasised when Sean Byrne scored from play to level on 14 minutes. The game then went through a fallow period with neither side able to get a score before david McSharry ended a 13 minute drought by sending over a 20 metre free on 27 minutes.

Again the champions hit back with Ray Cox with his own 20 metre free but two minutes into added time, McSharry edged his team back in front with yet another free, leaving the halftime score at 0-5 to 0-4 for the Kinlough men. Melvin Gaels looked to have struck an early blow in the fight for supremacy when David McSharry converted two frees in the first seven minutes of the second half, opening up a dangerous looking three point gap.

The game was turning into a battle between freetakers, however, and Ray Cox replied with unerring accuracy as he shot two frees, one from a very tight angle, to narrow the gap to the minimum after 44 minutes of play. Melvin Gaels again opened up a two point gap when McSharry scored a 13 metre free with 14 minutes to go and the north Leitrim men looked in good shape to go on and score an important victory.

But Annaduff hit back with a body blow when a great move from the defence ended with scorer-in-chief Ray Cox blasting an unstoppable shot to the back of the net, past County keeper Gareth Phelan. The thunderbolt of a goal obviously inspired the Champions and when Adrian McNulty’s left foot shot flew between the posts with less than nine minutes to go, it looked as if Annaduff would go on to score a hard-earned victory. But Melvin Gaels are made of sterner stuff and they finished the game much stronger than Annaduff. David McSharry put the game back in the melting pot when he scored a 45 with less than a minute to go, leaving the minimum between the teams. And Melvin Gaels got their just reward when former County man Brendan Brennan scored a wonderful point to ensure a point for the north Leitrim men.

Annaduff: Kevin Ludlow, Martin Faughnan, Gene Cox, Derek Cox, Dermot Reynolds, Ronan McCormack, David Duignan, Brendan Guckian (0-1), Sean Maxwell, Gus Garvey, Adrian McNulty (0-1), Sean Byrne (0-1), Alan Cox Captain, Ray Cox (1-3), Joe Cox (0-1).

Melvin Gaels: Gareth Phelan, Padraig McGloin, James Phelan, Adam Regan, Colm McGowan, Joe Tiffoney, Colin Regan, David McNulty, Brendan Brennan (0-1), David McSharry (0-7), Martin McCarron (0-1), Paul McGurran (0-1), Damien Sheridan, Gareth Foley, Thomas Lipsett. Subs: Shane McCarron for Foley, Peter McGloin for Sheridan, Gareth Foley for McNulty.

Ref: Eamon O’Grady.

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