Longford club Carrickedmond take Daingean down to claim the Leinster League title

Carrickedmond . . . 0-12   Daingean (Offaly) . . . 0-10

Playing catch up for most of the match against the Offaly Intermediate outfit, it eventually came good for resilient Carrickedmond who produced a strong finish to get the better of Daingean in the Leinster Club Senior Football League Division 2 title decider.

The final of this special competition was played at Glennon Brothers Pearse Park on Friday night last and inspired by former Slashers and county defender Dermot Brady, the determined Carrick side gradually came out on top in a tense and exciting finish.

While Daingean held a slender 0-10 to 0-9 lead when their chief marksman Charlie Hayes fired over a free for his fifth score in the 57th minute, the visitors suffered a significant setback when Danny Mangan was dismissed for black card moments earlier.

Carrickedmond made good use of the extra man to avoid defeat and after Eoghan McCormack landed the equaliser, a couple of further points followed in stoppage time from Aidan McGuire (free) and substitute Ross Doherty (a cracking long range strike) to clinch a hard earned success.

Both teams were reduced to 14 players midway through the first half when tempers boiled over and resulted in red cards for Pauric Dempsey (Carrick) and Cian Bracken (Daingean).

The victory was a timely boost for the Carrickedmond players and their manager Eugene McCormack in the build up to the Senior Championship Round 1 clash against Dromard on Friday July 19.

Particularly prominent for the south Longford club was attacker Eoghan McCormack (son of the boss Eugene) who registered a total of five points (1 free) and the tenacious centre-half-forward was denied a goal in the second half when his shot was saved by the opposing keeper Conan Curley in the 40th minute.

Three of the McCormack scores (1 free) came in the first half with Aidan McGuire (free) also on target as Carrick trailed by 0-7 to 0-4 at the break.

Jamie Hayes (2 frees), Charlie Hayes (play and free), full-back Adam Bolger, keeper Curley (free) and Ciaran McEvoy (a brilliant effort) accounted for the Daingean scores in the first half but they were restricted to three points on the changeover.

The Daingean dangerman Charlie Hayes fired over the three points (2 frees) but Carrickedmond upped their game considerably in the second half to clock up eight more scores.

Three from Aidan McGuire (2 frees), a brace from Eoghan McCormack with Brian Mulvey, Jack Dempsey and Ross Doherty also on target as Carrickemond got over the line.

The point from Dempsey was the direct result of a penetrating run from the vastly experiencd centre-half-back Dermot Brady who is still making his presence felt on the pitch and is a valuable asset for Carrickedmond in his first season with the club but who has been living with his family in the parish for a number of years.

CARRICKEDMOND: Garrett Higgins; Niall O’Farrell, Padraig McGrath, John Gerety; Pauric Dempsey, Dermot Brady, Diarmuid Kelly; Liam Glennon, Enda Farrell; Paddy Farrell, Eoghan McCormack (0-5, 1 free), Brian Mulvey (0-1); Aidan McGuire (0-4, 3 frees), Sean Kelly, Jack Dempsey (0-1). 

Subs:- Sean Egan for N O’Farrell (30 mins); Barry O’Farrell for S Kelly (41 mins); Ross Doherty (0-1) for P Farrell (44 mins); John O’Shea for L Glennon (58 mins). 

DAINGEAN: Conan Curley (0-1, free); Cathal McKnight, Adam Bolger (0-1), James Kelly; Oisin Delaney, Ryan Conway, Casey Evans; David Walsh, Sam Wright; Ciaran McEvoy (0-1), Cian Bracken, Shane Marsden; Charlie Hayes (0-5, 3 frees), Jamie Hayes (0-2, frees), Aaron McCourt.

Subs used:- Danny Mangan (25 mins); Jamie Duffy (36 mins); Aaron Longworth (41 mins); Cillian Darcy (46 mins); Aaron Byrne (56 mins). 

Referee: Enda Kelly (Westmeath).