Longford SFC: Rampant Clonguish cruise to very easy win over Dromard

Clonguish . . . 2-17    Dromard . . . 2-3

In the knowledge that they had to win to keep alive their hopes of reaching the last 8, Clonguish came good when it mattered most in cruising to a very easy victory over Dromard in the Senior Football Championship Round 4 clash at C&D Devine Park in Edgeworthstown on Sunday evening. 

Even the concession of a couple of gift goals in the first half, which were the direct result of rare mistakes made by keeper Joe O’Brien, failed to stop last year’s beaten finalists who will be heading back to Pearse Park for the knockout stage should they succeed in defeating the already qualified Abbeylara in the remaining group fixture on Saturday evening.
While the deadly accurate Matthew Carey stood out yet again in shooting the tremendous total of 11 points (9 frees), the elusive Cormac Flynn was also a constant threat for under pressure Dromard who are now facing a must win match against Longford Slashers in order to avoid a championship exit.
Black cards were issued to Gerry Moore (Clonguish) and Dylan McCormack (Dromard) in the closing stages of the first half and the narrow margin of just three points (1-7 to 2-1) separated the sides at the break.
With the aid of the stiff wind on the changeover, a lot more resistance was expected from Dromard but they never got going in a poor performance and their tale of woe continued when defender Fionn Hourican was sent-off midway through the second half.
Clonguish clocked up another 1-10 with Jack Duggan showing his trademark quick pace to race through for a fine goal in the 50th minute before demoralised Dromard eventually registered another score when Francis McGee converted a free.
It was McGee who scrambled the ball over the line for a controversial goal in the 26th minute of the first half while Diarmuid Masterson found the back of the Clonguish net in the early stages of the game.
A couple of minutes later Michael Flynn (returning from injury) scored a well-taken goal for the boys in green (minus the injured Andrew Flynn) and that set the trend for the remainder of this one-sided encounter in the ‘group of death’.

Jack Duggan shot over the bar to open the scoring for Clonguish in the 6th minute and six more points followed during the rest of the first half - five from Mattnew Carey (4 frees) with Cormac Flynn also on target.

Apart from the two soft goals, Dromard only succeeded in registering a solitary point in the first half with Joseph Hagan shooting over the bar in the 12th minute.

Basically, Dromard failed to raise a gallop in the wet conditions and their joint managers Enda Macken and Gareth Johnston will be demanding a major improvement for the showdown against Slashers.

Clonguish were in full flow on this occasion with six of their ten points in the second half coming from Matthew Carey (5 frees) with influential substitute Kevin Burke, livewire Cormac Flynn, Matthew Flynn and Conor Shields accounting for the other scores in this impressive win

CLONGUISH: Joe O’Brien; Conor Smith, Gerard Moore, Cian Sutton; Josh Sorohan, Ronan Sweeney, Conor Flynn; Jamie Dorr, Jack Duggan (1-1); Chris Gordon, Conor Shields (0-1), Matthew Flynn (0-1); Michael Flynn (1-0), Matthew Carey (0-11, 9 frees), Cormac Flynn (0-2).

Subs:- Peter Hanley for G Moore (32 mins); Kevin Burke (0-1) for R Sweeney (injured, 35 mins); Jason Glancy for Cormac Flynn (57 mins). 

DROMARD: Ollie Duffy; Ronan Corcoran, Dylan McCormack, Christopher Grimes; Joe Hagan (0-2, 1 free), Ronan Bleakley, Fionn Hourican; Rory O’Toole, Diarmuid Masterson (1-0); Ronan McEntire, Francis McGee (1-1, 1 free), Bernard Sheridan; Dylan Vance, Aaron Farrell, Peter Reynolds.

Subs:- Conor McGauran for D Vance (half-time); Daniel Conboy for B Sheridan (43 mins); Emmet Masterson for C Grimes (47 mins); James Mimnagh for R McEntire (51 mins); Ian McLoughlin for R Corcoran (58 mins). 

Referee: Patrick Maguire (St Mary’s Granard).