Longford Junior champions Young Grattans lose out to stronger Clonmore side
AIB Leinster Club Junior Football Championship First Round
Clonmore (Carlow) . . . 1-16 Young Grattans . . . 1-10
Playing in soft underfoot conditions Grattans found the going tough at times as Clonmore were finding scores easier to come by and went 0-9 to 0-3 ahead after 21 minutes.
Grattans kept pressing and pulled back three more scores - a great point by Eoin Kinlan followed by two more frees converted by John Hand to leave it 0-10 to 0-6 after twenty eight minutes.
It was now looking a lot better for Grattans at this stage heading towards the break but then a killer blow was struck when Clonmore scored a goal just on the stroke of half-time to lead by 1-10 to 0-6 with Shane Murphy finding the back of the net for the Carlow champions.
Resilient Grattans refused to be rattled and got off to a brilliant start in the second half with a great goal by John Hand with less than two minutes gone on the clock to put them right back into contention.
While Clonmore consolidated their tight grip on the game in keeping the scoreboard ticking over on the changeover, gutsy Grattans deserve huge credit for never giving up the battle.
CLONMORE: Colm McGrath; James Whelan (0-1, f), Anthony Kealy McDonald, Paddy Gahan; Shane Murphy (1-0), Matt Cullen, Billy Lawler (0-2); Enda McGrath, Luke Connolly (0-1); Rob Bulmer (0-1), Shane McGrath (0-7, 4f), Tom Pollard (0-1); Rory Maguire, Con Murphy, Jake Hickey (0-2).
Subs:- Eoin Connolly for Murphy (42 mins); Anthony Byrne (0-1) for Maguire (48 mins); Dylan Doyle for Pollard (53 mins); Andrew Byrne for Bulmer (59 mins); Willie Byrne for Hickey (60 mins).
YOUNG GRATTANS: Kevin Jones; Niall Nerney, Damian McHugh, Emmet Clarke; Tadhg Nerney, Gerard Victory, Rory Howlin (0-1); Stephen Farrell, Karl Murray; Reuben Murray, Eoin Farrell (0-1), Eoin Kinlan (0-1); James Moran, John Hand (1-6, 5 frees), Shane O’ Brien.
Subs used:- Gary Hand (0-1) for Tadhg Nerney (39 mins); Sean Campbell for Emmet Clarke (57 mins); Matthew Hawes for Shane O’Brien (57 mins).
Referee: Kevin Williamson (Offaly).