Burren 2-10 – 1-09 Rostrevor Minors: Slow start costs wasteful Reds

DOWN MINOR ACFL DIVISION ONE
BURREN 2-10 – 1-09 ROSTREVOR MINORS

By Kieran McNally

Rostrevor’s young charges were left to rue a sluggish start and some less than clinical finishing, as they came up short away at league and championship rivals Burren on Tuesday night.

Pete Magee in action for the Minors in their defeat against Burren. Photo| Louis McNally

The Reds never led on the night, but were often within striking distance with their final ball often deserting them at the vital moment.

Indeed, there is much to take from the performance in light of the score line and although the league title fades out of the picture slightly with this result, there is no question that with added composure in the final third, these players could claim silverware at the end of the season.

Burren; in contrast, showed a ruthless edge in their attack; and with Liam Kerr at the centre of most of their play, raced into an early lead.

James Donaghy did manage to send over via the post, but successive points; including scores from Liam Kerr and Declan Murdock, ensured a 0-4 to 0-1 lead for Burren by the 10th minute.

There were occasions; in that rather difficult opening, on which the Reds were able to move the ball at pace and finish well and Ardghal McMahon and Blain McGrath both found the target to narrow the gap to a single point before Burren scored the first of their pivotal goals in the 24th minute.

It was Liam Kerr who applied the finish; racing clear before playing a neat return pass and tapping the ball to the net. Accompanied by a further point and Pearse Kelly’s free, Burren were now into six-point lead approaching the break, but it was then that the Reds finally began to play the kind of football that they are capable of and they were the better side; rather convincingly until the end of the hour.

Aaron Fearon’s free closed the gap with Peter Magee’s turning well to finish from close range to bring Rostrevor to within four points.

The visitors may also have responded with a goal before half-time with a swift attack finding Fearon in front of the posts, but his handling let him down and the chance was lost. This was something that typified Rostrevor’s evening; generally, in the attacking third.

HALF TIME – BURREN 1-06 – 0-05 ROSTREVOR

There was a diagonal breeze that often hampered Rostrevor’s attempted passes into their forwards, but with some support from that same breeze in the second half, the Reds started well.

Aaron Fearon opened the account for the half with a sharp individual finish before Conal Gordan sent over a point from the right side to narrow the gap to two points within three minutes of the restart.

However another setback; perhaps the vital one arrived in the 37th minute. Liam Kerr sent over a point with Darragh Murdock palming to the net to push Burren into a 2-7 to 0-7 lead.

Rostrevor’s reply was instant though, with Ardghal McMahon receiving possession close to goal before turning and slamming the ball past Killian Byrne to immediately bring the Reds back into the contest.

Peter Magee narrowed the deficit to two points in the 47th minute, but Burren were able to keep their noses in front in the closing stages, as Rostrevor missed chances to capitalise on piercing attacking play with misplaced passes and near-misses in front of goal standing between them and the win that the majority of their play might have warranted.

Declan Murdock sent over a brace of frees to punish Rostrevor in the closing stages with Blain McGrath and John McKernan trading scores in stoppage time, as Burren closed out a four-point win.

ROSTREVOR TEAM AND SCORERS; Aidan Magee, Chris Killen, James Rice, Cormac McGrath, Conal Gordon (0-1), Nicky Murray, Mark Doyle, James Donaghy (0-1), Ardghal McMahon (1-1), Blain McGrath (0-2 1f), Joseph Morgan, Ryan Caulfield, Peter Magee (0-2), Aaron Fearon (0-2 1f), Ferghal Murphy. Subs Used; Tiarnan Tinnelly and John Ferrick.

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Posted by Newry Times News on May 26 2015. Filed under Community, Sport. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry