13-man Cloughaneely died with their boots as they were edged out by a better Steelstown side in an entertaining Intermediate Ulster Club championship clash in O’Donnell Park.
Cloughaneely 1-08 Steelstown 0-13
By Gerry McLaughlin
John Fitzgerald and Paul Sweeney saw red in the final quarter and it looked grim as they trailed by 1-6 to 0-10.
Steelstown tacked on a few points but Cloughaneely dug deep and almost snatched victory in the 33rd minute when Lee O’Brien’s punched effort came off the post amid gasps from the Cloughaneely fans.
But it would have been a steal as the Derry side were well worth their victory.
Cloughaneely got the only goal of the game from Paul Sweeeny in the 22nd minute and led by a goal five minutes from the break.
However, Steelstown showed their worth with three points on the trot to level maters at the break on a score of 1-5 to 0-8.
And they remained the better team in the second half.
Steelstown started at a frenetic pace and the ball was cleverly worked out to captain Neil Forester to give them an early lead in the 2nd minute.
But Cloughaneely responded swiftly when Cillian Gallagher fed Jason McGee in space and the Cloughaneely colossus hit a fine confident point.
However, the lively looking Derry lads struck back like a rattler when speedy corner back Diarmaid Bake made a 60-metre run before finding team captain Forester in loads of space deep inside the Gaeltacht’s men defence.
For an instant a goal looked on, but the Derry skipper opted for a point to put his side in the lead.
But once again McGee Mór came to the rescue with an inspirational levelling score in the 6th minute.
However, Steelstown were the more enterprising side, finding space, assured on the ball and they underlined this with two well- crafted points from Eoghan Bradley and the second a free from Derry star Ben McCarron.
Cloughaneely full-forward Paul Sweeney fielded a high ball and converted the resultant mark to keep his side in touch.
But they were lucky not to concede a goal in the 20th minute when Bradley threaded through and exquisite pass to McCarron who was one on one and just three yards from Cloughaneely keeper Shaun McClafferty.
It looked a formality for the Steelstown striker, but McClafferty spread himself brilliantly to deflect the ball out for a 45.
Ryan Devine struck the resultant 45 high and confidently over the bar to make it 0-4 to 0-2.
Steeltstown were very lucky not to be reduced to 14 men when Steelstown’s Mark Foley emptied Ciaran McGeady, but Cavan referee Conor Dourneen took his time before awarding a yellow card to Foley to the fury of the Cloughaneely fans.
Conor Coyle made It 0-4 to 0-3 before the inevitable Forester increased the Steelstown lead to 0-5 to 0-3.
But then, in the 26th minute Cloughaneely struck for a badly needed goal.
Jason McGee’s shot for a point was fielded by Paul Sweeney who swivelled and hit a great shot low and hard to the net to put the Donegal side ahead by 1-4 to 0-5.
Blake McGarvey pointed a free to leave a goal between the sides.
Steelstown then showed their true mettle with Ben McCarron landing three points on the trot to tie matters at 1-5 to 0-8 at the break.
The second half was only ten seconds old when Blake McGarvey put Cloughaneely back in front.
But that was only one of three points they landed in the second half.
McCarron levelled matters again with a super effort from 35 metres.
Cahir McMonagle put the Derry side back in front, but they went on to hit four wides on the trot.
However, disaster struck for Cloughaneely when corner forward John Fitzgerald became the first of two players to be sent off in the 45th minute.
Gareth Logue and Eoghan Bradley increased the winner’s lead before Jason McGee made it 0-12 to 1-7 from a Cloughaneely free.
But it was double disaster for the Donegal men when full forward Paul Sweeney was also lined on a second yellow card in the 52nd minute.
To their credit, 13-man Cloughaneely went for broke and laid siege to the visitors goal, as they trailed by 1-8 to 0-13 with the last kick of the game.
Cian McFadden landed the ball deep in the Steelstown square and Lee O’Brien’s punched effort seemed to be net bound but rebounded off the crossbar.
And that was that,-but the best team won.
Steelstown: Eoghan Heraghty; Oran Fox, Kevin Lindsay, Diarmaid Baker; Donnacha Gilmore, Jason McAleer, Eoghan Concannon; Oran McMenamin, Ryan Devine (0-145); Gareth Logue (0-1) Neil Forester (0-2), Ben McCarron (0-65f); Mark Foley, Cahir McMonagle, Caolan McMonagle, Eoghan Bradley (0-2)
Subs: Rory Maguire for Oran Fox (27), Morgan Murray for Mark Foey (37) Shane O’Connor for Ryan Devine (45) Mickey McKinney (0-1) for Gareth Logue (53)
Cloughaneely: Shaun McClafferty; Noel Sweeney, Cian McFadden, Michaell Fitzgerald; Ciaran McFadden, Lee O’Brien, Ciaran McGeady; Jason McGee (0-43f), Darren McGeever; Cillian Gallagher, Mark Harley, Conor Coyle (0-1); Blake McGarvey (0-2) Paul Sweeney (1-1,mark) John Fitzgerald.
Subs: Martin Maguire for Cillian Gallagher (45), D Ferry for Conor Coyle
Referee: Conor Dourneen (Cavan)
