Sunday 18 December 2005
LOUGHMACRORY 1 - 05 2 - 05 AGHYARAN (AT KILLYCLOGHER)
In Gary Conway's senior swan song the challengers could not keep up with their 1A counterparts over the hour.
Loughmacrory started brightly in this crucial winner takes all encounter with Ronan Ward opening the scoring with a point. They continued to press forward and in the 12th minute midfielder Damien McAleer crashed the ball to the Aghyaran net with Ciarán Meenagh adding a point and Ronan Ward converting a free to leave the St Teresa's with a healthy five-point advantage. The division 1A side, Aghyaran, found their range at last and had levelled matters at 1 - 03 apiece before the short whistle.
In the second period Loughmacrory again opened strongly but failed to convert their possession into scores shooting three poor wides. It was ten minutes into the half before Aghyaran found their feet but when their full forward Michael Anderson fielded a high dropping ball and turned to shoot to the net and Martin Penrose, who had been well marshalled by county colleague Mickey McGee, added a point from a free, the division 1B challengers found themselves chasing the game.
It took Loughmacrory nineteen minutes to open their second half account but when Stephen Conway’s neat finish was followed by a converted free from Ronan Ward a tense finish was on the cards. Aghyaran kept their cool however with Anthony Devine curling over a late free kick to leave his side three points clear at the final whistle.
