Sunday 29 July 2007
LOUGHMACRORY 0 -10 0 - 08 POMEROY
Seniors hold out against Pomeroy
In a rather scrappy affair in Plunkett Park on Sunday Loughmacrory held out for a two points win despite being reduced to 13 men for a good part of the second half.
With five minutes to go in the first half and playing with the breeze at their backs Loughmacrory, leading 0 - 05 to 0 - 01, looked to be on their way to a comfortable victory. All but one of those five points had come from the boot of Ronan Ward from placed balls, the other point from his brother Enda. The loss of Sean Paul Slane through injury gave the home team a better hold in the middle of the park and they had reduced the deficit to the minimum by the short whistle, all their scores coming from frees.
The sides were level two minutes after the restart and the Plunkett’s went ahead for the first time in the match two minutes later with a converted free. With ten minutes to go the visitors had levelled the affair once again through an Emmott Donaghy free and Ronan Ward and Donaghy again sent over frees to put the Lough two up. It was backs to the wall for the Lough now as their main scoring threat Ronan Ward followed his namesake Ciarán Ward to an early shower and the Lough were left to defend a slender lead with thirteen men. Pomeroy pulled one back before Enda Ward, now on free taking duties in place of his brother Ronan, restored a two points lead and wing back Damien McAleer sent over a fine point to make it 10 points to 7 as the game ran into extra time. The home side, now playing with 14 men, their goalkeeper having been dismissed for a rash high tackle on Stephen Grimes, put all into a last gasp effort. In the fourth minute of added time they were awarded a 13 metres free and even though the ball was sent to the Loughmacrory net the ref ordered the free to be taken again and, with half the Loughmacrory team in goals, the free taker attempted to send a rising shot to the net but had to be content with a point.
