Sluggish Minors Pick up Points

Owen Roes 2-9 Loughmacrory 0-8

An early Sunday morning did not put the minor footballers off their stride against Loughmacrory as they overcame the visitors 2-9 to 0-8 in Glenmornan. Despite the win this was a stuttering display by the boys, and they will need to up the ante if they have greater ambitions in 2008.

Loughmacrory took first blood with a second minute free, but Owen Roes had the perfect reply. Aaron Doherty’s pass found Dermot McMenamin lurking and he gave the keeper no chance with his goal bound drive. A couple of nice scores by the visitors leveled things up for the first quarter. Indeed Owen Roes can thank Marty Blee for standing up smartly to block a drive by the Visiting corner forward minutes later.

A McMenamin free, and a driving Marcus McGinley point restored the lead in the 20th minute, before fortune smiled on the hosts. A dropping McMenamin free was misjudged and Ryan Logue was in the right place to stab to the net from close range. A late accurate Conor Friel free ended the half.

Half Time: Owen Roes 2-3 Loughmacrory 0-3

Logue got the second half off to a start when his drive was smartly tipped over by the Loughmacrory net minder. Two more McMenamin placed kicks started to ease the game into control for Owen Roes but three unanswered scores by the visitors kept things in the mix.

The men from Páirc an Locha earned and scored a pair of late frees, but these had been superseded by another McMenamin dead ball, and a Neill McCrossan score. All was left was Conor O’Neill to raid forward for the game’s best point and seal the spoils.

Not a vintage display by Owen Roes, and they can look to good displays from defenders Gerard McShane, Gerard Devine and Davy Ferguson as foundations for the win. However the positives of a win while playing badly cannot be over estimated.

Owen Roes: Martin Blee. Darren Devine, Gerard McShane, Stephen McAuley, Davy Ferguson, Gerard Devine, Conor O’Neill (0-1), Kevin O’Donnell, Marcus McGinley (0-1), Jason Barclay, Ryan Logue (1-1), Neil McCrossan (0-1), Conor Friel (0-1), Dermot McMenamin (1-4), Aaron Doherty. Subs: Rory Kelly for Darren Devine (41 mins), Eamon McAuley for Barclay (57 mins), James Gormley for McCrossan (59 mins).