Determined Tullylish win by seven points

A ROBUST and industrious Tullylish senior panel played host to League rivals Darragh Cross on Monday evening.

Appalling weather conditions did absolutely nothing to deter the excitement of this game of football , with constant scoring from both sides and powerful individual competitions all over the field.

Justin McCartan initiated the scoring for Tullylish with a handy point and he continued to play a crucial part in the home attack on Darragh Cross throughout the game. Darragh Cross answered with a point from a free kick and were not given a further chance to come close to the Tullylish posts thanks to some accurate kicking from the experienced Chris McGovern, Shannon Drainey and Pete Quinn.

Barry Priestly made a welcome return to the back line, and with flankers, Sean McDermott and Kevin McKivergan, established a blanket defence that Cross forwards found hard to break through.

Darragh Cross took their next point from as free kick and then just snatched another one from play to keep them in contention.

Midfielders Kevin Murphy and Davy Corbett fielded the Darragh Cross kick outs and Seamus O’Hare was close enough to play off the duo and send the ball into the hungry forwards. Justin McCartan, Chris McGovern and Shannon Drainey fed off the mid field table taking three points in succession.

Pete Quinn then put the icing on the cake with a typical stormer of a shot past the Cross keeper and into the back of the net giving Tullylish an eight point lead. The game leaned towards Tullylish and looked almost over until a fracas in the Tullylish box resulted in a penalty which was scored, then in a magic moment for the visitors McCormac kicked the ball into his running full forward who volleyed the ball into the back of the net, giving the keeper no chance and putting Cross back in contention.

Tullylish came out in the second half full of intention. Captain, Gareth Johnston took a short ball from Fiontain ODowd and simply eat up the ground with his lengthy stride and determined run, taking the first point of the second half. Darragh Cross did get back onto the scoresheet but a determined Tullylish saw the game through and didn’t allow the visitors to encroach the lead.

Tullylish: Stephen O’Hare, Sean McDermott, Barry Priestly, Kevin McKivergan, Michael McCartan, Gareth Johnston (captain), Fiontain O’Dowd, Kevin Murphy, Davy Corbett, Seamus O’Hare Justy McCartan, Kevin McCartan, Chris McGovern, Pete Quinn, Shannon Drainey, Patrick McKivergan, John McKivergan, Aidan McKernan.