Barry Cunningham struck for 2-2 as Drumlane toppled a full-strength Knockbride side in Canningstown on Sunday to move joint-top in the ACFL Division Two table.
Knockbride 1-10
Drumlane 2-8
It was the hosts who had made the better start to this game, with the only two scores of the opening quarter coming from their veteran forward pairing of Peter and Larry Reilly.
Seventeen minutes were on the clock before Drumlane’s first score arrived, but it was well worth the wait when Cunningham crept into Ronan Keaskin’s square and blasted in a stunning shot off the left hand post and into the Knockbride net for the lead.
Knockbride’s early substitute Peter O’Reilly pointed to level but a superb effort from John Fitzpatrick out on the wing restored Drumlane’s slender advantage.
The ex-senior outfit then gained some fortune when midfielder John Tierney lashed in a ball to the square, which bopped up awkwardly for Drumlane net-minder Danny Kelly and crossed the goal-line for three points.
Two Peter Reilly points (1 free) stretched the hosts lead heading towards the break, but the lively John Fitzpatrick cut that deficit down to just a point with a right-footed effort that sailed between the posts.
Moments later, Cunningham had the ball in the back of the net again but it was disallowed for a square ball, but Knockbride’s reprieve was short lived.
The next move saw two Knockbride players collide with each other in an attempt to gain possession and the ensuing Drumlane attack ended with a Barry Cunningham’s solo run passing a hapless Keaskin and finishing to the empty net.
The first-half’s scoring concluded with a Peter Reilly free being balanced by a point from play by Cunningham to leave the half-time scores level at 2-3 to 1-6.
Barry Corrigan’s free opened Drumlane’s second-half account but John Tiierney from play restored parity nine minutes in. John Fitzpatrick’s shot hit the upright and went over and Corrigan pointed again to leave Drumlane two ahead just past midway in the second-half.
Scores were still coming end to end, a fine Peter Reilly point matched by another Corrigan effort. Tierney and Corrigan exchanged pointed frees while Declan O’Reilly brought an end to the scoring with a point two minutes into the added time, though this left the hosts one short.
The win sees Drumlane join Kingscourt Stars and neighbours Killeshandra Leaguers at top end of the ACFL Division Two table with a hosting of Kill next Saturday in Milltown, where two more points will be at stake.
Knockbride – Ronan Keaskin; Michael Clarke, David Traynor, Ollie Mulvey; Dermot O’Brien, Kieran Lynch, Eamon Carolan; John Tierney, Shane O’Reilly; Larry Reilly, Damian Farrelly, Seamus O’Brien; Raphael Rogers, Peter Reilly, Brendan Carolan. Subs: Peter O’Reilly, Declan O’Reilly, Adam Traynor, Adrian Rogers.
Drumlane – Danny Kelly; Robbie Smith, John O’Dowd, Cormac Fitzpatrick; Glen Fitzpatrick, Paul Kelly, JP Kelly; Darren Murphy, Gareth Corrigan; Stephen McCann, Barry Corrigan, John Fitzpatrick; Ciaran O’Reilly, Shane Kelly, Barry Cunningham. Subs: John Deignan, Aidan Greene.
Ref: Raymond Tynan (Ramor Utd)
