St Mary's never recover from first half four goal barrage
Rasharkin's Ulster quarter-final hopes were dashed by a four-goal first-half barrage from Drumhowan, who went on to win by an eight-point margin.
Rasharkin (Antrim) 2-12 Drumhowan (Monaghan) 4-14
Hopes were high in the County Antrim village of Rasharkin that their heroes could work wonders at Ulster Junior football level, The league and championship winners made the long trip to Clones to tackle Drumhowan of Monaghan in this Ulster quarter-final and, despite a much improved second half performance, lost out by an eight point margin.
Hit with a four goal first half barrage they never gave themselves a chance and did well to come back fighting in the second half.
The Dreen based side found themselves under immediate pressure from the throw in as Drumhowan raced into an early goal and three point, the scores shared by Daragh McElearney, Aodhan Brennan and Oisin Quinn.
James Higgins raised Rasharkin’s hopes with their opening point from play in the eighth minute and when Eamonn McNeill replied with a goal, they looked back in business
However the Monaghan side certainly hadn't rolled over and Liam McGurk was quick to respond with his first score of the game.
Further exchanges between Tom Doherty and the industrious McNeill kept St. Mary’s within touching distance with a fourteenth minute point and another Rasharkin point from James Higgins closed the gap to two at the end of the opening quarter.
Back came Drumhowan and Joseph Duffy and Patrick Quinn pointed from play before Jason Clarke found the net in the eighteenth minute, a devastating score just as the St Marys lads were growing in confidence, to put daylight between the sides.
Pearse McTeague made a brief reply for the Antrim champions when he split the posts but two goals within a minute from Eanna Curran and Tom Doherty opened up a nine point gap. With the ship torpedoed below the water line the the excellent Doherty showed no mercy kicking the final two points of the half to leave his side out of sight at the break, fourteen ahead at 4-9 to 1-4 .
Rasharkin introduced Killian O’Boyle for the injured Tiernan O’Boyle at the start of the second half but the Monaghan champions continued where they left off with Daragh McElearney extending their lead with an early point.
Rasharkin replied with a fine score from Fearghal Kennedy and Eamonn McNeill followed from a free as the Monaghan champions rang the changes. The Antrim champions however side suffered a severe blow, on a day where things failed to go their way, when Thomas Hasson was shown a Black card.
Tom Doherty then punished a breach from St. Mary’s and added another convertedfree before Eamonn McNeill responded to briefly halt the Monaghans side surge.
The Dreen lasa continued to battle against the odds with McNeill and Fearghal Kennedy pointing from play as Brian Og O’Neill was introduced for Thomas Hasson and Daniel Doherty came in for Andrew Hasson.
The Monaghan side, despite being under a period of sustained pressure, responded with a two pointer from Oisin Quinn in the twentieth minute as St. Mary’s threw caution to the wind with all guns blazing.
Cormac McMullan replied with a two pointer for the Antrim champions and when Daniel Doherty fired home their second goal in the twenty third, they were beginning to look more like themselves.
Drumhowan’s mass use of replacements seemed to have disrupted their rhythm for a time but they regrouped in the closing stages with an Eamonn McNeill point late in the half all that the visitors could manage.
In the end it was a Daragh McElearney inspire Drumhowan side who took the spoils with something to spare but Rashrkin will rue the concession of those four first half goals while taking some satisfaction from a fine second half performance which in the end came up short.
It’s been a good season for St. Mary’s Rasharkin under the guidance of Cathal McMullan and Paddy Kelly and they will play their football in Division Two next year and participate in the Intermediate championship, big strides in the right direction.
The team has undergone massive change this season with quite a number of youngsters coming into the side and quite a few of them would have experienced Ulster for the first time on Sunday.
It will stand them in good stead for next season where consolidation will be the primary aim but they are well capable of causing a few upsets on the way.
The Rasharkin team: Ryan Doherty: Liam Quigg, Fergus Quigg, Pearse Kelly: Pearse McTague, Fearghal, Kennedy, Colm Kennedy: Tiernan O’Boyle and Oran McMullan: Thomas Hasson, Cormac McMullan,James Higgins: Oisin Casey, Eamonn McNeill, Andrew Hasson
Replacements: Killian O’Boyle, Brian Og O’Neill, Daniel Doherty, Liam Quigg
Referee: Mark Turley (Down)