After playing second fiddle for the vast majority of last Saturday’s Connacht Gold Senior Championship tie in Pairc Sheain Ui Eslin, Drumreilly struck at just the right time to keep their championship hopes alive and shock a previously dominant Annaduff.
By John Connolly
Annaduff will wonder how they lost a game they had seemed in control of for long periods and, indeed, with six minutes to go, last year’s semi-finalists wasted a glorious chance to wrap the game up when Joe Cox was clean through on goal but Michael McGirl made an absolutely vital save to keep his team in the game.
Two minutes later, that miss was punished in stunning fashion when James Holohan, taking advantage of the absence of Dermot Reynolds who had to go off injured, got in behind the defence and toe poked a shot to the net.
For a team without Declan Maxwell, reported to have transferred to London’s Tara, it was a massive result particularly as they rely so heavily on on John McKeon & James Holohan. McKeon started to clean up in the last quarter, driving his team on while Annaduff never truly figured out how to deal with Holohan who was crucial in winning frees, frees that Nigel Maguire proved so adept in converting.
At times, Drumreilly looked as if they were out on their feet but they never stopped working and when Holohan grabbed that all important goal, their desire and will was enough to see them bring off a shock result.
Annaduff will wonder how they lost this one as they had strong performers in David McHugh, Dermot Reynolds, Joe & Ray Cox and Ronan McCormack but they never truly put Drumreilly away, their lack of sharpness in front of the posts costing them and leaving them with a huge match against Ballinamore Sean O’Heslin’s they must win next Saturday.
They will have to recover from this loss and show far greater sharpness in front of the posts if they are to survive.
To read the full story see this week’s Leitrim Observer.