Championship Updates – Eskra v Loughmacory

Saturday 24.09.2011

Club

Game over and Loughmacrory are through to face old rivals Kildress in the semi final of the intermediate championship and it is heartbreak for Eskra losing out 1-11 to 0-13.

First minute of additional time and Enda Ward scores a fantastic point from out wide on the right to move Loughmacrory one point ahead.

Loughmacrory are finishing strongly and a late brace of points from Benny Ward, who punches over a shot from Sean Paul Slane, and Enda Ward, with another excellent finish, draws the sides level with less than three minutes left. Could this one go to extra time?

A free from Enda Ward in the 55th minute reduces the gap to the bare minimum but Peter Hughes responds with a great score.

With less than nine minutes left the gap is still two points following 0-12 to 1-07 but Ronan Ward came close to bringing the Loch back into it finding himself one on one with goalkeeper Darragh Mc Carroll but the Eskra lad made a brilliant stop and turned the ball over the bar.

Another free from Peter Hughes who is playing particularly well puts them three ahead but substitute Sean Paul Slane scores in the 43rd minute to leave the score Eskra 0-10, Loughmacrory 1-5.

Eskra’s Peter Hughes finds the target again and the gap is back to two points. Eskra  0-9, Loughmacrory 1-4

With the breeze starting to pick up and in Loughmacrory’s favour, Enda and Ronan Ward with a point each close the gap to one with eight minutes of the second half played.

The second half is under way and Eskra get the opening two scores through Rory Marlowe from play and a Peter Hughes free to move further ahead 0-8 to 1-2.

It is half time at Pomeroy and Eskra go in one point up 0-6 to to 1-2 following late scores from Peter Hughes and Enda Ward for their respective sides.

Eskra have now hit five points in a row as Matthew Turbitt knocks over while under extreme pressure from the Loughmacrory defence. The Loch have not scored since the 7th minute of the half and with less than five to go until the break, Eskra are looking good.

Peter Hughes eventually gets Eskra’s second score with a free in the 19th minute and another free plus a point from play has the sides level after 20 minures. Indeed Eskra could have taken the lead when Ryan Gartland had an excellent chance of a goal that went narrowly wide on 21 minutes.

Sixteen minutes gone in the game and the score remains the same but Eskra have been quite wasteful running up four wides since that opening score in the ninth minute.

It is ten minutes into the game and with a slight wind blowing in favour of Eskra they trail 1-1 to 0-1 after a blistering start from Loughmacrory when Gussie Mc Aleer broke through on their first attack and hit the bottom right hand corner of the net. Enda Ward knocked over a seventh minute free but Joe Mc Carroll responded with a converted free for Eskra from the edge of The D.

We’ll be live from Pomeroy this afternoon to bring you the very latest news from the Power NI Intermedaite Championship Quarter Final replay between Eskra and Loughmacrory.  Follow the action as and when it happens right here from 3.30pm.