Kildress Overcome Eskra Challenge

Sunday 13.09.2020

Championship Football

LCC Group Tyrone JFC
Kildress 2-10 Eskra 1-10

Kildress moved into the quarter final of the Junior Championship after a three point win over Eskra in a damp Ballinamullin on Saturday evening.  The Wolf Tonnes led the contest from start to finish but never really shook off the challenge that a spirited Eskra side showed throughout the game.

Kildress led by four points inside the first ten minutes thanks to points from Matthew McGuigan, Shea Murphy and a Matthew McGuigan goal.  Cathal Meegan clipping over the only Eskra score during that period from a free.  Peter Hughes who had been out in Dubai for the last couple of years reduced the deficit to three points in the 14th minute ahead of two Kildress points from Enda McAleer and Stephen Loughran.  A second Hughe point from play followed by a Joe McCarroll point left it Kildress 1-4 Eskra 0-5 at the break.

Kildress began the second half much like the first and quickly established a grip on the contest.  Captain Philip Lennon split the posts from a mark, Peter Hughes got one back for Eskra before Shea Murphy clipped a loose ball into the net following a goal mouth scramble.  An excellent score from Dessie Tracey rammed home the advantage but Eskra didn’t fold in any shape or form.  First Hughes hit a point from play before the score of the game.  A slick Eskra move put Cormac Arkinson in on goal.

In most normal circumstances the player would attempt to side foot it past the goalkeeper but not Arkinson.  He smashed it off the laces, off the crossbar and into the back of the net for an emphatic finish.  Eskra were right back in the contest.  Kildress for their part regrouped very quickly.  Shea Murphy thumped over a 50 metre free and followed it up with a 45 to ease the nerves.  Two further points from Stephen Loughran extended the lead to six once again in the 58th minute.

Once again Eskra didn’t accept defeat easily.  They came back with three scores of their own in the dying minutes through Aaron Kelly, Peter Hughes and Joe McCarroll but they failed to get the major which would have sent the game into extra time.  Full Time Score – Kildress 2-10 Eskra 1-10.

Kildress Scorers – Shea Murphy 1-3, Mattew McGuigan 1-1, Stephen Loighran 0-3, Philip Lennon 0-1, Dessie Tracey 0-1, Enda McAleer 0-1

Eskra Scorers – Peter Hughes 0-5, Cormac Arkinson 1-0, Cathal Meegan 0-2, Joe McCarroll 0-2, Aaron Kelly 0-1

Referee – Sean Devenney (Drumquin)