Late Goal Sends Derrytresk Through To Last Four

Friday 30.09.2022

Championship Football

Derrytresk 2-4 Augher 0-9

Midfielder Aidan Gavin struck for a goal a minute from the end of normal time to give Derrytresk a sensational win over a fancied Augher side in the LCC Junior Championship quarter final at Healy Park.

The winners had hit eleven wides to their opponents five and it looked as though that was going to cost them when the St.Macartans moved two points clear but character and never say die spirit came to the fore for the men from the Hill as they dug deep to secure victory and set up a last four meeting with either Aghaloo or Fintona.

Augher started brightly with team Captain Darragh Kavanagh opening the scoring from a free before Conor Hackett and Martin McElhatton followed that up with points from play. Aidan Gavin opened Derrytresk’s account in the 11^th minute but a Ciaran Treanor free quickly restored Augher’s three point advantage. In the 17^th minute it was all square when a long delivery in from Eoin McNally picked out the one man Derrytresk would have wanted to get on the end of it, Niall Gavin, and the team Captain duly obliged by sending it to the net.  Kavanagh knocked over two frees but sandwiched in between was an excellent score from play from McNally to leave only one between them at the short whistle, 0-6 to 1-2.

A Niall Gavin free levelled matters on the restart before the same player put Derrytresk in front for the first time in the contest thanks to a mark. Augher though wasted no time in restoring parity with Kavanagh on target from a mark as well. Augher looked to be getting the upper hand at this stage and with seven minutes left on the clock they moved two points clear after Kavanagh was on target from a free as well as from play.

Derrytresk though refused to accept defeat as they fought for every ball as if their lives depended on it. Their wides tally racked up but then came that winning goal when a long ball forward from centre half back Caolan Corr saw Gavin get on the end of it to first time to the back of the net past Augher keeper Sean McElroy. As the game slipped into injury time Augher pushed in search of the equaliser but Derrytresk stood tall to hold out for victory.

Derrytresk – Dermot Mulholland, Conal Hagan, Liam Slater, Pat Campbell, Aidan McCaffrey, Caolan Corr, Johnny Campbell, Aidan Gavin (1-1), Ronie O’Neill, Caolan O’Donnell, Cathal O’Neill, James Canavan, Eoin McNally (0-1), Niall Gavin (1-2, 1F, 1M), Odhran Hughes. Subs: Paul Graville for Pat Campbell, Conor Fitzgerald for O’Donnell

Augher – Sean McElroy, Odhran McGinn, Emmett Neeson, Niall McCaughey, Gregory McCaughey, Finbarr McQuaid, Liam Connolly, Aiden McElroy, Charlie Cawley, Martin McElhatton (0-1), Dara Donnelly, Conor Hackett (0-1), Eoghan Keenan, Darragh Kavanagh (0-6, 4F, 1M), Ciaran Treanor (0-1, 1F). Subs: Ryan McElroy for Niall McCaughey, Raymond McElroy for Keenan, Cathal McKenna for Gregory McCaughey, Conor Mahoney for Treanor

Referee –Shane King, Trillick