Desertmartin: 0-09
Slaughtmanus: 0-09
The men’s senior team played host to Slaughtmanus on Sunday 15th May in their fourth league game of season. Played under near perfect conditions both teams served up an exciting encounter that left both sides tied at 0-11 to 1-8 at the final whistle. Playing into a slight breeze the visitors were the dominant side for the first quarter of the game. Gavin McManus opened their scoring from a free in the first minute to which Declan Murray replied likewise after six minutes. In the fifteenth minute Slaughtmanus got the score their play deserved when Caolan Watson hit the only goal of the game. Declan Murray got Desertmartin’s second point from a free on sixteen minutes. But St Mary’s replied with two further points from Ryan Barr and Connor Lynch to lead 1-3 to 0-2 after twenty two minutes. Desertmartin then sprang to life. Good play from G McGovern supported by his brother Paul who passed to Eamon Burns who hit St Martin’s third point on the twenty fifth minute. Desertmartin finished the first half strongly when D Murray scored another free-kick after G McGovern had been fouled. Aidy McGuigan added another from play following good movement between Oran Kelly and Eunan O’Kane to leave Desertmartin a point behind at half-time.
The opening ten minutes of the second half belonged to the home team, scoring four unanswered points to lead by three on the fortieth minute. But St Mary’s cut the lead to one point when Ryan Barr struck two marvellous pointed frees. Although Desertmartin were playing quite well they put three further opportunities wide while Slaughtmanus scored two more points to lead by one entering the last five minutes. Oran Kelly brought the sides level before Desertmartin keeper B McElhennon pulled off a brilliant save on fifty six minutes to keep the Saffrons in the game. Once again it was corner back Ryan Barr who stepped forward to score his fifth pointed free to give Slaughtmanus a one point lead with three minutes to go. Trying to run the clock down St Mary’s kept recycling possession. But Desertmartin harried every movement and when Dermot Breen latched onto the ball on the hour mark he drove it over the bar for the equaliser, final score of the game.
Desertmartin team: B McElhennon, M McGuigan C Murray, S O’Neill, P McGovern, G McGovern, E O’Kane, E Hegarty, P McCann, F Higgins, A McGuigan(0-1), D Breen(0-1), E Burns(0-2), Declan Murray(0-6, 4f), O Kelly(0-1). Sub used C McGuckin