Desertmartin: 0-09
Faughtenvale: 1-13
Desertmartin traveled to Foreglen on Sunday 7th to play Faughanvale in their second Intermediate Championship game. The strong wind blowing towards the pavilion end was always going to have a huge influence on the outcome. Desertmartin with the breeze at their back started sharply and went 0-2 ahead on five minutes with two pointed frees from Enda McGuckin and Declan Murray. But Faughanvale strong in possession and working the ball well against the breeze went 3-2 ahead on the eleventh minute with three pointed frees. Desertmartin then dominated the following ten minutes of play. A fisted point from Greg McGovern, two from the boot of Enda McGuckin and two from Paul McGovern saw the Saffrons lead 7-3 on the twenty second minute. Faughanvale refusing to wait for the second half wind advantage scored two more points to trail by two at half time.
Faughanvale stamped their authority on the game throughout the second half. Within ten minutes following the break they hit four unanswered points to go two ahead. Desertmartin working hard to get the ball into the Faughanvle 20m zone pulled a point back through Paul McGovern on the forty-second minute. John Gray then pointed a free for Faughanvale only to be matched by one for Desertmartin from Enda McGuckin with ten minutes remaining. At this stage Desertmartin at only one behind and with the introduction of substitutes Paddy McCann, Eunan O’Kane, Cormac McGuckin and Eoghan Hegarty put in a huge effort to stay in the game. But unfortunately they were dealt a hammer blow on the fifty-second when a long kick from Faughanvale dropped into the Desertmartin penalty area with the ball finishing in the Desertmartin net to give Faughanvale a four point lead with eight minutes to play. Inspired by their sudden advantage Faughanvale began to find space all over the field and with their halfbacks raiding into the St Martin’s defence they scored three further points to finish winners on a scoreline Faughanvale 1-13 Desertmartin 0-9.
Desertmartin: R O’Kane, S O’Neill, M Breen, E Burns, P McGovern (0-3), G McGovern (0-1), C Murray, C Madden, J P Higgins, F Higgins, Declan Murray (0-1, 1f), E McGuckin (0-4, 3f), C Monaghan, O Kelly, Paul Kidd.
Subs used: P McCann, E O’Kane, C McGuckin, E Hegarty, P McCrystal and M Madden