Seniors v Craigbane

The seniors traveled to Craigbane last Sunday for their penultimate league game of the season. In the picturesque surrounds of the Gerry Crossan Park on a fine summers day Desertmartin gave a fine display of open attacking football. Committed to going forward, minimizing short play in defence they created chance after chance and eventually ran out worthy winners. The home side started the sharper and were 0-2 ahead on ten minutes. A minute later Declan Murray got the Saffrons off the mark with a pointed free. But Craigbane were the more industrious side the in opening quarter with Lee Moore at the core of all attacking play. The pattern of the game changed on the sixteenth minute when Greg McGovern delivered a long diagonal pass to his brother Paul on the right wing who pointed to level the game. Desertmartin winning most possession between the 45s took the lead through a Declan Murray point on the eighteenth minute. Craigbane replied immediately with a point from L Moore to bring things level. Shortly afterwards Greg McGovern again opened the home defence with another long searching pass to Aidy Trainor who extended Desertmartin’s lead when he fired over with confidence on the twentieth minute. From then onto half time Desertmartin were in full control and added further points from Joey Quinn; Fergal Higgins and pointed frees apiece from Declan Murray and Aidy Trainor. Craigbane frustrated at Desertmartin’s dominance conceded a yellow and a black card. Lee Moore once again came to the home side’s rescue when he pointed to leave the half time score Desertmartin 0-8; Craigbane 0-4. From the throw in to the second period the home side were immediately on the attack when Aidy Devine pointed on the thirty-first minute and were disappointed to see a goaling opportunity go wide a minute later. Dermot Breen restored the visitors fortunes with a point and then went close when he rattled another effort off the crossbar. Desertmartin were disappointed at not getting a penalty when Feragal Higgins was bowled over close to the Craigbane goals on the forty-first minute only for the referee to wave play on. But L Moore kept Craigbane’s hopes alive with three further points to trim St Martin’s lead to one point on the forty-forth minute. Desertmartin then raised their game and went four ahead with two points from Declan Murray and one from Enda McGuckin with ten minutes to go. Craigbane were beginning to falter as Desertmartin ran constantly at the home defence. Declan Murray pointed on the fifty-forth minute followed by another from his brother Donal immediately afterwards. By this stage Desertmartin were encamped in the Craigbane half and further scores were inevitable. L Moore scored his eighth point and Craigbane’s last with four minutes to go. Desertmartin maintained the pressure on the home defence with Paul McGovern getting his second point of the evening, Declan Murray his seventh while Stephen Trainor sent to the net on the sixty-first minute to give Desertmartin a 1-16 to 0-9 victory.