Senior Football
Cumann Pheadair Naofa 2-15 vs Clonduff 3-11
Warrenpoint – 7:30pm
Cumann Pheadair Naofa Footballers were back in action on Friday past vs Clonduff. Both teams have been faring well recently with a string of wins behind them but both knew that coming into this match that the lure of second and third place was on the cards. Clonduff chasing Castlewellan for first place in the League and Warrenpoint chasing the pack of Burren, RGU Downpatrick, Clonduff, Mayobridge and Kilcoo on ten and twelve points in third and second place.
Clonduff were strengthened by the return of the Down County players following the Armagh match last week. The rain stayed away for the tie and saw Cumann Pheadair Naofa explode out of the starting blocks racing to a six point lead in as many minutes before Clonduff woke up with a free from play to take them back into the game.
Warrenpoint had dominated the midfield battles and individual battles over the pitch with noted star performance from Donagh McAleenan, who returned from injury, and Aaron Darcy who hit the back of the net on 15 minutes to put the Point men nine points up. However the Point men settled into the game and allowed the Yellas into the game and at half time it was a one point game with the Seasiders only one point up going into the break allowing the Clonduff men too much space in the last fifteen minutes of the second half.
The second couldn’t have started any worse for the blues as it saw Clonduff hit the net within 30 seconds and the men from Hilltown dominated the exchanges over the pitch which saw them race into a five point lead. With ten minutes to go Niall McGovern was taken on and within four minutes found the pocket rocket found the back of the net to see the Point men within one point of the Hlilltown men.
The point men equalized and with 101 minutes on the clock Frank Aiken slotted over a fantastically struck 45 to see the Blues into the narrow lead. The Warrenpoint men held in for the win in what may prove to be a valuable two points in the tightest league in years.
Cumann Pheadair Naofa sit joint third with Burren and RGU Downpatrick and go into next week’s game vs An Riocht knowing a win may see them into a second place position in the league.
