Devenish 2-12 Tempo 3-08

Devenish registered their first win of the campaign as they saw off Tempo in a closely contested encounter in Garrison on Sunday.
Tempo themselves went into the game on the back of three successive defeats but despite the loss they will feel that they are starting to move in the right direction with key players beginning to return to action from injury.
Goals from Conor Meehan and Aidan Breen in the closing ten minutes of the first half had put Tempo into a six point half time lead but Devenish, aided by a converted John O’Flanagan penalty, responded early in the second half to battle their way back into the game.
The sides then swapped goals with the returning Damian Kelly finding the net for Tempo before Jason Love plundered a goal for Devenish.
With full time approaching it was the Maguires who held a two point advantage but Devenish finished strongly and they knocked over two points to level up proceedings before John O’Flanagan landed a point deep into injury time to clinch the victory for the Garrison outfit.
Devenish manager Malachy Cullen, who saw his side narrowly beaten by Irvinestown on Friday night, was delighted with the win and in particular the contribution of a number of younger players who were brought into the side.
“It was a welcome two points and at this stage of the season it is about putting points on the board. We are missing quite a bit of experience at the minute but I have to say that the young lads who have come in have acquitted themselves very well over the weekend. That was very pleasing,” he said.
Tempo currently sit at the foot of the Division One table and are still awaiting their first point but manager Sean Breen felt there was positives to take out of the game and believes that things are starting to improve for his side.
“We did well against Belleek on Friday night and I felt we should have won on Sunday but we switched off for 20 minutes and that cost us. However, I would be much more optimistic, we got Damian Kelly and Daryl Keenan back out on the pitch which is very pleasing and now it is about getting points and clawing our way back up the table,” he said.
There wasn’t much between the sides in the opening half of the game with Lorcan McStravick registering points for the Maguires while Ciaran Mulrone and Terry O’Flanagan chipped in with points for the home side.
However, Tempo were to open up a good cushion by the break as two well worked moves saw both Meehan and Aidan Breen find the net to put them into a 2-05 to 0-05 half time lead.
Devenish though hit back in the early stages of the second half with Ciaran Mulrone and Georoid Maguire landing points before a rampaging run by Marty O’Brien resulted in a penalty which John O’Flanagan tucked away.
The introduction of Damian Kelly though lifted Tempo and the former county man slotted home his side’s third goal as well as adding a point.
Jason Love did respond with a goal for the Garrison men but with Niall McElroy tagging on a couple of frees Tempo found themselves two points to the good with time running out.
Devenish though rallied late on and with Barry Mulrone and Maguire tagging on points they managed to level up the contest before O’Flanagan swooped late on to seal a slender one point win for the home side.