Dom pleased to get win as ‘game could easily have gone either way’

Kinawley’s impressive start to the Senior League continued last Friday as they inflicted a third defeat on league champions Derrygonnelly.

Alongside Erne Gaels, the Borus are the only undefeated team in Division One as we head towards the halfway point of the league.

Tight affair

It was a tight affair throughout with little separating the sides, with never more than a kick of the ball between them.

A Sean McManus free put the visitors in front but the Harps had an immediate response through a Ronan McGovern point.

Lorcan McKenna restored Kinawley’s advantage with a point from play before Derrygonnelly went in front courtesy of a Conall Jones pointed free followed by a score from play by the same player. It was to remain very much nip and tuck over the remainder of the half with the teams trading scores.

Two frees from Kinawley’s McManus were cancelled out by scores from Stephen Gilroy and Conall Jones to level matters.

And with the half coming to a close, McManus and Conall Jones hit a free each with the last score of the half coming from the boot of Kinawley keeper Owen Malanaphy who rifled over a 45 to give his side the slimmest of leads going in at the break.

The beginning of the second half was something of a whirlwind with two goals scored within the first five minutes.

The Harps got off to a flying start thanks to a Gilroy point which levelled the game followed by their goal. Ryan Jones was brought down inside the Kinawley square and the referee pointed to the spot. Conall Jones stepped up and made no mistake to put his side in front but it was to be a shortlived lead.

From the kickout, Kinawley gathered possession and Paddy McGovern did well to beat a number of players before playing in Aaron O’Reilly who made no mistake and it was level again. Back came the Harps who kicked the next two scores via Conall Jones frees.

Again it was Kinawley’s turn to respond and they did so with their second goal of the game.

Defender Daire O’Cathain found himself at the other end of the pitch and he was picked out by Tom Keenan before making no mistake to put Kinawley one up.

Closing stages

As the game entered the closing stages the teams traded scores as Derrygonnelly had points from Gilroy and Oisin Smyth while McManus and Keenan were on target for Kinawley.

But with Ryan and Conall Jones receiving their marching orders late in the game, Kinawley were able to make their two man advantage pay with late scores from Liam Owens and McKenna giving the away side a hard fought two point win.

With such a tight contest, Borus’ boss, Dom Corrigan was happy his side came out on the right end of the result: “The game could have gone either way so we were pleased to have got the win in the end up. It leaves us safely secured in the top half of the table and that was a target for us from the outset.”

In the next round of fixtures Derrygonnelly hosted Erne Gaels last night (Wednesday) while Kinawley will be looking to make it five in a row against Belnaleck on Friday.