Castlemitchell cruise into Junior Football Championship semi-finals
Castlemitchell's James Harris is surrounded by Ballykelly's Darragh Sinnott, Darragh Byrne and Eddie O'Connell Photo: Sean Brilly
Castlemitchell booked their place in the Tom Cross Junior Football Championship semi-final with the minimum of fuss against Ballykelly in Manguard Park.
The game was probably already over as a contest by time of Jimmy Corcoran’s goal in the 41st minute but it certainly was after it.
Lee Moore had opened the scoring with a ninth minute free but Castlemitchell grasped control of the game with four points over the next four minutes and never looked like relinquishing it after that.
James Harris scored two points either side of a Ray Kavanagh free to extend the lead out of 0-7 to 0-1 by the 26th minute, and after James Harris’ fourth point of the opening half they 0-9 to 0-3 at the break.
Ballykelly’s best spell of the game came in the opening six or seven minutes of the second half. The two Byrnes, Darragh and Ciaran, got on the scoresheet but they weren’t able to get a couple more scores that might have put more pressure on Castlemitchell.
Two Kavanagh frees in the space of 60 seconds reasserted Castlemitchell’s grip on the game and then Ross Harris fired over his second point of the game in the 40th minute.
Corcoran’s goal arrived a minute later after he had been set up by Evan Doogue and he found the bottom right hand corner of the net to make it 1-12 to 0-5.
That was the signal for the Castlemitchell sideline to replace Emmet Hyland which was an indication they thought the job as done, and it certainly was a when Ray Kavanagh added another two frees.
Simon Luttrell replied with a score at the far end but that stage, Ballykelly’s attacking moments were fleeting and James Harris, with his fifth of the game, Eoin Coffey and Ray Kavanagh, with his sixth of the game, rattled off three in a row for Castlemitchell.
Moore and Josh Lawler pulled back a couple of late points for Ballykelly but by that stage Castlemitchell were already making plans for their semi-final against Ellistown.
Jack Nolan; JP Horgan, Jordan Horgan, Mark Kelly; Liam Haughton, James Harris 0-5(3fs, 1’45), Eoin Coffey 0-1; Shane Kavanagh, Ross Harris 0-2; Jimmy Corcoran 1-0, Evan Doogue 0-2 (1m), Ray Kavanagh 0-6 (4fs), Paídi Kelly, Emmet Hyland 0-1, Paddy Ryan. Subs: Jarell Kelly for Hyland, 43; Fionn O’Rourke for Ryan, 49; Oisin Fennin for Kelly, 49; Paul McDonagh for R Harris, 55; Tom Davis for Doogue, 58.
Stephen White; Callum Grattan, Owen Whelan, Darragh Sinnott, Russell Grattan, Ciaran Byrne 0-1, Steven McNally; Mikey Murphy, Jack Smith, Shane Black, Padraic Cullen, Eddie O’Connell, Luke Gill 0-1, Darragh Byrne 0-1, Lee Moore 0-3fs. Subs: Mikey Delahunt for O’Connell, 26; Cillian Fitzgerald for C Grattan, h/t; Simon Luttrell 0-1 for Smith, 44; Josh Lawler 0-1 for S Black, 46; Eoin Sinnott for Gill, 49.
Mark Murphy.
