Cloughaneely 0-11
Urris 1-6
By Damian Dowds
CLOUGHANEELY return to Division 2 after a one year sojourn in Division 3. They beat Urris in the Division 3 promotion play-off at MacCumhaill Park yesterday afternoon but needed late points from Joe Friel and substitute Declan McFadden to do so.
Cloughaneely raced into a 0-5 to 0-1 lead in the first quarter but were rocked back on their heels when Alan Friel goaled for Urris. The sides were level coming up to the break but an injury time point from Joe Boyce gave Cloughaneely a narrow 0-7 to 1-3 lead at half time.
The second half was a tight affair, with the lead changing hands on a couple of times and the sides level on three occasions. A 35 metre Eddie Kelly free drew Urris level in the 56th minute before Joe Friel knocked over a huge effort from play to give his side a 0-10 to 1-6 lead a minute later.
With scores hard to come by, and fatigue leading to players making mistakes, the end was a tense and scrappy affair. Urris had a chance to equalise from a free two minutes into injury time, but while substitute Rocky Ivers struck the kick well, it tailed just to the right and wide.
Cloughaneely substitute Declan McFadden started and ended a good passing move deep in injury time and pointed with virtually the last kick of the game to assure victory for his side.
As well as gaining promotion, Cloughaneely's win sets up a Division 3 final meeting with Fanad Gaels.
Cloughaneely opened the scoring with a Denis Boyle free on six minutes but a Brian Doherty free cancelled that out two minutes later.
Cloughaneely took command after that, with their overlapping defenders and strong running causing difficulties for the Urris defence. Joe Boyce burst through the middle to point in the ninth minute before Denis Boyle split the posts with his second free of the afternoon. Points from Joe Friel, after a pass from Boyce, and right half back Denis Ferry had them 0-5 to 0-1 ahead and that advantage could have been even greater had goalkeeper Johnny Noone not got out quickly to smother a good goal chance that fell to Kevin McScanlon.
Urris converted their goal chance when it arrived in the 23rd minute. Donal Kelly played a long ball into Alan Friel and the corner forward cracked an unstoppable shot past Lee McFadden in to bring his side back into it.
Kieran McFadden pointed almost immediately at the other end, but Urris' tails were up and points from Dara Doherty and a 40m Eddie Kelly free drew them level in the 30th minute.
However, Joe Boyce sent Cloughaneely into the dressing room with a one point lead when he found space inside the D in injury time and scored on the turn to make it 0-7 to 1-3.
Urris took the lead for the first time within seven minutes of the restart with two points from their impressive big midfielder Eddie Kelly. He pointed a 40 metre free in the 36th minute and added a fisted point just moments later after taking a pass from Phil Pat Doherty.
Play was scrappy after that, with both sides guilty of missing decent scoring chances. Sean Maguire and Denis Boyle (a free) edged Cloughaneely into a one point lead by the 50th minute but it was still anybody's game.
Another Eddie Kelly free drew Urris level in the 56th minute, before Joe Friel hoisted one over from outside 45. Ivers had an injury time chance from a free to equalise for Urris, but he missed narrowly and Declan McFadden had the last word with a well worked score that gave his side a two point winning margin and a return to Division 2 at first time of asking.
Urris: Johnny Noone; Sean Doherty, Patrick Doherty, Adrian Doherty; Martin Kelly, Shaun McDaid, Michael Grant; Liam Diver, Edward Kelly (0-4, 3 frees); Darragh Doherty (0-1), Donal Kelly, Phil Pat Doherty; Brian Doherty (0-1, free), Brian Kelly, Alan Friel (1-0). Subs: Rocky Ivers for D. Doherty (40 mins); Mark McLaughlin for A. Friel (51 mins); Sean Paul Doherty for D. Kelly (53 mins); Ciaran Kelly for M. Kelly (58 mins).
Cloughaneely: Lee McFadden; Michael Lynch, Paddy Joe Doohan, Paddy McClafferty; Denis Ferry (0-1), Kevin Mulhern, Ciaran Scanlon; Kieran McFadden, Joe Friel (0-2); Joe Boyce (0-2), Denis Boyle (0-3, 3 frees), Joe Gallagher; Sean McBride, Sean Maguire (0-1), Kevin McScanlon. Sub: Declan McFadden (0-1) for J. Gallagher (53 mins).
