TEEMORE ................................. 1-4

TEMPO ................................... 1-13

From a Teemore perspective the only positive note that they could salvage from this comprehensive nine point defeat was the return of Barry Owens. To a warm round of applause, he came on to the park some ten minutes into the second half and though his contribution was to be minimal, the important thing was that he was back in harness.

Except for that, this was a dreadful Teemore display overall.

Coming into the match they had chalked up two opening round victories and now faced with an opposition which had suffered two defeats, the odds looked well stacked in the Shamrock's favour.

Instead it was a bright and energetic Tempo team who controlled matters from the throw in and by the time that the interval was reached, the visitors had cantered their way to an astonishing eleven points lead. The extent of the gap was in no way flattering for Teemore had served up as lame and limp display as has ever been delivered from a side in the hooped jersies.

It took twenty two minutes before they collected what was to be their solitary point of the half. Matters did improve marginally for them on the restart, they picked up a couple of early points from Joey Donegan and Sean Curry and momentarily it seemed that they might be capable of raising a challenge.

But Teemore's revival petered out, Tempo cancelled out those early scores with two in reply from Daryl Keenan and from there on the game was to drift to a close. Teemore did grab a goal but this came a few minutes from time, Declan Fitzpatrick ramming home a shot after Tempo goalkeeper Stephen Jackson had blocked out an initial shot.

For Tempo, this win will have come as a huge relief. Having floundered in their opening two rounds, they were desperately in need of some encouragement that they weren't headed straight back to the second division.

In a sense they will be wondering how they conjured up this breezy and effective performance after their lacklustre efforts against Belcoo and Lisnaskea. They were on song from the throw in, a five points haul piled up by Niall McElroy, Niall McCusker, Daryl Keenan and Damian Kelly by the end of the first quarter.

They had made it an eight points lead before Teemore hit their sole first half response, this a pointed free from Sean Curry. Next score up was the Tempo goal, this one poked in from close range by Daryl Keenan and Ryan Keenan rounded off an emphatic Tempo first half effort with the closing score to leave a scoresheet of 1-9 to 0-1.

Tempo not so prolific in the second half but they didn't need to be and they finished in total control.

For them full forward Bernard Rodgers won a tremendous amount of possession and was a first rate target man while the newly returned Conor Foy turned in a sturdy wing half performance. But this was essentially a well rounded, committed and cohesive Tempo team effort, everyone delivering on the night.

For Teemore, Hugh Brady had his occasional moments in the middle of the park, Joey Donegan tried hard at wing half but beyond that it was a very disappointing Teemore display.

Referee John Mohan Aughdrumsee.