Doogan"s goal proves vital

TUBBERCLAIR got their intermediate football championship campaign off to an encouraging start at a sunny and dry Mount Temple last Saturday evening. In the end, the pivotal moment of an often tight and hard-hitting affair arrived during the opening half when Tubberclair"s attack worked an opening for Liam Doogan, and he clinically found the roof of the net with a well-taken drive. Although Rosemount created about the same amount of scoring opportunities as Tubberclair, they never led beyond Doogan"s goal in the tenth minute and found it very difficult to find a way past Westmeath goalkeeper Gary Connaughton on many occasions. Notably, the game ended in feisty circumstances, with Westmeath team-mates Fergal Wilson and John Keane involved in a late tussle which saw Wilson earn a yellow card from referee Mick Gordon. Otherwise, the game was played in a generally tough spirit - something you almost take for granted on the opening day of the championship - but thankfully never really threatened to boil over in the form of melees or off-the-ball fighting. Fergal Wilson had missed Westmeath"s entire league campaign but was fit enough to take a place in the Tubberclair starting line-up. He had his side"s opening chance of the game but misdirected a third minute free which drifted wide of Eoin Carberry"s goal. Liam Doogan went down with a shoulder injury moments later and required treatment but was fine to continue - and how Tubberclair would be grateful for that in the tenth minute. With the score 0-2 to 0-1 in Rosemount"s favour, Wilson and Jeffrey Farrell combined superbly with a free-flowing interchange of passes, before Farrell fisted the ball to Liam Doogan, and he battered the ball past a helpless Carberry and into the roof of the net to give Tubberclair a two-point advantage. Earlier on, the lively and troublesome David Tone and Danny Fielding sandwiched scores either side of Tubberclair"s maiden point by Simon Lawless. Rosemount made a swift response to Liam Doogan"s tenth minute goal thanks to a well-taken point by John Keenan and they thought they had levelled matters in the 12th minute, but Gary Connaughton produced one of his trademark catches as the ball looked destined to go over the bar to prevent a score from Donal Boland. At this stage, Tubberclair"s attack clearly carried a greater combined threat, although David Tone"s pace and the reliable Danny Fielding always kept Tubberclair"s defence on edge. Tubberclair stretched their advantage to two points when Wilson and Michael Hopkins neatly worked possession to Liam Doogan and he comfortably fired over the bar. David Tone replied in kind in the 15th minute as Rosemount refused to lie down, but a neatly taken point by Wilson on 19 minutes, after he seized upon a handy knockdown by Francis Spollen, kept the black and amber side at bay. On 21 minutes, Connaughton again denied Rosemount what looked a definite point when brilliantly catching John Keenan"s free. But the inspirational goalkeeper could do nothing as David Malynn"s free reduced the deficit to a single point. The scores were level by the 24th minute. John Keane"s searching long ball caught the Tubberclair defence too high up the field and resulted in defender Niall Walker dragging back the in-rushing Shane Tone. John Keenan took the free kick and sent it over the bar. On 26 minutes, Tubberclair restored the lead when Boland"s free sailed over. A minute later, Shane Tone was extremely unlucky not to register a goal for Rosemount. Tone waltzed past several Tubberclair defenders before shooting low to Connaughton"s left, but the Westmeath star did brilliantly to get a touch on the ball, managing to deflect it onto the post and away to safety. Again, Connaughton had proved his worth. The half ended with Rosemount managing a seventh point through David Tone but, seconds earlier Jeffrey Farrell"s excellent long range free had given his team a two-point advantage, meaning the half-time score read 1-5 to 0-7 in Tubberclair"s favour. Unfortunately, the second half only produced a further six scores which was slightly disappointing considering 13 scores had been managed during the opening period. Rosemount squandered a number of good positions during the second half, starting with John Keenan"s misplaced free in the opening stages. However, they were briefly level again in the 32nd minute when Declan Mullen, having a very good game, pointed for his side. Tubberclair thought they were through on goal but Jeffrey Farrell"s blistering solo run was halted by a very late linesman"s flag, leaving Tom Lennon"s troops decidedly unhappy with the decision. But they stayed composed enough to reclaim the lead through a Wilson free in the 35th minute. Tubberclair moved Mark Fitzpatrick into the full-forward line and it almost reaped immediate dividends when he knocked the ball into Wilson"s path but this time his effort sailed high and wide. Possibly the best taken score of the match arrived in the 45th minute when Tubberclair"s Francis Spollen curled over a beauty from near the left touchline. With ten minutes remaining, Wilson"s free pushed Tubberclair three points clear and victory was within their grasp. Thomas Doogan"s fortunate point further eased Tubberclair into the closing stages, before Wilson and Keane surprisingly clashed. In fairness to Wilson, he had taken some rough treatment in the moments leading up to the incident and he probably regretted his reaction to Keane"s challenge in the 24th minute. Wilson, however, was fortunate to see just yellow in the aftermath of the incident. Substitute Danny Fox notched a late consolation for Rosemount, but Tubberclair saw out the remainder of the game with a three-point cushion to their credit. SCORERS - Tubberclair: L Doogan 1-1, F Wilson 0-3 (2f), J. Farrell 0-2 (2f), T. Doogan 0-1, S. Lawless 0-1, F. Spollen 0-1. Rosemount: D. Tone 0-3, J. Keenan 0-2 (2f), D. Malynn 0-1 (f), D. Fielding 0-1, D. Mullen 0-1, D. Fox 0-1. TUBBERCLAIR: Gary Connaughton, David Cassells, James Martin, Niall Walker, Bernard Cassells, Thomas Doogan, Enda McGee, Mark Fitzpatrick, Jamie Farrell, Liam Doogan, Jeffrey Farrell, Michael Hopkins, Fergal Wilson, Simon Lawless, Francis Spollen. Subs: Aonghus Hanna for D. Cassells (30 mins), Paul O"Brien for Hopkins (57). ROSEMOUNT: Eoin Carberry, John Kelly, John Keane, Paddy Wade, Patrick Keenan, Stephen Darcy, David Malynn, Declan Keane, Paddy Malynn, Danny Fielding, Donal Boland, Declan Mullen, David Tone, John Keenan, Shane Tone. Subs: Patrick Boland for P. Keenan (42 mins), Cyril Elliffe for Fielding (47), Danny Fox for J. Keenan (57). REFEREE: Mick Gordon (Shandonagh).