Maryland"s perfect record ended

It was top of the table time for the footballers of Maryland and C-F/C/W in Cusack Park on Thursday night last. On a perfect evening for football we were treated to a fine game that swung in different directions but ultimately went to the best team on the park. Maryland have been one of the main fancies for the intermediate title since their heroics in Celebrity Bainisteoir but that counted for little on Thursday night and, with no cameras about, C/F/C/W took them off their pedestal a little. Maryland had a 100 per cent record up to this game and were playing a great style of football but so, too, were Tom Keigue"s charges and they showed huge determination and passion to record a memorable win against their more vaunted opponents. If C-F/C/W showed great passion and commitment, then those qualities were sadly lacking in the boys in blue as they never really got to the pitch of the game at any time and will now have to settle for a quarter-final spot, while C/F/C/W head straight to the semi-final where they will certainly be a force to be reckoned with. From the outset C/F/C/W set out their stall, employing Daniel McDermott as an extra defender, and they held sway in the opening quarter and should have scored a lot more than the single point that Darren McCormack managed. Their shooting boots were certainly left at home and they struggled to raise any sort of flag despite a myriad of possession. The Maryland defence was under serious pressure but they coped admirably in that difficult period, with Eoin Farrell particularly outstanding at full-back. And when they awoke from their slumbers, they levelled matters when Stephen Martin pointed after the C-F/C/W defence misjudged a high ball from Richie Browne. Indeed, Martin could have gone for goal but settled for a white flag instead. C/F/C/W came again though and Maryland were lucky not to concede a goal when Darren McCormack burst through and his fisted pass across goal was flicked by Darren Kilcoyne, but Eoin Farrell on the line managed to keep it out and cleared the danger. From the break-out, centre-forward Kieran Martin kicked a lovely score to put Maryland ahead. The same player the had a great goal chance when he burst through the opposing defence but his rocket shot was expertly saved by C/F/C/W custodian Gary Sullivan. That let-off saw C-F/C/W up the intensity and they laid siege to the Maryland goal but could not score apart from a fine point by impressive centre-forward Niall Kilcoyne. Finbar Egan"s charges were living on scraps but David Martin put them ahead after a superb move. C/F/C/W replied immediately when Darren Kilcoyne cut in along the endline and fisted over to level matters again. The northerners took the lead on the stroke of half-time when Brazil converted after he himself had been needlessly hauled down, and the half-time score read C/F/C/W 0-4 Maryland 0-3 after a very entertaining 30 odd minutes of football. C/F/C/W held the lion"s share of possession in the opening exchanges of the second half but again they could not convert that possession into scores. Darren McCormack did kick a good score after a flowing move to put them two up. Maryland got a break when Stephen Martin was rather fortunate to get a free and Joe Harte pointed from the 21-yard line. They should have had a goal moments later when Kieran Martin sashayed through the C/F/C/W defence and fired on goal only to see his shot flash across the goalmouth and wide. McCormack then put C/F/C/W three ahead when he combined with Niall Kilcoyne and Daniel McDermott for possibly the score of the game and, a minute later, Ronan Doolin made that gap 4 when he kicked a fine score from distance. It should have been five when Dermot Cafferty ran the length of the field but his effort came back off the post. Maryland needed something and quick and they went back on the attack immediately, but firstly Kieran Martin and then Tom Browne missed good chances, before Joe Harte went for goal again only to see his thunderbolt flash straight across the goal and wide. The Drumraney side needed someone to step up to the plate and young Callum McCormack was just the man. First he converted a 45 and then he was on the end of a move that started on his own 14-yard line to convert a wonderful point. The game was now back in the melting pot again. The blues looked to be on a roll and had all the momentum but a marvellous interception from C-F/C/W wing-back Shane Egan saw the ball moved to Niall Kilcoyne and he pointed expertly to put three between the sides again. As the game approached its conclusion, Maryland"s cause was further hampered when David Reynolds was sent off for a second yellow card. When Michael Moran found Darren Kilcoyne with a sublime pass he scored the insurance point for C-F/C/W and, despite a very late Joe Harte free, the game was over as a contest at that stage and Maryland had fallen to their first defeat of the 2008 campaign, while C/F/C/W had claimed the automatic semi-final spot with 3 points to spare. This was a poor display by Maryland and one they could have done without as the knockout stages approach. Although they were guaranteed a quarter-final place before the game started, they would have wanted to finish the group stages with a 100 per cent record but they never lifted their performance above the mediocre and the swagger and panache of previous games were sorely missing. Eoin Farrell did his best at full-back but the rest of the defence was badly exposed, while the midfield of David Reynolds and Richie Browne was ineffective. Up front, Joe Harte and Callum McCormack were the pick of the forwards but were well shackled by a resolute C-F/C/W defence and in the end Maryland could have no complaints about the defeat. For C-F/C/W, Darren McCormack was superb as were Daniel McDermott and Ronan Doolin at midfield, while their half-back line of Dermot Cafferty, Colin Farrell and Shane Egan were limpet like in their marking, with Eanna Doolin and particularly Willie Coyne also excellent. Up front they did struggle at times but Brazil and Niall and Darren Kilcoyne always posed a threat and it was enough to see them through on a memorable evening for the green and gold side. SCORERS - C/F/C/W: D McCormack 0-3, N Kilcoyne, D Kilcoyne and K Brazil (1f) 0-2 each, R Doolin 0-1. Maryland: C McCormack (1 "45") and J Harte (2f) 0-2 each, K Martin, S Martin and D Martin 0-1 each. C/F/C/W: Gary Sullivan, Ray Sheridan, Eanna Doolin, Willie Coyne, Dermot Cafferty, Colin Farrell, Shane Egan, Darren McCormack, Ronan Doolin, Michael Moran, Niall Kilcoyne, Daniel McDermott, Kevin Brazil, Darren Kilcoyne, Thomas McGlynn. Subs: Donal Moore for McGlynn (28 mins), Eric Sullivan for Moore (55). MARYLAND: John Murray, Conor Farrell, Eoin Farrell, Trevor Farrell, James Reynolds, John Cunningham, Ronan Moran, David Reynolds, Richie Browne, Callum McCormack, Kieran Martin, David Martin, Joe Harte, Stephen Martin, John Reilly. Subs: Tom Browne for Reilly (H/T), Anthony Reynolds for S Martin (37 mins), Declan Nugent for R Browne (42), Damian Reynolds for J Reynolds (59). Referee: Damian Maher (Ballynacargy).