Tones bow out of championship

WOLFE TONES 1-12

WOLFE Tones bowed out of the Intermediate Championship at Maghery last Saturday.

A Joe Feeney inspired Madden team booked themselves a quarter-final tie against title favourites Cullaville.

The Tones were on fire in the opening period of the game and with 20 minutes on the clock, they 0-6 to 0-1.

Joe Feeney opened the scoring for the eventual winners but double scores from Emmet Haughian and Declan Lavery along with a Ryan McQuillan point, as well as a superb 45 effort from James Lavery, appeared to put the ‘Cash side in control.

But Madden bossed the final ten minutes of the half and trailed by just one point at the break thanks to scores from Feeney and Paul O’Reilly.

James Lavery had a great opportunity to put the Tones in a match-winning position midway through the first half but his close-in effort was blocked by the Madden keeper.

With Emmet Haughian restoring the Tones’ lead, following an equaliser from Feeney just after the break, events which took place in the next five minutes turned the game on its head.

Firstly a speculative lob, which came back off the crossbar, caught the Tones defence flatfooted and Madden’s Liam Grimley was given an easy goal chance from close range. Disaster struck when Grimley outjumped two Tones defenders just two minutes later before knocking home his side’s second, and crucial, goal. Further scores from Feeney stretched Madden’s lead to ten with just nine minutes to go.

In the game’s closing stages, the losers played their best football of the night. The effective Emmet Haughian blasted to the net on 51 minutes following a strong run, and the Derrymacash side outscored their opponents 1-4 to 0-2 as the game reached its climax.

Their new intensive type of play takes a lot of stamina, but overall, Madden were possibly the best team on the night.

Whilst the Tones will be disappointed with their loss, they would also be concerned as to the well being of Ruairi McCaughley who was forced to retire during the Madden game with what appeared to be a shoulder injury.