Sean McDermotts 1-16
Roger Casements 3-8
Sean McDermotts will face John Mitchels this Sunday at Pairc na hÉireann (throw-in 3:30pm) with a slender two-point advantage at the top of the Division One table, after they secured their fourth win in a row thanks to a late turnaround against Roger Casements.
Nigel Herbert’s goal five minutes from time looked to be sending both points to Coventry only for Mark Quinn’s late intervention restoring the home advantage once more.
McDermotts’ new full-forward Quinn proved pivotal, scoring a total of 1-4 and landing the opening two points with clinical strikes from play. However, Casements were more than holding their own in the opening half hour and they roared back to take the initiative with frees from Chris Lenihan and Kevin Ryan that were followed up by the game’s opening goal when a midfield steal released Stephen Ormsby, who powered home a low strike via a deflection.
Back came the home side, a Ted Duffy free preceded their opening goal midway through the first-half when, refusing to give up on an over hit shot, Declan Staunton returned an enticing ball back into the goalmouth where Quinn leaped highest to flick into the back of the net. Ormsby was to have a profitable half landing three excellent efforts from distance while the sides traded blows, Joe Owens and John Dowling responding in kind with decent long distance hits of their own.
Casements grabbed the half-time lead though with the last attack of the first as again a turnover in midfield allowed Cruz Kelly-Evans to feed Dan Walsh - the corner-forward instinctively poking the ball over the head of Proinsias McComiskey and into the net.
McDermotts set to the task of restoring the balance at the start of the second-half, Duffy landing a couple of frees either side of a point from Walsh. A Duffy free lobbed into the goalmouth almost resulted in a goal for Staunton, Sean O’Sullivan coming to the rescue for Casements with a well-timed intervention on the goal line.
Still, the home side continued to land scores as they retook the lead once more, Staunton and Austin Bennett adding close range points before a counter attack instigated by Andy Willis allowed Owens to race through and curl a score over the bar.
Casements hit back though in this see-saw encounter, Ryan firing over from out wide before his side struck gold at the restart when a ball was superbly fielded by Nigel Herbert who turned to tuck a low shot into the net. With time quickly running out McDermotts needed a hasty reply and they got one through a 40 metre belter by James McDowell - it was left to Quinn to make the difference as he fetched a square pass from Staunton to sky a shot over the bar before sealing the deal with an excellent strike from long range.
Scorers for Sean McDermotts: M Quinn (1-4), T Duffy (0-3, 3fs), J Owens (0-2), P Quaid (0-2, 1f), J Dowling (0-1), D Staunton (0-1), A Bennett (0-1), C Folan (0-1), J McDowell (0-1).
Scorers for Roger Casements: S Ormsby (1-3), D Walsh (1-1), N Herbert (1-0), K Ryan (0-2, 1f), C Lenihan (0-1, 1f), J Meaghan (0-1).
Sean McDermotts: P McComiskey; J Dowling, M McMahon, E Culliney; C Folan, C Dowling, P Quaid; A Willis, A Bennett; M Felgate, T Duffy, J McDowell; J Owens, M Quinn, D Staunton.
Roger Casements: D Corr; S O’Sullivan, K Nugent, S Keogh; C Dolphin, D Hartnett, C McMullan; C Goodbody, J Meaghan; N Herbert, S Ormsby, C Kelly-Evans; C Lenihan, K Ryan, D Walsh.
See More: Featured, Roger Casements, Warwickshire GAA
