IFC: Curry 4-19 v Castleconnor 1-9

Back 09/09/2019 @ 11:24 | mainnews | IFC: Curry 4-19 v Castleconnor 1-9


A rampant Curry team easily put Castleconnor to the sword in this one sided Intermediate championship tie in Quigabar played on a blustery but dry day.

The first score of the game came in the 1st minute as Eamonn Cawley converted a free for Castleconnor after a powerful run by Kevin McDonnell. However, playing against the strong breeze Castleconnor would not score again until the 27th minute as the men from Curry made great use of the wind putting on a display of fantastic direct football, no more so than their star player Adrian Marren, who put on an exhibition of passing and scoring.

Curry got off the mark with a free from Jason Marren, another quickly followed after a high fetch by Jason Marren at full forward and a lay off for a score from Tommy Henry. Red Og Murphy had a real grip around the middle and was rewarded on 8th minutes finishing a swift counter attack following a Castleconnor free that dropped short. Adrian Marren got his first from play on 10 minutes to open some daylight between the teams. Curry then hit the westerners with a hammer blow finishing 2 goals in a minute, the first a defensive mistake expertly punished by Adrian Marren and a minute later the same player squared to Tommy Henry and Castleconnor were suddenly 9 points in arrears and looking shell shocked. 

With their opponents rocked Curry went for the jugular. The points began to flow with Adrian Marren adding another point on 12 minutes and a free on 14 minutes. Red Og Murphy ran half the length of the pitch to finish a beauty on 16 minutes and shortly afterwards Jason Marren tapped over a free. Castleconnor were offering no resistance at this point and it was all over on 18 minutes when Tommy Henry goaled injuring himself in the process before being replaced by Colin Brennan. Jason Brennan hit another goal after another superb team move. Adrian Marren fired in a 50 yard swirling pass on 24 minutes, collected superbly by Alan Reilly and floated over for the score of the match. Eamonn Cawley got the reds second point, a fine score into the wind after a neat dummy solo but Curry responded immediately with 2 points from Adrian Marren. Castleconnor youngster Ronan Wilson scored a fine individual effort to end the 1st half nightmare for his team with the score at the turn a huge lead for Curry 4-11 to 0-3.

Castleconnor had the wind at their backs and sought to close the gap in the 2nd half but it was a fine score from raiding Curry wing back Michael Gordon on 35 minutes that got the score board moving again. Sean Carrabine hit one from play in response. Marren hit a free over before further trouble for Castleconnor as corner back James Boland got his 2nd yellow on 38 minutes. Castleconnor did respond somewhat with the next 3 points – Michael Cahill, and two from Sean Carrabine. A long ball into the Castleconnor box was broken down to Adrian Marren who fired over and Curry maintained their big lead and made light of the breeze in their faces. Eamonn Cawley hit a neat point for Castleconnor and then something for the Castleconnor support to cheer on 48 minutes as Sean Carrabine worked a clever give and go before smashing an unstoppable shot to the top corner of the Curry net. In the next play Curry almost got in for a fifth goal, Alan Reilly forcing Kenneth Healy into a super save, the rebound smashed over the bar by Colin Brennan. 

Both sides ran the benches in the last 10 minutes, the result being in no doubt for some time. Eoin Kent got Castleconnor’s last score on 50 minutes but Curry got the last three scores – a fabulous another score from Jason Marren and one each from Adrian Marren and Colin Brennan to put the icing on the cake. 

The result means Curry go into their quarter final unbeaten as they face Bunninadden and Castleconnor will look to recover having suffered their first defeat of the championship when they play Geevagh.