Late goals vital for Drumbaragh

Clinical finishing was the difference as Drumbaragh opened their JFC campaign with an impressive victory over Navan O"Mahonys at Pairc Tailteann on Sunday evening. Playing O"Mahonys in the opening round of the JFC can be a tricky assignment, but Drumbaragh produced an excellent performance and claimed three superb goals to complete a miserable evening for the Brews Hill club who also lost the SFC curtain-raiser. A five-point defeat was harsh on O"Mahonys because they had played well and in Darren O"Toole they had one of the top performers. However, Drumbaragh excelled throughout and inspired by John and Mark Smith from midfield were worthy winners. John Smith got the goal-scoring feast underway with an exquisite finish just before half-time to propel his side into a 1-6 to 0-5 interval lead and when James Connolly fisted a second goal with 12 minutes remaining to make it 2-9 to 1-9 it broke O"Mahonys resistance. The icing was put on an excellent performance by the best goal of the night after 59 minutes when Seanie Bennett cooly finished beyond Keith Lane after exceptional build up play which included great passes from John Smith and Willie Carry. The contest was close throughout with never more than four points separating the sides until the closing stages. Even the four-point cushions were brief. Connolly opened the scoring after four minutes, but O"Toole responded for O"Mahonys with a point from play and one from a free before superb long-range points from Bennett and Smith and another from Gary McCormack gave Drumbaragh a 0-4 to 0-2 first-quarter lead. Points from O"Toole (two) and Ross Geraghty gave O"Mahonys the edge before Drumbaragh"s late burst brought points from McCormack (two) and Smith"s superb goal. The Navan side responded perfectly three minutes after the resumption when O"Toole took advantage of poor defending to find the net and when Jake Regan and Gary O"Dowd added points it looked as if it could be O"Mahonys evening. O"Toole and Dara Maguire traded scores with Peter Carry and John Smith (free) to leave O"Mahonys 1-9 to 1-8 ahead with 13 minutes remaining. John Smith settled Drumbaragh with a decent free and then the tide shifted with Connolly"s goal as the north Meath men marched on. Drumbaragh - W Arkins; D Gogarty, B Forde, M Kavanagh; E Nulty, N Corcoran, W Carry; J Smith (1-4, two frees), M Smith; P Carry (0-1), J Connolly (1-1), G McCormack (0-3); J Madden, C Carry (0-1), S Bennett (1-2). Sub - T Carry for McCormack 43 mins. Navan O"Mahonys - K Lane; J Reilly, N Dunne, R Lynn; I Matthews, D Maguire (0-1), J Rogers; A Rogers (0-1), G O"Dowd (0-2, free); R Geraghty (0-3), D O"Toole (1-5, two frees), S Gillespie; J Regan (0-1), D Murtagh, A Gillick. Sub - K Reddy for O"Toole 57 mins. Referee - Eamonn Barry (Walterstown).