Senior Championship - Group C
Allen Gaels 2-10 Bornacoola 0-8
Allen Gaels confirmed themselves as front runners for the 2000 championship with this facile victory over Bornacoola in the first round of the Leitrim Senior Championship at Pairc Sean on Saturday June 10th. In the end, the margin was eight points, but it could and should have been more as the wasteful ex-champions cruised home against a hopelessly out of sorts Bornacoola, shooting 17 wides in the process.
Surprisingly, in light of what was to follow, the Bors made the brighter start and had Mark Mc Closkey and Philip Howard made better use of some good early chances they might well have enjoyed a decent lead on the scoreboard.
As it was their reward for five minute of constant pressure was a single pointed free and they were hit their first real body blow when John Gilbane capitalised on a comedy of errors in the Bornacoola defence to score the townsmen's first goal in the sixth minute.
Bornacoola kept in touch through Pat Farrell and Philip Howard but the Gaels were beginning to assert their presence all over the field and enjoyed a five point lead approaching half-time. A Feargal Mc Gill point reduced this to four and gave the Bors hope as they headed to the dressing room 1-6 to 0-5 in arrears.
Bornacoola did enjoy some early pressure at the start of the second half and for the very briefest of moments it looked like they might be able to turn the tide. However, when Adrian Cullen careered through the middle of the Bors defence for the townsmen's second goal, the game was over as a contest.
Bornacoola's problems were further compounded as the game wore on as both Pat Farrell and Peter Mallon suffered injuries as the Gaels continued to dominate. In a forgettable second half, a pointed fifty from Mark Mc Closkey and a couple of points for Philip Howard were the only consolation for the large Bornacoola support.
Team: Peter Mallon, John Reynolds, Derek Duignan, Brian Mallon, Dermot Shanley, Mark Mc Closkey, John Mc Guinness, Pat Farrell, Micheal Duignan, Trevor Howard, Jonathan Duffy, Feargal Mc Gill, Philip Howard, Seamus Mallon, Mark Mc Closkey. Subs used: Morgan Shanley for D. Shanley and Daragh Cox for P. Mallon