 |
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
 |
| Search... |
Ten out of ten for Buncrana
22.07.10
|
|||||||||||||
|
Buncrana Hearts...10 Convoy Arsenal...0 by Caoimhinn Barr at Castle Park (Photos: Herbie Barr) FRIDAY evening’s Ulster Senior League clash between Buncrana and Convoy began with a minute silence in honour of the eight men, who lost their lives eight miles from Castle Park on July 11. Matthew Henry opened the scoring inside ninety seconds, driving at the heart of the Convoy rearguard, before Buncrana added a further nine strikes. The fact that Decky Fullerton fired a hat-trick and wasn’t Buncrana’s top scorer on the night tells its own tale. Accomplished frontman, Matthew Cutliffe could do little wrong on an evening when he added four to his to personal tally for the season. Even he wasn’t the best player on the pitch; that honour went to talented young midfielder, Matthew Henry, who was at the centre of everything on a wet night by the banks of the Swilly. |
|
|
Henry’s brother James is in
the Derry City squad, which will be gunning for glory in
the Airtricity Premier League next season, and, on this
evidence, his younger sibling could soon join him. Scoring enough goals to comfortably win four matches, Buncrana, according to a sub on the home bench, were playing like the Harlem Globetrotters. It was hard to argue as wave after wave of flowing Hearts attacks cut Convoy to ribbons at Castle Park. Buncrana - urged by manager Niall McGonigle to ‘keep the ball’ and ‘reload’ – did just that; dominating possession from start to finish and ‘reloading’ their sights for nine more goals after Henry gave them a lead. While the young Shroove man has made a successful leap spanning two divisions, after leaving Carrowmena of the Inishowen League to join Buncrana in the Ulster Senior League, Convoy are clearly playing two tiers or more above where they should be. |
 |
|
The young Arsenal eleven,
though out of their depth, kept their discipline and
showed an admirable lack of frustration – none of their
players were booked – but this group of players should
be plying their trade in a different competition, where
they can challenge for honours. Small in stature but big in goal threat, Matthew Cutliffe scored the first of his four goals to put Buncrana 2-0 up after rounding Convoy keeper Brian Kelly in the ninth minute to roll the ball into an empty net. Less than ten minutes later the home Hearts were three clear and the Convoy players must have been mentally searching for the exit signs as another almighty beating looked inevitable. Cutliffe again on the scoresheet, this time with a neat free-kick from 22 yards after Matthew Henry was upended. |
|
 |
Talented Buncrana winger
Gerard Boyle was next in on the act, heading home Decky
Fullerton’s pinpoint cross on the half hour mark to make
it 4-0. For number five, which followed minutes later, Fullerton swapped his provider role for that of finisher, slotting home after excellent play by Gerard McLaughlin and Henry again. Convoy managed a few half chances in a half from hell; Brian Carlin shooting wide and Pauric McLaughlin failing to connect with an Ian McGonigle cross. The second-half had barely begun when the Hearts bagged a sixth as Matthew Cutliffe got on the end of a great move |
|
to coolly lift the ball
over advancing Convoy keeper Brian Kelly and complete
his hat-trick. Henry was again the provider; twisting
and turning in midfield the Arsenal players could not
get close to him all evening. A simple one-two, involving Decky Fullerton and Matthew Cutliffe, ended with the latter making it 7-0 after 51 minutes. Fullerton bagged his second and Buncrana’s eighth of the night moments later; rattling home off the crossbar after being put through by Henry and Johnny McCarron. Convoy’s Mark Mailey drew a great save from home keeper Lee McFadden before Buncrana delivered a parting salvo. Getting on the end of a Stephen McHugh cross, Fullerton completed his hat-trick to make it nine before the three subs, McHugh, Ciaran McDaid and Michael Furey combined to send the home score into double figures for the first time in living memory. Buncrana Hearts: Lee McFadden, Paddy McMyler, Barry McFadden, Gary Duffy, Michael Carroll, Johnny McCarron, Gerard Boyle, Matthew Henry, Matthew Cutliffe, Gerard McLaughlin, Decky Fullerton. Subs: Stephen McHugh, Ciaran McDaid, Michael Furey, Decky Meehan. Convoy Arsenal: Brian Kelly, Johnny Kee, Ian McGonagle, John Sweeney, Eunan Kelly, Emmet Patterson, Pauric McLaughlin, Mark Mailey, Brian Carlin, Darren Harvey, Kevin Kelly. Subs: Gary Brolly, Rudi Harkin, Sean Sweeney. Referee: David Wogan. For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent. |
|
| Return to > Sports > News > Home |
 |