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Inishowen off to winning start
22.09.10
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Coláistí Inis Eoghain...5-12 St Michael’s Enniskillen...4-06 INISHOWEN'S combined schools team made a stunning debut in Ulster Colleges competition with a nine point victory over St Michael’s Enniskillen in Burt on Friday afternoon. Corner forward Darach O’Connor hit five goals for Coláistí Inis Eoghain and was virtually unmarkable while midfielder Conor Harkin chipped in with seven points from frees and play. The Enniskillen full forward line of Kevin Curran, Colin Logan and Daire Gallagher shared 4-5 between them, and the Fermanagh side led by 4-4 to 3-6 ten minutes into the second half, but a strong finish from the Inishowen men saw them take the win. The nine point winning margin flattered Inishowen somewhat; St Michael’s looked dangerous right up to the final whistle and only stout Inishowen defending, as well as a superb penalty save by Harry Doherty, kept them at bay. Darach O’Connor was in unstoppable form, his goals coming in the 3rd, 25th, 26th, 42nd and 53rd minutes. The diminutive corner forward has a deceptive turn of pace, the strength to retain possession under pressure and a great eye for goal. St Michael’s tried a number of different markers on O’Connor, but none had any joy in curtailing him. |
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O’Connor opened the scoring
with a goal and points from him and Conor Harkin, saw
Inishowen lead by 1-2 in the seventh minute. However,
1-1 from the dangerous Kevin Curran and a point from
Matthew Martin brought the visitors back into it by the
18th minute. Conor Bradley pointed after taking a pass
from Seamus Houghton, before Enniskillen took the lead
on 20 minutes when Daire Gallagher found the net, and
another Kevin Curran point put them 2-3 to 1-3 ahead. Midfielders Conor Harkin and Peter McLaughlin scored a point apiece to bring Inishowen back to within a point before O’Connor hit two goals in as many minutes. The first came after a flowing move involving Jason Doherty, Conor McCormick and Seamus Houghton. The second came after Peter McLaughlin won a throw-in near the sideline, fed his cousin Darach and the latter sped in along the endline and planted an unstoppable shot to the bottom left corner to send Inishowen into the break with a 3-5 to 2-3 lead. Enniskillen’s response after the half time break was emphatic. Colin Logan picked up a rebound and smashed the ball to the net from close range two minutes in and Daire Gallagher followed up soon after to put them back into the lead. Conor Harkin and Kevin Curran exchanged frees before that man O’Connor got in for his fourth goal. |
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That goal gave Inishowen a
4-6 to 4-4 lead and they never looked back after it. Harkin converted a massive 48m free and pointed from play from outside 45 on either side of a Jason Doherty point. Conor McCormick extended Inishowen’s lead still further before O’Connor netted his fifth from the penalty spot after big Seamus Houghton, who proved an excellent target man over the hour, had been felled in the square. That put Inishowen 5-10 to 4-5 ahead. Enniskillen were awarded a late penalty for a foot block on Kevin Curran. The corner forward, who was Enniskillen’s most dangerous player throughout, took the penalty himself, but Harry Doherty dived low to his right to make the save. That save capped a competent display by the 14 year-old goalkeeper. Conor Harkin scored twice on either side of a Daire Gallagher point to give Inishowen a nine point winning margin. For Inishowen, keeper Harry Doherty, defenders Denver Coyle and Jason Doherty, Conor Harkin and full forward Seamus Houghton all impressed and St Michael’s simply had no answer to the wily Darach O’Connor. The Enniskillen side were best served by Denis Greene, Sean Michael Breen, and their inside forwards Kevin Curran and Daire Gallagher. Coláistí Inis Eoghain’s next match is against Rannafast Cup old hands St Eunan’s College on Tuesday next, 28 September, in Convoy, with Omagh CBS coming to Buncrana next Thursday, 30 September. Inis Eoghain: Harry Doherty (Buncrana); Jonathan Devlin (Burt), Bruce Waldron (Buncrana), Matthew Crampsey (Malin); Denver Coyle (Buncrana), Conor Brennan (Urris), Jason Doherty (Urris, 0-1); Peter McLaughlin (Buncrana, 0-1), Conor Harkin (Burt, 0-7, 3 frees, 1 ’45); Conor McCormick (Carn, 0-1), Conor Bradley (Urris, 0-1), Matthew Barber (Buncrana); Ryan Curran (Buncrana), Seamus Houghton (Malin), Darach O’Connor (Buncrana 5-1, 1 penalty). Sub: Dara McConway (Naomh Pádraig Iskaheen) for M. Crampsey (half time). Enniskillen: Daniel Ray; Thomas McHugh, Michael Morris, Stephen O’Reilly; Denis Greene, Martin Beagan, James Allen; Sean Michael Breen, Luke Robinson; Conor Smith, Matthew Martin (0-1), Donnacha Tierney; Kevin Curran (1-4, 1 free), Colin Logan (1-0), Daire Gallagher (2-1). Subs: Damian McCarville for T. McHugh (10 mins); Cathal Caulfield for S. O’Reilly (half-time); Thomas McCaffrey for D. Greene (53 mins). Referee: Jim McCallion (Tyrone) For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent. |
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