Moville find their groove
22.10.10
Moville Celtic...3
Quigley’s Point...1
by Caoimhinn Barr, Inishowen
Independent, at Glencrow (Photo: Andrejs Plavins)
A SUPERB Nigel McMonagle hat-trick helped Moville Celtic
to an impressive 3-1 victory over Foyleside rivals
Quigley’s Point Swifts at rainswept Glencrow Park last
Sunday afternoon.
The result moves Moville up to fourth in the table and,
after a poor start, Darren Bredin’s men are starting to
live up to their pre-season billing as one of the title
favourites.
With the partnership of Joe Doherty and Nigel McMonagle
back to its clinical best, Moville have recorded
back-to-back 3-1 home victories and are now only one win
behind league leaders Clonmany.
Deadly in the attacking third last Sunday, Moville also
had Darryl Doherty to thank for an excellent display at
the back while Alan Orr is improving with every game
back at his hometown club.
The result was somewhat harsh on Quigley’s Point, who
could easily have opened the scoring on a number of
occasions before McMonagle found his groove in the
Moville attack. |
The visitors began brighter
with Raymond Buchanan and Eamonn Reddin forcing an early
corner before the same two players combined to set-up
Dean Hegarty, who was thwarted by Moville defender
Darryl Doherty.
Quigley’s Point created the game’s first clear opening
after fifteen minutes when Eammon Reddin’s tame header
was easily saved by Paul White after Raymond Buchanan’s
pinpoint cross from the left.
It was almost twenty minutes in before Moville
registered their first shot on target; QPS keeper Damien
Doherty taking no chances to tip Joe Doherty’s quick
free-kick over the bar. Doherty’s resultant corner was
then headed over under pressure by Moville midfielder
Graeme Doherty. |
 |
An Alan Orr cross almost
embarrassed Swifts keeper Damien Doherty before Tony
McGeady flicked a header wide from another Joe Doherty
corner, delivered with the outside of the boot.
Making a rare first team start, Maurice McCauley had
Moville on the attack again, impressively beating two
defenders before laying the ball into the path of Oran
McDermott, who had his shot well blocked. McCauley was
in the thick of the action moments later, poking
narrowly wide from a Nigel McMonagle cross.
With Buchanan and Michael McColgan prominent in
midfield, Quigley’s Point were unlucky not to be in
front after Kevin Wallace was just unable to connect
with Dean Hegarty’s free-kick before Adam Harkin fired
wide after gathering Eamonn Reddin’s attempted shot
brilliantly.
Menacing Matthew Cutliffe was next to trouble the home
defence after latching onto Raymond Buchanan’s astute
pass but once again the excellent Darryl Doherty was
alive to the danger in the Moville rearguard.
Graeme Doherty carved out Moville’s first clear-cut
chance with a perfect through ball but Nigel McMonagle
sidefooted wide with the Point sideline baying for an
offside decision, which never arrived. That miss proved
to be McMonagle’s first and last of the afternoon and
within two minutes the deadly striker had Moville in
front; carefully chipping QPS keeper Damien Doherty from
the corner of the box after racing onto Alan Orr’s
excellent long ball.
The visitors’ last chance of the opening period fell the
way of Eamonn Reddin, who fired high and wide under
pressure after collecting Brian McColgan’s neat touch.
Within seconds of the restart Quigley’s Point thought
they had levelled but Matthew Cutliffe’s deflected shot
crashed off Paul White’s crossbar before bouncing down
on the goal line. Despite loud QPS appeals that the ball
had crossed the line referee Gerard O’Kane waved play on
and Moville survived.
An angled fifty-yard pass from Joe Doherty then almost
released Moville midfielder Alan Orr before Quigley’s
Point keeper Damien Doherty was quickly out to snuff out
the threat.
Doherty was involved minutes later; combining
brilliantly with Nigel McMonagle before the Point
defence cleared the danger once more.
The second goal Moville craved arrived in the 66th
minute when Nigel McMonagle was on hand to roll home
after excellent work by Shane Canning, who had the
presence of mind to pick out the striker after his
initial shot was parried by Point goalkeeper Damien
Doherty. From six yards McMonagle couldn’t miss - much
to the delight of Moville coaching staff, Darren Bredin
and Trevor Kane.
With Moville in the ascendancy, an Oran McDermott cross
from the left caused havoc in the visitors’ defence
before Graeme Doherty was just off target with a header
from another threatening Joe Doherty corner. A searching
cross from substitute Tony Boyce was well cleared as QPS
came under increasing amounts of pressure.
Showing great strength to hold off his man after getting
on the end of Oran McDermott’s long ball, Nigel
McMonagle completed his hat-trick to put the game beyond
Quigley’s Point with just over ten minutes remaining.
The Moville number ten clipped the ball to the far
corner of the net at the second attempt after Damien
Doherty saved his initial effort.
The Point salvaged a late consolation goal when Gerard
Green headed into an empty net after Adrian McColgan’s
fantastic effort crashed off the Moville crossbar from
thirty yards.
The result moves Moville into title contention while
Quigley’s Point stay rooted to the bottom of the table.
Darren Bredin’s men will hope to build on their momentum
at Glengad this Sunday while Quigley’s Point can move
off the bottom with a win at home to Carn.
Moville Celtic: Paul White, Darryl Doherty,
Anthony Maloney, Tony McGeady, Maurice McCauley, Shane
Canning, Graeme Doherty, Alan Orr, Joe Doherty, Nigel
McMonagle, Oran McDermott. Subs: Conor McLaughlin, Tony
Boyce, Michael Coyle, Christy McLaughlin.
Quigley’s Point Swifts: Damien Doherty, Dean
Barron, Kevin Wallace, Paul Grant, Brian McColgan,
Michael McColgan, Eamonn Reddin, Raymond Buchanan,
Matthew Cutliffe, Dean Hegarty, Adam Harkin. Subs:
Adrian McColgan, Stephen McCarron, Terry McColgan,
Gerard Green, Brian Lynch.
For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the
Inishowen Independent. |
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