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Carrowmena hit the heights
25.11.09
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Dougal’s men see off title
rivals with relative ease Carrowmena...4 (Kone 9, Harkin 70, Houston 78, Duffy 89) Rashenny...1 (E. Doherty 84) by Simon McGeady, Inishowen Independent, at the Warren Carrowmena’s barnstorming start to the season continued at the Warren on a wet and windy Sunday afternoon when Rashenny were the latest team to fall in fall foul of the Fr O’Gara Cup winners. With defenders who are not afraid to get the ball down and pass it, and midfielders committed to possession football, Raymond Dougal’s men bear more than a passing resemblance to Glengad United. Carrowmena will be hoping that like Liam McClean’s side last season, they end the season with promotion. Rashenny are one of the better teams in this division (indeed they started the day level on points with Carrowmena, albeit with two extra games played) and for an hour they looked sharp enough to grab an equaliser, but from the moment Damien Harkin volleyed Carrowmena’s second midway through the second half, they gave up the ghost. Danny Grant’s men started brightly but were rocked back on their heels inside ten minutes when Carrowmena right back Andrew McLaughlin centred for striker Brian Kone to power a header past Damien Friel from 12 yards. Carrowmena were aided by a strong breeze in the first half, the same elements that stymied Rashenny’s attempts to break out of their own half. James Henry again found his outlet, Andrew McLaughlin, and the fullback almost had another assist, playing a diagonal cross into the box that Paul Duffy glanced wide. The midfielder’s ability to run into the box, with or without the ball, must always be respected, but on this occasion no one in a baby blue top tracked his run. In the first half Rashenny were at their most dangerous from dead ball situations. John Doherty (D) played an in-swinging free from the left of midfield that Patrick Nelson, up from the back, got his boot to and had he directed the ball anywhere on target but straight at James Noone it would have been 1-1. Noone started a counter attack that ended with a crude challenge on James Henry in the opposition ‘D’ by Martin Kelly for which he saw yellow. Kone, the spearhead of Carrowmena’s attack for more than a season now, is a real handful for defenders. On the half hour he nearly profited from a mix up in the Rashenny defence. Despite a few nervy moment from free kicks, the Carrowmena defence, superbly marshalled by the dependable James Gillen, kept Shane Collins and Co. from getting a sight of Noone’s goal. In the 38th minute, James Henry slalomed between two blue shirts and was tackled by a third. Referee Liam Porter looked long and hard at the offence and said no pen. As the half drew to a close, Duffy stung Friel’s palms with a powerful drive that the Clonmany man got a strong enough hand to. Rashenny started the second half snapping into tackles, but the Carrowmena defence kept their composure. Damien Harkin then went down in the box but, again, Carrowmena appeals for a penalty fell on deaf ears. Rashenny then had their best passage of play in the entire match, forcing corner after corner after Emlyn Doherty’s initial shot was put behind by Noone. The clearest chance in this time fell to Collins, but his header from 6 yards out ballooned over the bar. That miss proved costly when, on 70 minutes after good build up from the Henry boys, Duffy crossed from the right for Harkin to volley to the net despite Friel’s best efforts. Friel caught the eye with a number of fine stops in the second half as Carrowmena cut loose. Due in no small part to the Rashenny keeper, Carrowmena’s third goal didn’t arrive until 78th minute when Matthew Henry played an inch perfect through ball (no mean feat in the deteriorating conditions) for substitute David Houston and the Greencastle lad flicked past the exposed Rashenny keeper to score with his first touch of the match. Houston could easily have had another in the closing stages but for the bravery of the Trawbreaga Park stopper. In the 84th minute Emlyn Doherty scored just about as good a consolation goal as you are likely to see this season, his dipping 30-yard free Noone could only help onto the underside of his crossbar on its way to the net. It was a stunning strike that Doherty celebrated with a half-hearted pump of the right arm. Carrowmena were always likely to have the final saw in this one and on 89 minutes Duffy capped a towering display with a fine goal, playing a one two with substitute Paddy McClenaghan before running through on goal an finishing neatly past Friel. Kone could have added a fifth in injury time, but his turn and shot inside the box was superbly saved by Friel, diving low to his left. Carrowmena’s win makes it five wins out of six. They remain unbeaten in the league and have a hatful of goals to their name. But this year’s Glengad? Only time will tell. |
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Carrowmena: Michael
Noone, Andrew McLaughlin, John Paul Thompson, James
Gillen, Michael O’Doherty, Paul Duffy, James Henry,
Damien Harkin, Jonathan McLaughlin, Matthew Henry, Brian
Kone. Subs: Dave Houston for J McLaughlin (76), Paddy
McClenaghan for Harkin (80). Rashenny: Damien Friel, Shaun Doherty, Dan McGonigle, Patrick Nelson, Rock Ivers, Martin Kelly, John Doherty (D), John Doherty (F). Subs: Sean Doherty for Doherty (D) (60), Owen McGonigle for Kelly (74). For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent. |
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