Culdaff hopes sunk by Clonmany sub
13.01.09
Doherty goal sets up repeat
of last year’s final
Clonmany Shamrocks...2
(Dessie Doherty, Aidan Doherty)
Culdaff FC...1
(Niall McLaughlin)
By Liam Porter at Shamrock
Park
TWO Clonmany subs combined to provide the missile
that sunk Culdaff’s hopes of winning the Reserve League
Shield competition on Sunday and to ensure the Clonmany
men get a crack at revenge against a Moville side who
beat them in last year’s final.
With seconds ticking away a magnificent turn and cross
from Darren Grant earned him a few yards of space on the
right wing and when he fired in his 94th minute cross,
Aidan Doherty rose highest to head low past Culdaff
keeper George Houten.
The goal was just reward for a Clonmany side who had
made the best of the chances in the second half and both
Grant and Doherty who had combined for the winner caused
plenty of problems for Culdaff in the second half. |
The pressure from the home
side was in stark contrast to the action in the first
half when Culdaff had lots of the play and indeed had
even broken the deadlock.
The big difference however was the fact that even under
pressure and against the wind, Clonmany did manage to
carve out a couple of decent chances and indeed a goal
in the first half whereas into the wind Culdaff created
only once chance of note.
That chance, a header late on from Eugene McLaughlin
would probably have swung the game in favour of the
visitors, but when it fell inches wide of the post,
Culdaff’s best hope of making the final disappeared.
But even early on the intentions of the home side had
been clearly signalled and despite facing into a strong
and swirling wind Clonmany might have taken the lead in
the 5th minute.
Kieran McLaughlin’s fierce shot forced George Houten in
the Culdaff goal into an excellent save and the Culdaff
keeper was to remain in inspired form with a string of
good stops throughout the match.
Despite the advantage of the swirling wind in the first
half, the best Culdaff could manage in the early stages
was to force a series of corners and their first real
threat came in the 21st minute when Eugene McLaughlin
beat the |
 |
offside trap but his
fiercely driven shot was brilliantly beaten away for a
corner by Paddy Harkin in the home goal.
It was an encouraging sign for the visitors though and
four minutes later they were ahead, when Patrick
McLaughlin crossed from the right and Niall McLaughlin
rose unchallenged to power a header over the stranded
Harkin.
The home side responded in the 29th minute when Emlyn
Doherty fired in a shot that Houten again brilliantly
saved but from the resulting corner Kevin McCarron’s low
cross was turned in at the front post by Dessie Doherty
to level the scores.
With the wind at their backs in the second half Clonmany
managed to press Culdaff deep into their own half and it
took another good save from Houten – this time denying
Declan Grant – to keep the teams on level terms.
That save came in the 68th minute and from the resulting
corner Dessie Doherty powered a free header over the bar
as Clonmany sought to get their noses in front.
Substitutes Grant and Doherty combined in the 75thy
minute, Doherty nipping on to a flick on from Grant to
shoot first time but again Houten reacted well and made
a good stop at his near post.
A minute later Patrick McLaughlin’s fine cross from the
right found Eugene McLaughlin but his free header
dropped the wrong side of the post and that was the last
threat from the visitors.
Aidan Doherty fired just wide in the 82nd minute but it
looked as if the game might need extra time to separate
the sides until Grant fooled his marker, fired in a
cross and Doherty headed low into the corner past the
scrambling efforts of Houten to keep it out.
Culdaff had four minutes to press for an equaliser, but
even though they threw everything they could forward
they never created a chance to level the game and
Clonmany held on to march into the final once again.
Clonmany: Paddy Harkin, Emlyn Doherty, Declan Grant,
Ivan Doherty, Sean Doherty, Johnny McLaughlin, Jerry
McDaid, Dessie Doherty, Kieran McLaughlin, Kevin
McCarron, Mickey Kelly. Subs: Darren Grant for D Doherty
55 mins, Aidan Doherty for Kieran McLaughlin 55 mins.
Culdaff: George Houten, Michael McLaughlin, Stuart
McKeague, Paul McLaughlin, John McLaughlin, Niall
Gordon, Gerard McLaughlin, Patrick McLaughlin, Niall
McLaughlin, Gary Collins, Eugene McLaughlin. Conor Keddy
for Collins 71 mins; Brendan Lafferty for N McLaughlin
83 mins.
For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the
Inishowen Independent. |
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