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‘Jocky’ jolts Glengad 23.01.09
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Carrowmena...2 (J McLaughlin 17, 49) Glengad United...2 (Pat McDermott 48, Kelly 54) By Simon McGeady, Inishowen Independent, at The Warren IF GLENGAD United are to realise their season’s primary ambition of a return to the Premier Division, for the first time on half a decade, they will need to play better than this down the stretch to May. Team manager Liam McClean knew as much when, addressing his youthful team after the final whistle, he told them it was ‘a miracle’ United had got anything from the game. Perhaps that was putting it a little too harshly, but certainly there was little inspiration, divine on earthly, on show from the Crua kids at the Warren on Sunday. Credit too must go to Carrowmena. Twice now in the league this season they have pushed last Sunday’s opposition to the limit, losing 1-0 in the first fixture. Glengad might have taken a 6th minute lead, but Paul McDermott’s in-swinging corner was headed over by John Gerard McLaughlin. |
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Raymond Dougal’s side
settled after that early scare and they carried the
greater threat. Midfielder James Henry hit a low volley from 30 yards that Michael McLaughlin scrambled to push around his right hand post. Glengad were most menacing down the flanks and when Ruarai Doherty robbed James Henry on the right, the sturdy Paul Duffy got back to ensure a corner was the most costly outcome. A willingness to cover for one another was a feature of Carrowmena’s play on the day. When Stephen McLaughlin got around Ruarai Dougal on the right flank, Andrew McLaughlin came to the rescue, sliding in to put John Gerard McLaughlin off his shot. On 10 minutes McDermott’s out-swinging corner from the right came to John Gerard McLaughlin at the far stick, but his weak header fell softly into the arms of Noone. After more telling midfield play by the redoubtable Duffy, who fired in a warning shot, on 17 minutes he split the Glengad defence with a great ball over the top that released Matthew Henry. Henry’s shot cannoned off the crossbar but Jonathan McLaughlin followed up to score. |
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Duffy almost set up a
second minutes later, after he won the ball in the
middle of the park and found the goal-scorer in space on
the right, but McLaughlin’s deep cross was a waste. Carrowmena right back Andrew McLaughlin was doing his bit to stem the flow of attacks down the Glengad left with a number of well-timed challenges. But the visitors weren’t shut down completely. In the 35th minute Glengad had their best chance of the match. Centre back Patrick Doherty went on a mazy run up the middle of the pitch and floated the ball over the Carrowmena defence for Anthony Toland, but off balance, the veteran could only shoot wildly against Noone’s legs. The visitors spent little of the allotted half time interval in the changing room. They were sent to wait on the pitch while spray shot from the top of ten-foot waves breaking in the background. John Gerard and Paul McDermott had the whole second half to admire the high swelling sea. They were pulled from the game and replaced by Paul McGonagle and Terence Doherty. The latter sub made an immediate impact. Doherty darted in behind the Carrowmena defence and James Gillen brought him down from behind in the penalty area. Up stepped the confident Pat McDermott to stroke home the equaliser. Gillen and his centre half partner John McGeady had been rock solid in the first half, but now with the wind in their faces they were less assured. Gillen, though, made up for his part in the Glengad equaliser with mighty clearance that reached McLaughlin in the corner of the visitor’s box. Michael McLaughlin had a rush of blood to the head and charged off his line and was rounded with easy by ‘Jocky’ who found the empty net from 18 yards. Glengad were level for just over a minute. United’s unbeaten record was in serious jeopardy now. Matthew Henry saw a shot careen of the Glengad keeper’s thigh. It took a gem of a strike from left-back Lee Kelly in the 54th minute to restore parity. Stephen McLaughlin’s centre from the right was headed clear of the Carrowmena penalty are by a stretching McGeady. The ball fell to Kelly 30 yards out, who killed it stone dead, and with a swivel of the hips and flash of the right boot sent a shot flying into the Noone’s bottom right corner. In the 62nd minute Paul Duffy and Matthew Henry combined to attempt to tee up Brian Orr, but the former’s lay off was too tame and the chance was gone. As Glengad pushed forward McGeady and Andrew McLaughlin saw yellow. Perhaps the recent caution was in the former’s mind when he opted not to try and tackle Terence Doherty in the penalty box. Doherty, however, over-hit his cut back from the byline. Doherty again got the better of McGeady in the 77th minute and this time he forced a save from Noone, who succeeded only in palming the ball up in the air. Luckily, the alert Andrew McLaughlin was first on the scene, just as he had been in the first half. The final chance of the match fell to the Glengad sub. Noone momentarily lost the ball after blocking Doherty’s initial effort, but recovered milliseconds before the predatory Toland could make the kill. Carrowmena: Michael Noone, Andrew McLaughlin, Ruarai Dougal, James Gillen, John McGeady Paul Duffy, James Henry, Jonathan McLaughlin, Conor Radcliffe, Matthew Henry, Patrick McClenaghan. Subs: Brian Orr for Radcliffe (52). Glengad United: Michael McLaughlin, Ruarai Doherty, Lee Kelly, Patrick Doherty, Shane Doherty, Anthony Toland, John Gerard McLaughlin, Patrick McDermott, Stephen McLaughlin, Paul McDermott, John Gerard McDermott. Subs: Paul McGonagle for J McDermott (HT), Terence Doherty for Paul McDermott (HT). For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent. |
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