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Cockhill outgun Arsenal
11.06.09
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Cockhill Celtic...4 Convoy Arsenal...1 By Simon McGeady, Inishowen Independent, at St Mary’s Park THERE MAY have been just one point and one place separating these sides going into last Thursday’s encounter at St Mary’s Park, but there is a gulf in class between Cockhill Celtic and Convoy Arsenal, if the evidence of this match is reliable. Cockhill coasted to a 4-0 lead inside an hour with goals from William McLaughlin, James Bradley, Paul McKinney and Garbhan Friel before Donal O’Brien’s side eased up and Chris McBride scored a late consolation for the visitors, who remain one place off the bottom of the league after seven games Cockhill did all the pressing in the first ten minutes. With the visitors playing a very high line, the home side looked to release their attackers with early balls in behind their defence. Garbhan Friel and Paul McKinney exposed the Convoy defence before the opening goal arrived in the 11th minute. |
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Oisin McColgan released his
left back William McLaughlin with a ball over the top
that caught Convoy’s defence pushing up the field and
although McLaughlin’s first touch allowed Convoy keeper
Gareth Patton a sniff, the Cockhill player was strong
enough to stay on his feet and sweep the ball past him
into the net. Convoy battled hard but could not get the ball back off the home side, who passed it around with confidence and urgency. From one of their more direct moves, McKinney flicked a header into Friel’s path but the Cockhill striker blazed high over the bar with only the keeper to beat. Time and again the early ball over the top caused the visitors problems and Friel went close again before Cockhill got their second in the 27th minute after fatal hesitation at the heart of the Convoy defence allowed James Bradley to nip in and waltz past Patton to score. |
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With Ryan Carlin toiling
fruitlessly up front the Arsenal grew increasingly
frustrated. Fullback Mark Sweeney did make one good run
up the left but his cross was easily cut out. Good pressing from Cockhill when they didn’t have the ball ensured that Convoy’s midfielders were never allowed to compose themselves on the ball and several times their skittishness led to basic errors. Raiding from the left McLaughlin almost got his second five minutes from the break when, after a neat step over, he curled in a ball seeking Patrick McLaughlin at the back post that came close to dropping into the top corner of the Convoy goal. On 44 minutes Carlin had his snapshot from Chris Boyle’s knock down that failed to trouble Stephen Porter in the home goal. Cockhill started the second half with the same high tempo they’d finished the first. On 47 minutes Eunan Kelly slipped as he attempted to cut out a through ball letting James Bradley in on goal, however Patton was alert to the danger and smothered the midfielder’s shot. Five minutes later Cockhill hit the back of the net again, Paul McKinney losing Sweeney at the near post to poke home Bradley’s corner from a yard out. That was the cue for O’Brien to ring the changes, starting with former Finn Harps midfielder Gerry Gill, who came on for his Cockhill debut after spending a season playing junior football with Moville. It was soon 4-0. Paul McKinney slid through Friel on the right and the muscular Cockhill number 10 held off a sky blue shirted defender then scored with a clinical finish to the bottom left corner. Cockhill were full value for their lead and they might have had more. Ciaran Grant struck a rising shot that flew narrowly wide before Gerry Gill almost capped a fine Cockhill move, but dragged his shot wide of the near post. There was to be no debut for Gill. Convoy got a consolation when Chris McBride scored with a fine curling free kick in the 73rd minute after Carlin won a free on the edge of the area. In the final quarter the game became scrappy as the hosts passing grew sloppier. Midfielder David Craig went close with a header from a Eunan Kelly free but Cockhill saw out the remainder of the match with ease to break into the top half of the table. Cockhill Celtic: Stephen Porter, Jarlath Herrity, William McLaughlin, Oisin McColgan, John McElroy, Ciaran Grant, Patrick McLaughlin, James Bradley, Paul McKinney, Garbhan Friel, Barry McColgan. Subs: Gerard Gill for B. McColgan (52), Derek Doherty for Herrity (63), Christopher McDermott for Friel (78). Convoy Arsenal: Gareth Patton, Stephen Lyndsey, Mark Sweeney, Mickey Rodgers, Eunan Kelly, Cathal Martin, David Craig, Chris Boyle, Mark Patton, Chris McBride, Ryan Carlin. Subs: Darragh Harvey for Martin (HT), Ian McGonagle for Rodgers (65), Gareth Kerrigan for Patton (65). For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent. |
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