 |
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
 |
| Search... |
Cockhill claim derby spoils
25.06.09
|
||||||||
|
Dunree...0 Cockhill...2 (Noone 41, Connolly 56) by Simon McGeady, Inishowen Independent, at St Egney’s Park AFTER the high of beating Quigley’s Point Swifts in their first league match back in the Inishowen League for three seasons, Cockhill delivered a dose of reality at a wet and windy Desertegney on Thursday evening. The home side struggled to get a foothold in the match and were it not for an outstanding display from their defence, the scoreline would have more accurately reflected the visitors’ dominance. Cockhill, still without the services of the dangerous Christina McCallion, played with the breeze in the first half and pushed Mickey McDaid girls back into their own half. The hoops forced a series of corners on the right hand side in the opening exchanges. Michelle Doherty struck in a shot from a half-cleared corner in the 10th minute that Christina Duffy had to be at her tallest to claim. |
|
|
Kelly, who has the clever
knack of arriving late into the box for corners, wasn’t
picked up and from Caroline Gallagher’s expert delivery,
the big defender planted a header wide at the near post.
In the 27th minute Cockhill almost took the lead in freak fashion when Maria Brown’s long range shot bounced in front of Duffy onto the crossbar, luckily for Dunree Tasha Craig was on hand to make the clearance. Even in a back four containing Caroline Duffy and Claire and Noreen Bradley, all of whom have experience playing for Dunree before they left the league, Craig stood out. Her tough tackling and ability in the air will be vital to Dunree this summer. In the 31st minute Cockhill came close to opening the scoring when Michaela Mullen’s glancing header was cleared off the line. The ball came out to Caroline Donaghey who flashed a shot just wide. Kelly went close with another header just before half time, but the hosts saw off the danger to make it to the break with their goal intact. McDaid might have hoped to see more of his side as an attacking force with the wind at their backs in the second half, |
 |
|
but what he got was more of
the same, only this time Cockhill found their range,
scoring with their first attack of the second half. Caroline Gallagher put in a great cross from the left that found Niamh Connolly in the middle. Duffy blocked Connolly’s shot, but Dunree failed to clear properly and Susan Noone thumped the ball home. Then the rains came down and what were already difficult conditions for good football became almost impossible. In fairness to Dunree, they did make more of a fist of things in the second half and certainly made Cockhill work more for their possession. Cockhill still fashioned the odd opening. Noone played in Maria Brown only for Duffy to kick away the shot. A second never seemed that far away and it came in the 56th minute with Niamh Connolly’s looping shot. At 2-0 down Dunree could have collapsed, but instead they rallied. Laura Reid struck an angled shot past the far post then, following a scramble in the box, the ball fell to Tasha Craig who was visibly annoyed at her finish. In the 73rd minute Craig’s superb free from the right dropped invitingly between Cockhill’s back four and Sarah Gillespie in the away goal, but Sarah Parker and Laura Reid were themselves slow to react and the chance was gone. That’s now seven points from nine for Cathal Doherty’s girls. It’s the minimum they would have wanted from their opening trio of games as they seek to deny champions Carndonagh a hat trick of league championships. For Dunree, it may be a long road back to the top of the tree in Inishowen, a position they last occupied in the early noughties, but at least they have strong foundations on which to build. Dunree United: Christina Duffy, Caroline Duffy, Tasha Craig, Claire Bradley, Noreen Bradley, Helena Doherty, Ava Connolly, Claire McDaid, Ann Marie McDaid, Dede Grant, Laura Reid. Subs: Sarah Parker for H. Doherty (46), Maria Murphy for A. Doherty (61) Cockhill Celtic: Sarah Gillespie, Emma O’Donnell, Rosie Porter, Michelle Kelly, Tracey Doherty, Maria Brown, Michaela Mullen, Susan Noone, Niamh Connolly, Carolien Gallagher, Caroline Doherty. For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent. |
| Return to > Sports > News > Home |
 |