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Culdaff get off to winning
start
26.08.08
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Aileach FC...1 (Stephen O’Donnell 26) Culdaff FC...2 (Niall McLaughlin 15, Eugene McLaughlin 65) by Jonathan Downey, Inishowen Independent, at the Slab CULDAFF did just enough to scrape a win over Aileach last Friday evening in this League Cup opener in Group C. It was Aileach and Culdaff’s first competitive action of the new season, with both side’s fielding different lineouts from those that finished last season. Although there was some pre-season rustiness in each team’s play, it wasn’t a passive display. Aileach’s Stephen O’Donnell cancelled out Niall McLaughlin’s opener for Culdaff early in the first half but substitute Eugene McLaughlin bagged the three points with his header for the visitors 25 minutes from full-time. |
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It took time for the teams
to settle from the kick-off. Culdaff conceded a few
early free kicks, but none of the crosses troubled their
goalkeeper. The closest any side came to creating any
chance on goal came on 11 minutes when Dermot Diver’s
lay-off to Ronan Kearney was flashed wide by the Culdaff
front man. Culdaff came more into the game and came close three minutes later when Paddy McColgan’s cross into the box was just out of range for Kearney. On the quarter-hour mark however, the visitors got their breakthrough when Niall McLaughlin ran onto a through ball and slipped the ball past Aileach goalkeeper Kevin McDermott. That goal prompted Aileach to up the tempo after a slow start. They did create a lot of offensive pressure but they lacked that final ball and failed to have any distinct opportunity on goal until Kelvin Lynch missed from close range on 24 minutes. A great ball into the far post from Mickey Shivey fell perfectly for Lynch to head from six yards but Culdaff’s Sean O’Donnell did well to keep it out. That should have made it 1-1, though the home side didn’t wait long to find their equaliser. Stephen O’Donnell showed the youngsters how to do it with a little flair, when some neat flicks over two defenders set him up to volley a beauty past Sean O’Donnell two minutes after Lynch’s attempt. |
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In the 33rd minute Benny
McDermott missed a golden opportunity for Aileach.
McDermott failed to take advantage on an open goal after
he worked the ball past the keeper, but Brian Harris got
back to kick the ball off the line. Goal chances dried
up before half time with only Culdaff’s Conor O’Brien
coming anywhere near with a free kick in the 45th
minute. The second half opened with Stephen Doherty finding time to strike for goal but the ball was a foot over the bar. It was a more open affair after the interval, which allowed Declan O’Donnell and Mickey Shivey for Aileach and Culdaff’s Dermot Diver to stretch their opponents defence with speed and movement. Aileach’s left-back O’Donnell was a marvel to watch, as was the passing display of Declan Kearney in midfield for Culdaff that created problems for the home side. Eugene McLaughlin produced a great pass across an open Aileach goal on 59 minutes but no one was there to follow it up. A minute later Culdaff almost gifted a goal to Aileach when a mistake in their defence gave Benny McDermott the ball but he wasted the opportunity with a poor shot. Niall McLaughlin found himself uncontested from a corner in the 65th minute and headed the ball towards goal with Eugene McLaughlin’s indefinite slight touch doing enough to put the ball between Kevin McDermott’s legs. Culdaff grew more comfortable with Aileach finding it difficult to cut through the final third. The home side’s quick running and passing floundered allowing Culdaff to take more control of the game. Dermot Diver hit the side netting on 78 minutes after a fine pass from Brian Harris. Culdaff supplemented their position by forcing Aileach’s Kevin McDermott to make a great double save in the 85th minute. Firstly, McDermott stretched well to knock Niall McLaughlin’s cross onto the bar before doing even better with Eugene McLaughlin’s follow up. Two minutes later Kevin McDermott again made up for his mistake with Culdaff’s second goal with another save from Eugene McLaughlin. Mickey Shivey had one last opportunity for Aileach to equalise a minute before the final whistle but Sean O’Donnell comfortably saved Shivey’s shot. Culdaff will take comfort from the fact they worked the opposing keeper throughout the game, and although the opposite could be said for Aileach, they could of taken a some sort of result if some luck had went there way. Aileach FC: Kevin McDermott, Declan O’Donnell, Brian Sheerin, Gregory Doherty, Neil McElhinney, Seamus O’Donnell, Mickey Shivey, Stephen O’Donnell, Brendan McDermott, Kelvin Lynch, Stephen Doherty. Subs: Daniel Patton for Brian Sheerin (73 mins); Ciaran Craig for Stephen Doherty (73 mins). Culdaff FC: Sean O’Donnell, Conor O’Brien, Brian Harris, Brian McGonigle, J P Thompson, Dermot Collins, Paddy McColgan, Declan Kearney, Niall McLaughlin, Dermot Diver, Ronan Kearney. Subs: Eugene McLaughlin for Dermot Collins (37 mins). For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent. |
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