Dunree freeze as Point take
points
11.12.08
Visitors struggle to get
into their stride
QPS Reserves...2
(Adam Harkin 4, Fergal Buchanan 19)
Dunree Reserves...0
by Liam Porter, Inishowen
Independent
A COUPLE of goals early in the first half were
enough to secure a well-deserved victory for Quigley’s
Point Reserves against Dunree on Sunday and despite a
late bout of pressure from the visitors, the home side
held on for all three points.
The game had been given the green light to go ahead
following a night of hard frost on Saturday and as the
pitch thawed under the rising morning sun, it was the
home side who warmed to the occasion much better as
Dunree froze in the first ten minutes.
There were only four minutes on the clock when the Point
took the lead and from then on they never really looked
back.
Indeed they dominated the possession in the first half
and with Sean Harkin in particular causing problems for
the visiting defence, they had Dunree pinned back for
long periods. |
The visitors, stunned by
the concession of that early goal just never got into
their stride in the first half and it wasn’t until the
last few minutes of the first half that they even
managed an attempt on target.
However they found their stride better in the second
half and in the first ten minutes of the second half
they might even have levelled the game with a couple of
decent chances.
That said the home side always looked the more likely
team to find the net again even in the second half, but
they made life hard for themselves in the second half
and Dunree were in with a shout of getting something
from the game right til the death.
It was a far cry from the opening minutes which got off
to a disastrous start for Dunree. Paul Hegarty found
Sean Harkin free on the right and when his cross
squirmed through the hands of Dunree keeper Roger
McGilloway, Adam Harkin pounced on the loose ball to
steer |
 |
into the net from close
range.
The home side could have added to their tally in the
15th minute when Trevor Gallagher headed across the face
of the goal from a corner and Dunree were struggling to
get the ball out of their own half.
They paid for that four minutes later when QPS made it
2-0 with a brilliantly worked goal. Alex O’Brien’s cross
from the left was flicked on in the box by Hugo Curran
and Fergal Buchanan reacted quickly to send a diving
header in off the post to the top corner.
Buchanan who led the line brilliantly for the home side,
might have had a second in the 36th minute when he
created space for a shot, but this time McGilloway did
well to beat away the fierce strike from the Point
striker.
The visitors finally pressed forward in the closing
minutes of the first half and from their first corner of
the game, Paddy Toland’s well-directed header was
cleared off the line.
The late flurry must have led Dunree to realise they
could get something from the game and Neil Moran tested
Brian Lynch with a good strike before a minute had
elapsed in the second half.
At the other end seconds later Adam Harkin’s fine run
created a chance for Buchanan, but his cheeky flick went
wide of the target.
Damian McCallion was called on to make a great saving
tackle in the 57th minute to deny Sean Baldrick who took
too long to get his shot away after beating the offside
trap.
At the other end McGilloway had to react quickly again
in the 65th minute again to deny Buchanan who closed in
quickly after a fantastic strike from Adam Harkin came
off the crossbar.
After that chances were few and far between although
Dunree did press hard for a goal that would have made an
interesting end to the contest.
The closest they came was with a powerful header over
the bar from Malcom McGee following a corner but the
goal never came and the Point held on to take victory.
QPS: Brian Lynch, Damian McCallion, Alex O’Brien,
Trevor Gallagher, Cathal McColgan, Hugo Curran, Sean
Harkin, Paul Hegarty, Joe Johnson, Fergal Buchanan, Adam
Harkin. Subs: Dean Hegarty for Johnson (65 mins), Simon
Wallace for A. Harkin (80 mins), Mark Wallace for S.
Harkin (73 mins).
Dunree: Roger McGilloway, Paddy Toland, Daithi
McColgan, David Cassidy, Frank Kelly, Neil McCarron,
Kevin McColgan, Henry Connelly, Malcom McGee, Sean
Baldrick, Neil Moran. Subs: Thomas Mulhern for D
McColgan (65), Paddy McLaughlin for Moran (65), William
Baldrick for N McCarron (80).
For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the
Inishowen Independent. |
|
