 |
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
 |
| Search... |
Cockhill Celtic maintain title
tilt
|
||||||||
|
Cockhill Celtic...3 (A O’Donnell 29, Duffy 75, M Doherty 83) Killea...0 by Simon McGeady, Inishowen Independent, at St Mary’s Park COCKHILL Celtic kept pace with Kildrum Tigers at the top of the table following this ultimately comfortable win over Killea FC on Sunday evening. Yet Donal O’Brien’s side made heavy weather of beating the league’s last placed team and it wasn’t until the closing stages that they made sure of the points against a willing but toothless opponent. Aidan O’Donnell grabbed the first goal on 29 minutes after a corner from the right was cut back to Liam O’Donnell on the edge of the area. It’s doubtful whether Liam’s curling shot would have beaten Martin Gallagher in the visiting goal, but when the alert Aidan redirected it on its way through, the header hit the crossbar and bounced down over the line. That goal was a little harsh on the visitors who gave as good as they got in the opening stages during which chances were at a premium for both teams. |
|
|
What threat there was from
the home side usually came courtesy of target man Paul
McKinney, the lynchpin of the home sides attack. In the space of a few minutes he flicked the ball on to Ryan Duffy only for the youngster to see his shot blocked. Then McKinney made a chance for himself, rounded the keeper only to see his shot cleared off the line by Emmet McLaughlin. The Cockhill Celtic pressure built as the half wore on, with William McLaughlin bombing up the left to provide width. However Killea’s defence were excellent and routinely repelled Cockhill crosses. Killea manager Dee Dunne was less than happy with the effort of some of his players and made a double change at the break, young Ben Holly relieving Brown on the right hand side of midfield and Declan Reddin pressed into attack as Sean Ruddy hit the bench. Cockhill upped the tempo of their passing in an attempt |
 |
|
to break down the stubborn
Killea rearguard, but it was a case of more haste, less
speed. The visitors too were wasteful in possession as midfielders over-hit passes out of defence and through balls bounced through to the under-worked Shane Galvin. Reddin did make an impact for Killea, though, and almost got on the end of a deep Johnny Ward cross in the 50th minute then two minutes later his delightful flick released Conor McDaid down the left who fizzed in a cross that struck a Cockhill body in the box. The visitors wanted a penalty, but their appeals fell on deaf ears. Dee Dunne’s raiders might have stolen a point when, after good build up play between Alex Gibbons and Reddin, the ball was switched to the right side to the unmarked Holly who chipped in a 25 yarder that had Galvin beaten all ends up only for the ball to skim off the crossbar and over. Cockhill went two up in the 75th minute when Ryan Duffy rounded the keeper after Jimmy Bradley’s quick thinking helped Duffy beat the offside trap. The Hoops could now breathe easier with the two-goal cushion. Indeed any chance the visitors had evaporated when John McCready saw a second yellow ten minutes from the end. Mike Doherty concluded a good evening for the home team showing good goal poaching skills from close range and there was still time for the tireless William McLaughlin to blaze over from close range and Aidan O’Donnell to rattle the bar with a right-foot curler. It mattered not, but Cockhill will be happier with the result than the performance after this one. Cockhill Celtic: Shane Galvin, Dave McDermott, William McLaughlin, Ciaran Grant, John McElroy, Aidan O’Donnell, Ryan Duffy, Liam O’Donnell, Paul McKinney, Jimmy Bradley, Derek Doherty. Subs: Mike Doherty for Duffy (76), William O’Connor for McDermott (82), James O’Donnell for D Doherty (85) Killea: Martin Gallagher, Sean Ruddy, Conor McDaid, Emmet McLaughlin, Emmet Lynch Barry Deeney, Johnny Ward, Frank McBriarty, Stephen Brown, John McCready, Alex Gibbons. Subs: Declan Reddin for Ruddy (HT) Ben Holly for Stephen Brown (HT). For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent. |
| Return to > News |
 |