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Inishowen cup hope dashed
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First half strike kills
Inishowen dream Inishowen League...0 Limerick League...1 (Heffernan) by Liam Porter, Inishowen Independent, at Foyle View Park, Redcastle INISHOWEN'S Oscar Traynor Cup hopes came to an end on Sunday when a controversial goal a minute before half time by Limerick striker Tommy Heffernan was enough to separate the sides. Played in beautiful sunshine, the game was spoiled by a swirling wind that made life difficult for the players, but Inishowen had the better of the opening exchanges and looked comfortable as they headed towards the break. However the visitors produced their best move of the game just before half-time when tall striker Mike Behan slid the ball past the static home defence to his strike partner and he nipped in to steer past Gerard Crossan. Inishowen were livid, claiming Heffernan was offside, but there was no flag and the goal stood. |
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It was hardly a surprise
that Inishowen manager Brian Bell was less than
impressed with some of the officials’ decisions after
the match, considering the home side also maintained the
visiting keeper had handed the ball outside his box in
the 10th minute. It certainly did look as if Aaron Gilmartin was well caught out when Nigel McMonagle reached a through ball from Paul McLaughlin first and it appeared as if the ball did strike his arm outside the box as McMonagle tried to nick it past. However the claims from the home side were waved away by referee Paul Duddy with the Limerick defence left to breath a sigh of relief. To be fair the visitors did defend well for most of the game with left-back Mark Sheehan and centre half Pat McGarry particularly impressive and any chances Inishowen did manage to carve out did come in the first half. With the wind in their favour in the first half |
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Inishowen had the bulk of
the possession and while Gerard Crossan was called into
action in the 14th minute to stop a long range shot from
John Boyle, it was pretty much all one way traffic. Inishowen came close to breaking the deadlock in the 21st minute when Gilmartin was forced to dive smartly at his hear post to gather a flicked header from Dermot Diver, while a minute later Steve Harkin fired just over the bar from 22 yards as the home side tried to turn the screw. Gilmartin saved easily from John McFeely’s long-range shot in the 37th minute before the home side were stunned with that Heffernan goal in the 44th minute. Even then they might have gone in on level terms at the break, but Paul McLaughlin’s free-kick deceived everyone only to fizz across the face of the goal to safety. With the wind at their back and a goal to the good Limerick were quite content to sit in and stay tight in the second half, but when they did move forward they looked as if they might cause problems. Long throws from Diarmuid Ryan had the Inishowen defence struggling on several occasions, and with just two minutes gone in the second half Leo Wong rattled the bar as Ryan’s throw reached him at the back post. Later in the half another long throw from Ryan fell to Heffernan who forced a good save with his feet from Crossan, but try as they might Inishowen couldn’t find a way through the solid Limerick defence in the second half. It was a bitter defeat for a side who had knocked out one of the best teams in the competition in the quarter-final, but they can be proud of their efforts and their exploits in the competition this year in which they firmly put Inishowen junior football on the map. Inishowen: Gerard Crossan, Aidan Doherty, Brian Treacy, Martin Farren, Dermot Diver, John McFeeley, Paul McLaughlin, Steve Harkin, Joe Doherty, Nigel McMonagle, Philip McGuinness. Subs: Anthony Doherty for Joe Doherty 51 mins; Jimmy Gallagher for McGuinness 65; Charlie McCormick for McFeeley 77 mins. Limerick: Aaron Gilmartin, Diarmuid Ryan, Mark Sheehan, Philip Purcell, Leo Wong, pat McGarry, Alan Carroll, Ger Burke, Mike Behan, Tommy Heffernan, John Boyle. Subs: Shane Guerin for Heffernan 85 mins. For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent. |
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