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‘Culdraught’ blows Dunree
chances
29.10.08
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Culdaff...4 (Kearney 20, Diver 36, O’Brien 38, Collins 87) Dunree...3 (Doherty 30, Harkin 64, McLaughlin 90) by Liam Porter, Inishowen Independent, at Culdaff THEY say it’s an ill wind that blows no good and the ill wind that helped deceive Dunree keeper Roger Gilloway as he attempted to read the flight of a Brian McGonigle free-kick, blew good fortune for Culdaff on Sunday. The Dunree keeper’s failure to judge that free left substitute Dermot Collins with the task of hammering the ball into the empty net, and while the wind did carry the ball slightly wide of the posts, the sub composed himself before firing high to the net to give the home side a two goal advantage. It also gave them an opportunity to breathe a huge sigh of relief because having bossed the first half and then created some excellent chances at the start of the second, Culdaff found themselves hanging on towards the end. The mistake was tough on Gilloway who had made three or four excellent stops to keep his side in the game when it seemed as if the home side might run away and cruise to an easy win. |
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But those stops from the
Dunree keeper and some very poor defending from the home
side under high flighted balls into the box meant that
until the death the visitors were in with a chance. However restoring the two goal advantage so late in the game was the lifeline that saved Culdaff in the end and despite a late flurry from Dunree that included an injury time goal from Paddy McLaughlin it wasn’t enough to help Dunree secure a share of the spoils. Playing with the advantage of the wind in their backs Culdaff were in control for the most part in the first half and they led at the break by three goals to one. However the visitors found the Culdaff Achilles heel early in the game when Paul Craig rose unmarked in the 11th minute to head wide from a well-delivered free kick by Michael McGlynn. but five minutes later they were behind. Declan Kearney chased a long ball out of the home defence and as Craig hesitated in trying to deal with the ball under a strong swirling wind, the Culdaff man nipped in to lift a shot over the advancing Gilloway. Kearney probably should have had a second in the |
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20th minute but blazed over
the bar and then Gilloway dived full length to deny
Adrian McGonigle in the 28th minute. Then the visitors who were playing into the wind in the first half, got back on level terms, Sean Doherty again exploiting the home defence’s failure to deal with crosses when rose highest in a crowded goalmouth to head home from Michael McGlynn’s free. It was as good as it got for Dunree though and Dermot Diver slotted home from close range after a good move in the 36th minute and then Conor O’Brien headed home two minutes later from a Matthew Byrne free-kick. They have started the second half brightly too and three times Derek Doherty has got clear of the Dunree defence but failed to find the target. First he fired wide of the post, then he pulled the ball back to Diver whose shot was blocked and then Gilloway denied him with a smart save. The best Dunree managed in response was a good effort from goalscorer Sean Doherty that beat Martin McLaughlin in the Culdaff goal but was hacked off the line by Matthew Byrne, while Benny McDaid also came close with a 57th minute shot that flew just inches over the bar. But they were coming more and more into the game and they were rewarded when McDaid’s corner in the 64th minute was powerfully headed home by central defender Kevin Harkin. They might have levelled the match with ten minutes to go but Paddy McLaughlin’s diving header went wide of the target and Jason McLaughlin then fired inches past the post in the 86th minute as the home side clung on to their narrow advantage towards the end of the game. However the points were secured in the 87th minute when that free flew over Gilloway’s head and Collins rattled into the empty net to make it 4-2. Dunree threw everything back at Culdaff in the closing minutes played in a driving rain storm and although they did pull a goal back in injury time with another powerful header by Paddy McLaughlin it wasn’t enough to help them to a share of the spoils. Culdaff: Martin McLaughlin, Bryan Harris, Matthew Byrne, Brian McGonigle, Damien Harkin, John McFeeley, Declan Kearney, Dermot Diver, Adrian McGonigle, Conor O’Brien, Derek Doherty. Subs: Dermott Collins for Doherty (85 mins); Ronan Kearney for Declan Kearney (88). Dunree: Roger Gilloway, Barry Nixon, Paul Craig, Kevin Harkin, Jason McLaughlin, Michael Harkin, Liam Baldrick, Paddy McLaughlin, Sean Doherty, Benny McDaid, Michael McGlynn. Subs: Philip McGuinness for McGlynn (65 mins), Ryan Bradley for Doherty (65 mins); Henry Connell for Baldrick 71 mins). For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent. |
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