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Illies and Buncrana can’t be
separated
21.01.11
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Illies FC...1 (K. O’Donnell 4 mins) Buncrana Hearts Reserves...1 (O. O’Flaherty 1 mins) Report by Inishowen Independent THERE was little to separate local rivals Illies and Buncrana Hearts on a windy day at Stranaclea Road. Two goals in an explosive opening four minute period suggested that the substantial crowd were in for a real goal fest, but the wind made for difficult playing conditions and good chances, other than pot shots from outside the box that rattled the woodwork, were few and far between for the rest of the game. In form striker Oisin O’Flaherty opened the scoring within moments of the kick-off when Illies centre half Aidan Doherty miscued a clearance and two touches from the Buncrana striker took him into the penalty area where he hammered an unstoppable shot into the bottom left corner. Playing into the teeth of a strong wind, it was the perfect start for the side managed by Buncrana USL striker Gerard McLaughlin. |
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But the visitors didn’t
hold the lead for long. Kevin ‘Duck’ O’Donnell had
headed a corner over the top before he opened the
scoring for Illies on four minutes. A long clearance
from keeper Noel McDermott was flicked on by Matt
Gallagher and O’Donnell finished a screamer to the top
right corner that left Buncrana keeper Paddy Quigley
flatfooted. With the wind on their backs, Illies laid siege to the Buncrana goal after that but the defence, where Kevin O’Loughlin and Caomhan Doherty excelled, held firm and restricted them to shots from distance. On 17 minutes Denver Coyle cracked a 25-yarder off the crossbar and Grant was called offside on the follow up. Illies went close again moments later when veteran Niall McDaid hit a looping effort from inside the centre circle that forced Quigley to back pedal furiously and he was glad to see the ball bounce off the top of the crossbar and out for a goal kick. Mickey Furey and Benny Murphy continued to drive Buncrana on, but their chances were few and far between. Their best effort came on 27 minutes when Conor McConnell shot |
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narrowly wide after Caomhan
Canny whipped in a cross from the right. Illies went close again on the half hour when Matt Grant’s shot was blocked and Niall McDaid was narrowly wide with the rebound. Five minutes before half time O’Donnell used his strength to hold up the ball and fed it back to his strike partner Grant but he shot wide and the sides were tied at 1-1 going into the half time break. Gerard Boyle had the first chance of the second period when he got on the end of a Forshaw cross but shot across the goal and wide. Grant should have given Illies the lead five minutes into the second half when O’Donnell played a clever ball over the top. Grant tried to loft the ball over Quigley, but under pressure from Kevin Hegarty he chipped the shot tamely into the keeper’s grateful hands. Substitute Damian Doherty set up O’Flaherty on 73 minutes but O’Flaherty’s volley zipped wide. Robbie Fullerton’s long distance 75th minute lob carried on the wind but was bundled away by Noel McDermott in the Illies nets. Damian Doherty had a glorious chance to steal a win for Buncrana in the 86th minute when he sprung the offside trap and knocked the ball past Noel McDermott. Unfortunately for the Buncrana sub, he had pushed the ball too far to the right and with the angle narrowing he didn’t take the extra touch he needed and hit the side netting. Illies had a late penalty claim when Niall McDaid was bundled over by Kevin O’Loughlin, but their shouts fell of deaf ears and the game ended honours even. (Inishowen Independent) Illies FC: Noel McDermott; Seamus Doherty (Caolan McCann 73 mins), Andy McLaughlin, Aidan Doherty, Seamus Donaghey; Denver Coyle, Niall McDaid (Eamon Hegarty 89 mins), Dominic Coyle, Paddy Doherty; Matthew Grant, Kevin O’Donnell (Oisin Doherty 60 mins). Buncrana Hearts Reserves: Paddy Quigley; Caomhan Doherty, Kevin O’Loughlin, Kevin Hegarty, Robbie Fullerton; Harry Forshaw (Stephen McHugh 58 mins), Brendan Murphy, Gerard Boyle, Conor McConnell (Damian Doherty 69 mins); Oisin O’Flaherty, Michael Furey (Peter McLaughlin 87 mins). Referee: Danny McLaughlin. For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent. |
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