 |
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
 |
| Search... |
Grant strikes late to clinch
victory
01.12.11
|
|||||||||||||||
|
Rashenny come from
behind to beat league leaders Culdaff FC...2 (C. O’Brien 33’, B. McGonigle 37’) Rashenny FC...3 (D. Harkin 56’, B. McLaughlin o.g. 82’, D. Grant 87’) Report: Damian Dowds, Inishowen Independent at Caratra Park Rashenny recorded an unlikely win coming back from two goals down to beat league leaders Culdaff under lights on Saturday night. While underfoot conditions at Caratra were nigh on perfect, the gusting wind made this a real game of two halves. The wind favoured Culdaff in the first period and while it took them some time to find their groove, goals from Conor O’Brien and Brian McGonigle gave them a comfortable two goal cushion at the break. But, buoyed by an early strike from Damian Harkin and with the elements now favouring them, Rashenny dominated the second period and their persistence was rewarded with two late goals, the first an own goal from Benny McLaughlin and the winner coming from Darren Grant three minutes from time. The league leaders tried to hard to force a late equaliser, but Rashenny held out for a well deserved win. |
|
|
Rashenny settled quickly
into the game and created the best of the early chances
with Brian McGonigle forced into a superb last ditch
tackle at the feet of Donal Kelly after Tiarnan Coyne’s
initial shot had been clawed away by George Houten in
the Culdaff nets. Midfielder Anthony Doherty spurned two
good chances in the 11th and 14th minutes before Culdaff
finally started to settle into the game. Their long ball tactic was perhaps understandable given the wind on their backs, but when they kept it on the deck they had more success. John Gerard McDermott failed to capitalise on a defensive lapse on the quarter hour, and Michael Coyle dived to meet a McDermott cross from the right but just couldn’t get enough purchase on the ball and it fell well wide. The movement of Donal Kelly and Darren Grant up front, and the speed of their wide men Damian Harkin and Tiarnan Coyne, made Rashenny dangerous in the final third of the field. A Grant header looped over keeper Houten in the 20th minute, and Rashenny loudly appealed that the ball had crossed the line before it had been cleared, but the appeals were half hearted and referee Gerard O’Kane ignored them. |
 |
|
Culdaff though were
starting to get on top and Conor O’Brien controlled and
shot high and right from outside the area before they
took the lead just after that half hour. Benny McLaughlin pumped in a cross from deep on the left and O’Brien timed his run to perfection to first time it back across keeper Sean Friel and into the net. It was a fine, composed finish. Dillon Ruddy hit a curling shot soon after that the Rashenny keeper did well to palm wide, but his side went 2-0 down from the resulting corner with Dean O’Connor’s inswinger headed home at the back post by Brian McGonigle. Culdaff, in the first half specially, were strong from set pieces and John McFeely drew a good save from Friel five minutes before the break. Tiarnan Coyne and Damian Harkin had two half chances for Rashenny late in the half but both struck wide and at the change of ends their side trailed 2-0. |
|
 |
Rashenny adopted the long
ball tactic early in the second half, but got no change
out of Brian McGonigle who won every header. Grant went close with a 30 yard free kick shortly after the resumption, and Coyne shot weakly from the left on 50 minutes, but they pulled one back 11 minutes into the half. There was a suspicion of offside about the goal when Damian Harkin ran onto Donal Kelly’s flicked on header, his hurried first shot was parried by the vocal Houten but Harkin continued his run and tapped the rebound home. The game became scrappy for a time after that, with both sides cancelling the other out. Rashenny, though, adopted best with striker Donal Kelly dropping back into midfield to help out his Sean P Toland and Anthony Kelly. For Culdaff, Dermot Diver was composed as ever in the centre of midfield, and Michael Coyle and Conor O’Brien lively up front. |
|
But Culdaff were struggling
with the pace of the wide men and John Joe Doherty
executed a precise tackle to dispossess Coyne on the
edge of the box on the hour mark. At the other end,
Michael Coyle was unlucky to see his curling shot scoot
wide and keeper Sean Friel had to come smartly off the
line to deny Coyle getting onto a near inch perfect pass
from the right and O’Brien headed narrowly wide on 76
minutes. Rashenny equaliser was of the fortuitous variety. Damian Harkin won a kick near the right touchline just a few yards inside the Culdaff half. He whipped the ball into the box where Benny McLaughlin was the unfortunate defender to deflect it into his own net. Lucky the goal might have been, but Rashenny were determined to make the most of the opportunity it provided. Harkin chased down a lost cause into the right corner, laid it back to substitute David McLaughlin who swung in a perfectly weighted cross and Darren Grant capped a fine personal performance by nodding it downwards and into the net from six yards. With just three minutes of normal time left, Culdaff went desperately in search of an equaliser. Brian McGonigle’s 25 yard free kick was hooked out for a corner by Paddy Nelson, and Diver headed agonisingly wide from the resulting corner and Rashenny held out to win by the odd goal in five. Culdaff: George Houten; John Joe Doherty, John McFeely, Brian McGonigle, Benny McLaughlin; Dean O’Connor, John G. McDermott, Dermot Diver, Dillon Ruddy, Conor O’Brien, Michael Coyle. Subs: Matthew Crampsey, Derek Doherty, Brendan Lafferty, F. McLaughlin. Rashenny: Sean Friel; Ryan Davenport, Emlyn Doherty, Paddy Nelson, Martin Shiels; Damian Friel, Sean P Toland, Anthony Doherty, Tiarnan Coyne; Donal Kelly, Darren Grant. Subs not used: Anthony Doherty, John Doherty, David McLaughlin, Kieran Friel. Game at a glance Man of the match Brian McGonigle was a rock at the heart of the Culdaff defence and Michael Coyle dangerous up front, but the main contenders were from the men in black and blue. Tiarnan Coyne and Damian Harkin offered excellent width and pace on the wings, and Donal Kelly was influential throughout, but Darren Grant got the late winner, a goal that capped a fine personal performance from the striker. Man in the middle Forced into an early jersey change from a little black number that clashed with the Rashenny strip into a bright red shirt, Gerard O’Kane was his usual unruffled self. One particular incident summed up his fine evening with the whistle. A clumsy challenge by Rashenny striker Donal Kelly was noted and with advantage accruing to Culdaff O’Kane allowed play to continue before booking Kelly in the next break in play some two minutes later. It was sensible, strong refereeing. What’s next? A crunch game at Caratra for league leaders Culdaff when they host fellow promotion candidates Buncrana Hearts next weekend. Culdaff lost the corresponding fixture in Buncrana 3-1 earlier in the season, and will be keen to get back to winning ways. Rashenny will be hoping to make it two wins from two when they host bottom of the table Carrowmena who have yet to record a league win this season. For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent. |
| Tweet |
 |
|
| Return to > Sports > News > Home | ||