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McDaid seals vital win for Illies
01.12.09
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Illies FC...3 (A. Doherty ’36; K. O’Donnell ’49; N. McDaid ’85) Culdaff FC...2 (A. Kelly ’45; D. Diver ’55) by Damian Dowds, Inishowen Independent, at Strathclea Road A LATE Niall McDaid goal secured victory for the Illies in this keenly contested Premier Division tie on Sunday. Twice Illies had taken the lead only to be pegged back by a Culdaff side who, had they won, would have joined Clonmany at the top of the table. But McDaid’s goal five minutes from full time gave the home side the win and helps move out of the relegation zone. Culdaff got off to the better start with Anthony Kelly heading over early on and Illies goalkeeper Noel McDermott had to be alert to parry a curling free kick from Dermot Diver and then retrieve the ball from under the feet of Niall Gordon who was just about to pull the trigger. While Illies had efforts from Paddy Doherty and Kevin O’Donnell, the best of the chances were coming the visitors’ way. Anthony Kelly shot from close range in the 21st minute but McDermott got out to smother well and moments later John Joe Doherty raced onto a long ball over the top but blasted his shot to the right and wide. Kelly had another chance from the edge of the box on 27 minutes, but McDermott got out to block with his shins and the defence cleared the ball. While they were under pressure, McDermott and his Illies defence were performing well with McDaid and Caolan McCann thwarting the Culdaff strikers time and again. The home side were coming into the game; William McLaughlin headed wide on the half hour and Dominic Coyle fired wide from the right of the box before Illies took the lead on 36 minutes. Kevin O’Donnell, starting his first match for Illies since transferring from Cockhill, broke the offside trap and powered a low cross in from the left. Aidan Doherty found a yard of space in the box and turned to finish right footed to the top left corner. Anthony Kelly equalised for Culdaff on the stroke of half time when he used his knee to control a ball bobbling in the Illies box and he found the back of the net on the half volley. Illies had one final chance before the break when Paddy Doherty played in William McLaughlin but the latter’s snapshot went inches wide of Conor O’Brien’s left hand post. Illies took the lead within four minutes of the restart. Andy McLaughlin took a free kick from inside his own half and Niall McDaid hooked it over his shoulder to find Kevin O’Donnell steaming into the area from the left. O’Donnell made no mistake and slammed the ball home to make it 2-1. Culdaff responded well. Adrian McGonagle rose high to meet a corner kick but his header went over the bar before Dermot Diver hit the equaliser in the 55th minute. Culdaff won a corner and Dominic Coyle headed it off the line at the back post. His header fell on the edge of the box where Diver threaded a shot through a forest of legs and into the bottom left corner of the net past unsighted keeper McDermott. While there were plenty of chances after that, neither side could manage to convert them. Culdaff’s John McFeely almost scored with a free kick from inside his own half that had keeper McDermott scrambling backwards to tip over the bar, and Paddy Doherty shot straight at Conor O’Brien at the other end. Illies’ Aidan Doherty hooked a ball over the bar after running onto a ball over the top from Kevin O’Donnell in the 70th minute and O’Donnell was again involved moments later to set up William McLaughlin but he shot wide from inside the box. Culdaff had their chances too. Substitute Eugene McLaughlin rounded Noel McDermott and shot for goal, but Andy McLaughlin got back to clear the danger, while John McFeely’s curling 77th minute free kick was punched clear by McDermott. It looked like the game would end in a draw (remarkably, with 27 games played there hasn’t yet been a draw in the Premier Division this season!) but Illies had other ideas and were still pressing as the clock ticked down. A good chance fell to Niall McDaid but O’Brien was able to beat it away for a corner in the 85th minute. Paddy Doherty delivered an inswinging ball and McDaid headed what proved to be the winner from six yards. Culdaff attacked for what remained of the game, with an otherwise quiet Conor Keddy showing some trickery on the edge of the area and Eugene McLaughlin making a nuisance of himself. Their best chance fell to Dermot Diver who shot inches wide from inside the box in the 89th minute, but Illies held out to claim three valuable league points. The win helps them Illies away from the relegation zone and but dents Culdaff’s league ambitions. They had a chance to leapfrog Redcastle and join Clonmany at the top of the table, but they can have no complaints with this result. |
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Illies FC: Noel
McDermott; David Doherty, Niall McDaid, Caolan McCann,
Andy McLaughlin, Dominic Coyle, Shaun Coyle, Paddy
Doherty, Aidan Doherty, Kevin O’Donnell, William
McLaughlin. Culdaff FC: Conor O’Brien; Brian Harris, Derek Doherty, Brian McGonagle, John McFeely, Dermot Diver, Conor Keddy, Adrian McGonagle, Anthony Kelly, Niall Gordon, John Joe Doherty. For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent. |
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