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Glengad Utd are simply the best
30.04.09
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Glengad United...3 J. McConologue og (14), T. Doherty (23&29) Rashenny...2 P Doherty (74), Friel (82) by Simon McGeady, Inishowen Independent, at the Crua GLENGAD UNITED will grace the Premier Division of the Inishowen League for the first time in half a decade after they wrapped up the First Division with three games to spare against Rashenny last Tuesday night. The first season at their new home has brought the first team their first silverware since the Fr O’Gara Cup in 2004 and their first league success in eleven years. And what’s more impressive is they’ve done it with mostly a side of under 21s that, barring Alan Orr, are all from the local area. Indeed half of the team are still teenagers, from the Neil McColgan U14 side that reached the semi-final of the Goodson Cup in 2004, players like John Gerard and Christy McLaughlin, Stephen McLaughlin, Paul McGonagle, Lee Kelly and Terence Doherty. |
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The flair and deadly
finishing of the latter did for a slow-to-start Rashenny
on Tuesday evening, his two expertly taken first half
strikes demonstrating once more why he was the
division’s most feared forward. Doherty’s first came in the 23rd minute. The Rashenny back four stepped up when Ruarai Doherty played a long pass from the right but failed to catch Doherty offside and took the ball out of the air with his left then advanced to stroke home beyond Kieran Friel. His second came six minutes later. Patrick Doherty made a lung-busting run up the right and found Orr who sent the ball on to the Glengad number nine. Doherty still had work to do on the edge of the box, but checked onto his right foot and curled a eye-catching shot in off the left stick. That goal made it 3-0, the unfortunate James McConologue seeing his innocuous back pass somehow deceive Friel and spin into his own net for the opener on 14 minutes. 3-0 was how the score stayed until half-time, |
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but Glengad might easily
have had double that, were it not for some good saves
from Friel and nonchalant finishing from the home side.
This is the most promising bunch of Glengad players to have pulled on the yellow and black shirts in their 35 year history, but talent without application is nothing and the work rate of this young side throughout the season has been a major part of their success. That’s why Glengad’s cavalier approach to their play in the second half will have concerned McClean, even if his boys could afford to take the feet off the gas. Rashenny, like a bloody-minded wedding guest in an expensive dress, did their best to upstage the hosts on their big day. In the 74th minute Rashenny left back Patrick Doherty scored the goal of the game. Slack marking allowed the visitors to play a short corner. The ball was worked back to Doherty 30 yards out and he hit a swerving, dipping shot that flew into the far corner with the aid of a slight deflection. The Trawbreaga Park men made all the running in the final quarter. John Grant turned his man on the right and crossed to an unmarked Anthony Doherty in the six-yard box but he could only direct his header onto the roof of the net. A second goal came in the 82nd minute when Michael McLaughlin failed to deal with a cross from the left allowing sub Damien Friel to side-foot home. Glengad were rocking at this stage and they could have been pegged back on a couple of occasions late on, most notably when young Friel was played through on goal but his attempted lob was too weak, the ball falling into McLaughlin’s arms. Five minutes of injury time were seen out with Patrick Doherty imperious at the back and Glengad lifted the Shield. The Glengad manager stated publicly three months ago that he expects this team to win the Premier Division title within five years. The clock is now ticking. No pressure lads. Glengad United: Michael McLaughlin, Lee Kelly, Jason Doherty, Shane Doherty, Patrick Doherty, Darren Doherty, John McLaughlin, Rarai Doherty, Terence Doherty, Paul McGonagle, Alan Orr. Subs: Paul McDermott for P. Doherty (HT), Stephen McLaughlin for R. Doherty (HT), John McDermott for McGonagle (77). Rashenny: Kieran Friel, Paul McConologue, Patrick Doherty, James McConologue, John Doherty, Sean Doherty, Anthony Doherty, Brian Devlin, John Grant, Michael Doherty, John McLaughlin. Subs: Damien Friel for James McConologue (62). For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent. |
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