 |
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
 |
| Search... |
Carn snatch it at the death
|
||||||||||||
|
Cockhill Celtic
Reserves...1 (Farrell ’76) Carn FC Reserves...2 (J. Doherty ’80, P. Doherty ’110) by Damian Dowds, Inishowen Independent, at Cockhill IT took extra time to separate these sides in this Fr O’Gara Cup first round match at Cockhill on Sunday afternoon. With kick-off put back until 1pm due to a funeral at St Mary’s Chapel in Cockhill, the heavy fog that hung over the pitch all morning had lifted and conditions for football were fine. The pitch surface was in good nick and held up reasonably well, although cut up a little towards the end. A dour first half where both sides more or less cancelled the other out was best forgotten, but the game improved in the second half and in extra time. Indeed, the final half hour of the contest saw the best football played. Cockhill took the lead 15 minutes before the end of normal time through Gerry Farrell, but Carn hit back almost immediately through the impressive John Doherty (S) and sent the game to extra time. |
|
|
Both sides created chances
in extra-time and with penalties beckoning, the unmarked
Philip Doherty slotted home at the back post seconds
before the full-time whistle giving the home side no
opportunity to respond. That said, Carn deserved their victory were the better side over the 110 minutes and Declan Caldwell in the Cockhill nets was by far the busier keeper. The first half was a dour affair and the first chance fell to the home team on 13 minutes when striker Eddie Cuffe blocked an attempted clearance from Carn keeper JJ Doherty. The ball spun past the keeper, but Cuffe’s follow up shot went harmlessly left and wide. Carn were in top for most of the opening period, forcing four corners to Cockhill’s one, but they weren’t quite clicking in the final third. Shane Doherty headed wide from a corner and Barry McElhinney scuffed a 29th minute shot wide, but when they finally did hit the target |
 |
|
through McElhinney in the
38th minute they found Declan Caldwell in good form. The
Cockhill keeper dominated his area, showed good
composure and set up numerous attacks with his accurate
distribution. Eddie Cuffe was busy up front for Cockhill in the second half with Jason Lyons in good form in the centre of midfield. However, the second period follow much the same pattern as the first with Carn camped out in the Cockhill half. Carn thought they had taken the lead mid way through the second half when Caldwell claimed and then lost a corner kick and Michael Nelson poked home from close range, but referee Martin McGonigle judged the keeper to have been impeded and awarded a free out. Cockhill took the lead somewhat against the run of play in the 76th minute. Cuffe blocked an attempted clearance from the Carn defence and the ball broke to in-rushing substitute Gerry Farrell who struck the ball between JJ Doherty’s legs to put his side one up. |
 |
The goal stung Carn into action and brought the game to
life. The introduction of Paul Farren for Kevin Kelly,
and the resulting rejigging of the midfield that saw the
industrious John Doherty move to the left but with a
licence to get into the box, proved most effective for
Carn. Shane Doherty’s left footed shot from eight yards in the 77th minute drew a good save from Declan Caldwell, but Carn got the equaliser they deserved four minutes later. A deep cross the right was helped on by Barry McElhinney and John Doherty netted from close range. With both teams tiring the game opened out and there was a scatter of late chances. Mark Gillespie, who impressed at centre-half in place of the injured Brian King, headed off the line at one end, while a minute later right back Aaron McLaughlin raced clear into the Carn half but squared a pass for the offside Eddie Cuffe when he might have had a pop himself. The last chance of normal time fell to Ciaran Donaghy who collected a Carn defensive header that fell short but his shot from 30m flew over the bar as the game entered extra time. JJ Doherty pulled off a fabulous diving fingertip save three minutes into extra time after Eddie Cuffe turned his |
|
marker 20m from goal and
fired a powerful shot goalwards. At the other end, Paul
Farren slid in at the back post but couldn’t reach a low
cross from John Doherty before the latter headed over
after Ryan Davenport nodded a deep cross across goal to
him. Barry McElhinney set in a good cross a minute into the second period of extra time, but Caldwell came out well to punch the ball off the forehead of John Doherty. Philip Doherty drove the loose ball straight at the keeper who collected with ease. The experienced Paul Farren was proving dangerous for the visitors, driving wide three minutes before the end. But just as both teams seemed to have settled for a penalty shoot out, Carn snatched the winner. Ryan Davenport crossed from deep on the right wing. John Doherty missed it at the front post but midfielder Philip Doherty was following up and slotted home at the back post to make it 2-1 with 45 seconds remaining. With the goal coming so late, Cockhill had no chance to respond and it is Carn FC’s youthful team who march on into the next round of the cup. Cockhill Celtic: Declan Caldwell; Aaron McLaughlin, Terry Sheehy, Mark Gillespie, Kevin McClean; Paddy Porter, Brendan Gillespie (Gerry Farrell half-time), Jason Lyons, Sean McDaid; Eddie Cuffe, Ciaran Donaghy. Carn FC: JJ Doherty; Stephen Kelly, Enda Sweeney, Shane Donaghy, Kevin Kelly (Paul Farren ’71); Michael Nelson, Philip Doherty (G), John Doherty (S), Ryan Davenport; Barry McElhinney, Shane Doherty (G). For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent. |
|
| Return to > News |
 |