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Devlin delivers for Clonmany
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Rashenny...2 Hirrell og 71, Devlin 86 Clonmany...4 J Devlin 20, B Devlin 79&91, McLaughlin 110 by Simon McGeady, Inishowen Independent, at Trawbrega Park The magic of the cup, the derby factor; whatever the reason for their elevated level of play on Sunday Rashenny put it up to their more illustrious neighbours from up the road in an intriguing contest that had thrills and spills aplenty to entertain the Trebrega Park crowd. Under constant pressure in the first half the home side rose to play a greater part in the second and got their just desserts for a resolute performance, taking the tie to extra time with a second equaliser four minutes from time where the natural order was restored as Clonmany ran out winners. |
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Rashenny made a bright
start to the match but the ebb and flow of the opening
minutes soon gave way to a steady stream of chances for
the Premier Division aristocrats. Chances came and went for the visitors, with Kieran Friel between the sticks in the home goal proving an effective barrier and the Clonmany attackers hitting several horrible attempts. Even when a Clonmany shot beat the young keeper, as Brendan Devlin’s 12th minute effort did, good defending prevented the away team from taking the lead, Liam Diver hooking the ball of the goalline. The men in sky blue defended superbly over the course of the 90 minutes with John Doherty and, especially, Liam Diver, making a number of decisive interventions. With Clonmany in near total control it was almost inevitable that the Rashenny defences would be breached, and so it was in the 20th minute when, after neat approach play down the left Raymond McDaid clipped a low cross into the danger zone for Jason Devlin to steer into the bottom corner. Clonmany kept coming and Michael Byrne and Brendan Devlin forced Friel into a pair of good stops before Brendan Devlin |
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twice spurned chances to
double his side’s advantage, most memorably on the half
hour when when he overhead kicked Michael Grant’s deep
right-wing cross past the post, almost coming up with
finish as dazzling as his wasp-toned footwear. It’s no exaggeration to say that the hosts created nothing in the first half, but with the wind at their heels after the break that changed. In the 57th minute, after John McLaughlin’s venomous right wing corner wasn’t cleared sufficiently by the Shamrock’s defence, John Doherty steamed in to head against the bar. That was a foretaste of what was to come. Clonmany should have been two up at that stage after a swift counter climaxed with Brendan Devlin centering low to Michael Byrne who tried to round Friel but couldn’t squeeze the ball in at the near post, the excellent Rasheney keeper extending his left arm to deny the dangerous Byrne. Rashenny caused the otherwise solid Clonmany back four considerable consternation from dead balls and in the 65th minute Doherty bent in the most inviting of balls behind the Shamrocks rearguard that begged to be dispatched to the net but it just eluded Paul McConalogue. Rasheney got a deserved equaliser in the 71st minute. McLaughlin’s wickedly swerving corner from the right bambozzled Patrick Harkin, who lost his bearings and allowed the ball to zoom over his head to the back post where it hit the unfortunate Liam Hirrell and went into the net. The home side couldn’t build on their momentum they were behind again in the 79th minute, Brendan Devlin demonstrating for once a finish to match his movement, tucking a left foot shot past Friel from ten yards. Clonmany should have wrapped up the tie in the 84th minute when the industrious McLaughlin’s shot was tipped onto the crossbar by Friel before coming to substitute Maurice Harkin who blasted wide with the goal at his mercy. It was as bad a miss as you’ll see and the only thing you could say in his defence was there was another Clonmany attacker looking to get in on the action as he shot. The miss proved costly when Rashenny won a corner a couple of minutes later. Eight blue shirts piled into the box anticipating another devastating McLaughlin delivery. He didn’t disappoint, and in the melee at the back post Brian Devlin bundled the ball home. At the start of extra time Clonmany midfielder Paul McLaughlin took the game by the scruff of the neck, bursting with the ball up the right wing to win a corner that he took with a sense of urgency lacking in the Rashenny defence. Someone shouted ‘waken up’ as the ball was in the air, but it was too late. Brendan Devlin, unmarked, rose at the back post to power a header past Friel. That goal knocked the stuffing out of the First Division strugglers and they scarcely created another chance in the opening period of extra time. Desperate, they then sacrificed Philip Ivers to allow Friel to play as a forward but, apart from one flick and run he was ineffectual in he new role. Harkin then blotted his copybook further, blazing over, before Paul Laughlin showed how it was done in the last minute of extra time firing low past sub keeper Damien Friel to clinch the win. Rasheney: Kieran Friel , John Doherty, Paul McConologue, Philip Ivers, Liam Diver, Sean Toland, John McLaughlin, Brian Devlin, Denis Hegarty, Anthony Doherty, Barney Doherty. Subs: Michael Doherty for Sean Toland, (HT), Phelim Noone for Anthony Doherty (80), Damien Friel for Philip Ivers (100) Clonmany: Patrick Harkin, Michael Grant, Liam Hirrell, Phil Pat Doherty, Philip Devlin, Paul McLaughlin, Jason Devlin, Paddy Doherty, Brendan Devlin, Michael Byrne, Raymond McDaid. Subs: Stephen McLaughlin for Jason Devlin (62), Darragh Doherty for Paddy Doherty (58), Maurice Harkin for Michael Byrne 80. For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent. |
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