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Crock penalty puts Buncrana through 11.04.10
Buncrana Credit Union Cup quarter-finals

McDaid keeps cool to knock Carrowmena out of cup

Buncrana Hearts...0

Carrowmena FC...0


AET, Buncrana won 7-6 on penalties

By Damian Dowds, Inishowen Independent, at Castle Park

110 minutes of football couldn’t separate Buncrana Hearts and Carrowmena FC in this Credit Union cup quarter-final. Nor could 12 penalty kicks in the shoot out that followed. It wasn’t until Carrowmena’s Brian Kone spot kick – Carrowmena’s 7th – was saved by Paddy Quigley that the door opened slightly for Buncrana Hearts. Kieran ‘Crock’ McDaid, who had missed a glorious chance to snatch a winner for the home side at the end of extra time, stepped up and slammed the ball past stand-in Carrowmena keeper Jonathan McLaughlin to send Buncrana into the semi-finals.
Shoot outs are, of course, a lottery but on a day with few clear cut chances extra time and penalties looked likely from a long way out.
Playing into a stiff breeze, Carrowmena had the better of the early stages with James Gillen going close after a well worked corner kick routine on six minutes. Colm McLaughlin, Stephen McHugh and Michael Furey all had half chances, but the best chance of the half fell to Carrowmena on the quarter hour.
Mattie Henry flashed a dangerous ball across the face of goal but Furey got a slight touch on it to deflect it away from the inrushing Brian Kone.
Paddy Quigley was the busier of the two keepers for the remainder of the half but he easily dealt with shots from Paul Duffy and Brian Kone. At the other end, Stephen McHugh beat George McLaughlin in a foot race for a long ball over the top, but McHugh pushed the ball too wide and Andy McLaughlin got back to cut out the danger.
Carrowmena were on top again after the restart with Henry firing an 18 yard free kick just over the top and Jonathan McLaughlin getting on the end of a Kone cross but heading wide. Paul McGowan too looked lively throughout the second half, but Paddy Quigley was able to match the best that Carrowmena could through at him.
Buncrana were penned into their own half and defended from deep for most of the second period. Their best chance came just six minutes before the end when Stephen McHugh showed good control on the edge of the area but curled his shot wide.
Jonathan McLaughlin shot over the bar for Carrowmena on the stroke of full-time and two ten minute periods of extra time followed.
Having been on the back foot for most of the second half, Buncrana had the best chances in extra time. Kieran McDaid shot straight at the keeper five minutes into the first period of extra time, while at the other end Gearoid Doherty had to be alert to cut out a Carrowmena chance.
Kieran McDaid had a chance to win it a minute before the end, but he shot across the face of goal and wide.
Carrowmena replaced goalkeeper George McLaughlin with Jonathan McLaughlin for the shoot out. ‘Jocky’ got close to a couple of the Buncrana spot kicks, but each side converted their first six penalties. Kone then saw his saved by Quigley and McDaid sent Buncrana into the semis by dispatching his to the back of the net.
Carrowmena will be disappointed to have been knocked out of a second cup this season, but they’ll seal the First Division title and promotion to the top tier should they get at least a point against Carn on Sunday.

Buncrana Hearts Reserves: Paddy Quigley; Carl Kelly, Robbie Fullerton, Benny Murphy, Gearoid Murphy; Paddy McMyler, Mickey Furey (Greg Bradley 96 mins), Andy Murphy (Kieran McDaid 51 mins), Conor McConnell (Harry Forshaw 62 mins); Colm McLaughlin, Stephen McHugh.

Carrowmena FC: George McLaughlin; John Paul Thompson (Maurice Mahon 108 mins), Rory Dougal, Mickey O’Doherty, Andy McLaughlin; Paul Duffy, James Gillen (Sean McGranaghan 72 mins), Jonathan McLaughlin, Paul McGowan; Matthew Henry, Brian Kone.
For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent.
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