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Cockhill exit with heads high 09.12.09
FAI U12 National Cup

Cockhill Celtic...0

Glencar...2
(McLoughlin 46, Maloney 59)

by Simon McGeady, Inishowen Independent, at St Mary's Park

LATE goals from Ryan McLoughlin and Ciaran Maloney saw Glencar overcome a resolute Cockhill Celtic at St Mary’s Park on Saturday afternoon. Anthony Gorman’s outfit dominated the match and created a host of chances, but an heroic display by the Inishowen side’s goalkeeper Denver Gill and stout defending from the Cockhill back four meant the result was in doubt until the dying minutes when the excellent Ciaran Maloney scored the Letterkenny lads’ second.
With Glencar keeping possession well, Cockhill were on the back-foot from the start. Striker Adrian Delap was a real live-wire, darting across the Cockhill defence to pressure the player in possession. Delap pounced on a loose ball after five minutes and it took a fine clearing header by Michael Noone to prevent him linking up with a white shirt in the six yard box. Delap did tee up a team-mate a couple of minutes later, but Maloney’s effort was blocked by a hooped shirt.
Glencar won a series of corners in the opening twenty minutes, but Cockhill’s defence were ever-vigilant and the set plays came to nothing.
Lee McCarron then made a telling tackle on Delap, who had anticipated a through ball with a well timed run beyond the Cockhill defence.
The hosts grew in confidence as the half wore on and they came closer to testing Glencar keeper John MacIntyre.
On 28 minutes Cockhill fashioned the best opening of the match to that point. With Glencar’s back four pushed up to the half way line, Shane Anthony Doherty played the ball between them and released Conor Doherty on goal 35 yards out.
Doherty tried to round MacIntyre on the edge of the box but the Glencar keeper, in the manner of an ice hockey netminder, extended his left leg to deny the Cockhill striker.
The visitors, who’d knocked out Illies in the first round, were determined to see off their latest Inishowen opponents and piled on the pressure after the break, but Cockhill continued to thwart them.
Gill saved from Caoimhinn Marley and McCarron cleared off the line before Delap pounced on a mistake near the halfway line to race in on Gill’s goal, but once again the Cockhill stopper came out on top.
Zach Gorman almost made an instant impact after coming on, drilling a shot wide at the near post as Glencar edged closer to the opening goal. How it didn’t come a minute later is still baffling as Marley and Delap saw shots hacked off the line before the ball broke to McLoughlin 10 yards out in front of goal and he side-footed over the bar.
The deadlock was broken 14 minutes from time. McLoughlin’s controlled shot from 15 yards out went in off Gill’s right hand upright.
McLoughlin then played in Delap on the right of the area but Gill rushed off his line to make a marvellous, two-handed save.
Cockhill never really looked like getting an equaliser after that and when Maloney calmly slotted home a second moments from time after arriving unmarked in the Cockhill box, Glencar rubber-stamped their passage into the next round.
Cockhill: Denver Gill, Conor McLaughlin, Keith McDonagh, Lee McCarron, Shane McClean, Michael Noone, Francis McDonagh, Shane Anthony Doherty, Paul McDermott, Conor Doherty, Ronan McLaughllin. Subs: Noel McLaughlin for C Doherty (40) Kyle Doherty for R McLaughlin (60).

Glencar:
John McIntyre, Paddy Ryan, Evan Walsh, Paddy Diver, Liam Blaney, Ciaran Maloney, Ciaran Hunter, Ryan McLoughlin, Adrian Delap, Caoimhinn Marley, James Tourish. Subs: Zach Gorman for Hunter (42) Ciaran Kelly for Walsh (53), Shane O’Donnell for Diver (53), Shane Blaney for Tourish (58).

For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent.
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