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Moville make heavy weather of win 01.10.09
FAI Junior Cup

Moville...2
(Canning 57, McMonagle 81)

Culdaff...1
(Lafferty 32)

By Michael Stamp, Inishowen Independent

ON THE opening day of the season Culdaff put four past Moville in a Premier League tie but there was to be no repeat of that in Moville on Sunday as the home team were good value for their two one win. Darren Bredin had his side riled up and Culdaff were on the back foot from the outset. Danny Murphy was finding a lot of space on the left side as Moville pushed forward.
Declan McGuinness was causing problems for the away defence and had them at sixes and sevens when first he fired in a good ball for Nigel McMonagle and then had an effort taken off his toe by Dermot Diver.
Moville were pressing forward with Declan McGuinness and PJ Barr also having efforts on goal while McMonagle then raced onto a good ball forward from Canning but hit the side netting.
Moville were almost punished for their wastefulness when John McFeeley sent in a dangerous free kick that Gerard McLaughlin hit off the bar and Maurice McGeady eventually managed to scramble away.
The loss of full back Matthew Byrne after 27 minutes with a groin injury meant a re-shuffle for Culdaff and McGuinness almost gave Moville the lead when the Culdaff defence went to sleep but he dragged his shot wide.
Against the run of play however Moville went one behind when Adrian McGonigle touched on to Gerard McLaughlin who put the ball on a plate for Brendan Lafferty who slammed home.
And Culdaff nearly doubled their lead moments later when John McLaughlin struck from the half way line and Maurice McGeady totally lost track of the ball but fortunately for the Moville keeper the ball sailed wide.
Culdaff did well to go in ahead at half time as Moville were pushing forward. McMonagle put a great ball in for Graeme Doherty but the Moville striker couldn’t get the ball out from underneath his feet. Martin McLaughlin was the busier keeper in the first half, also saving headers from Conor McLaughlin and Ritchie McElhinney as Moville pressed in search of an equaliser.
The second half followed a similar pattern to the first with Moville piling forward and Culdaff defending manfully. Shane Canning and Declan McGuinness both had efforts that sailed wide and Martin McLaughlin had to save from McGuinness and Canning.
Moville eventually got their reward for all their pressure just before the hour mark when Shane Canning hit a terrific strike from 35 yards that sailed into the corner of the net giving Martin McLaughlin no chance.
Smelling blood in the water Moville kept the pressure on with McLaughlin having to save from Graeme Doherty at his near post and Doherty heading just wide from a PJ Barr cross. At this point it was all Moville and Doherty was gifted a chance when the Culdaff defence went to sleep but he blazed his shot over. Nigel McMonagle also had a curling shot saved by McLaughlin.
Culdaff started to get back into the game and Gerard McLaughlin was causing trouble with his dead ball deliveries. McLaughlin then sent in a great ball into the area that John Joe Doherty couldn’t connect with.
With ten minutes remaining Moville got their winner. Graeme Doherty cushioned a header to Nigel McMonagle who struck from 20 yards that Martin McLaughlin could only look at. McMonagle came close to getting a second when he went through one on one with McLaughlin but the Culdaff keeper stood up and pulled off an excellent save. Declan McGuinness had a chance to put the game beyond doubt but his effort went just wide.
Culdaff enjoyed some late pressure with Conor McLaughlin putting a dangerous ball into the area that the Moville defence had to deal with. Both teams were getting tired at this point and Culdaff for all their effort couldn’t find an equaliser. A deserved victory for Moville and a measure of revenge after their opening day humbling.

Moville: Maurice McGeady, Conor McLaughlin, Danny Murphy, Daryl Doherty, Tony McGeady, Shane Canning, Declan McGuinness, PJ Barr, Graeme Doherty, Nigel McMonagle, Ritchie McElhinney. Subs, John L Coyle, Eunan McDaid, John Doherty, Oran McDermott.

Culdaff: Martin McLaughlin, John McLaughlin, Matthew Byrne (Conor McLaughlin), Dermot Diver, John McFeeley, John Joe Doherty, Paddy McColgan, Conor Keedy, Adrian McGonigle, Gerard McLaughlin, Brendan Lafferty (Eugene McLaughlin).

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