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Moville cruise into quarters 20.10.09
Ulster Junior Club Football Championship, Preliminary Round

Moville (Donegal)...5-6
(O McDermott 2-3(f), J McGeady 1-0, G Doherty 1-0, M McDermott 1-0, J Faulkner 0-1, S O’Hare 0-1, D Murphy 0-1)

Glenn (Down)...2-5
(M Bagnall 1-1, S Clarke 1-0, J Lennon 0-1, D O’Hara 0-1(f), D Bagnall 0-1, R Quinn)

by Simon McGeady, Inishowen Independent, at O’Donnell Park, Letterkenny

DONEGAL champions Moville made light work of their Down counterparts in a one-sided Ulster Junior Club Football Championship, Preliminary Round, in Letterkenny on Sunday afternoon.
A goal in each half from corner forward Oran McDermott, and goals from Malachy McDermott, John McGeady and Graeme Doherty put Eddie Devine’s side out of sight by the midway point of the second half at O’Donnell Park before consolation strikes from Down County Minor Matthew Bagnall and centre back Stephen Clarke gave a more respectable look to the scoreline.
It had been five weeks since Moville won the Donegal Junior Championship at this ground, but they picked up where they left off at the start of September.
Moville clearly had their homework done on the Down outfit. Coach Eddie Devine had the chance to run the rule over Glenn in the Down final in Newry last weekend and this was an undoubted advantage over his counterpart John Kennedy, who could only resort to picking the brain of former Donegal manager Brian McIver during the week.
The Moville side that took to the field on Sunday showed two changes from the County Final, Michael Noone replaced Maurice McGeady in goals and Danny Murphy came into the line up for the injured PJ Barr.
Glenn’s preparations were hit at the eleventh hour when star forward Niall McParland got banged up on McRory Cup duty with St Coleman’s College on Saturday. Unsurprisingly, playing just seven days after defeating Teconnaught in the Down final, Glenn couldn’t match Moville’s energy levels.
Moville took the lead early and never let up. They got off the perfect start when John Faulkner played a long, leading ball in behind Ruarai McGuigan for full forward Graeme Doherty who McGuigan hauled down for a 2nd minute penalty. Malachy McDermott’s initial effort was superbly saved by Michael Doran, throwing himself to his left, only to see the ball bounce back to the Moville midfielder who converted at the second attempt.
Glenn saw a lot of the ball in the next 10 minutes but finishing let them down. John Kennedy’s men hit five wides in that time. Points from David Bagnall and Damien O’Hara made the score 1-1 to 0-2 midway through the first half, but that is as close as the men in amber and black ever got.
Following a Sean O’Hare point, Moville found the back of the Glenn net again on 20 minutes when, after a bout of short hand passing, Doherty centred for Oran McDermott to punch past Michael Dolan on 20 minutes.
Points from Danny Murphy and an Oran Doherty free stretched the Moville lead but before Glenn could make for the sanctuary of the O’Donnell Park dressing room, Moville scored another goal in first half injury time.
The composed Michael Browne intercepted a wayward ball into the Moville square and from there Moville broke at pace. Danny Murphy burst up the left with the ball, riding a couple of weak challenges, before passing across the square to John McGeady who’d lost his marker. The Moville centre half forward found the gap at the near post to give Glenn a ten-point mountain to climb in the second half.
The Down men laboured on but with Moville continuing to pressure the ball carrier, they couldn’t make inroads on the scoreline.
When Oran McDermott raced through to rifle home soccer-style in the 41st minute, after Doherty and John McGeady combined to release him, the game was up for Glenn. Moville’s lead with 20 minute to go was a mammoth 4-4 to 0-5.
Moville did kick a number of bad wides in the second half, not that it mattered since their forwards were having their way with the Glenn backs.
In the 44th minute creator turned scorer when Doherty spun in behind his marker on the right and, after a couple of failed attempts to chip the ball into his hands, he said to hell with it and passed the ball beyond Dolan with the flick of his left foot.
Moville will face Fermanagh representatives Belnaleck in a quarter-final tie at Brewster Park in two weeks and with the Monaghan, Derry, Tyrone and Armagh champs in the other side of the draw there is every reason to believe that the Carrick Field boys will be playing well into November.
To cap a fine weekend Downing’s draw with Naomh Ultan means Moville will be playing in Division Three next season.

Moville: Michael Noone; Eunan Hegarty, Enda Faulkner, Conor O’Donnell; Paul White, Michael Browne, Seamus Hegarty; Sean O’Hare, Malachy McDermott; Nigel McMonagle, John McGeady, Oran McDermott; Danny Murphy, John Faulkner, Graeme Doherty.
Subs: PJ Barr for Murphy (50), Joe McBride for J Faulkner (54).

Glenn: Michael Doran; Ruarai McGuigan, Stephen Clarke Damien McParland; Aaron Kennedy, Declan Murtagh, Tony Murtagh; Colm Murtagh, Steven Fearon; Damien O’Hara, Raymond Quinn, Jason Lennon; Mark Lennon, David Bagnall, Matthew Bagnall.
Subs: John Mackin for T Murtagh (HT), Niall McParland for O’Hare (HT), Denis Murtagh for M Lennon (40), Christopher Sands for D Bagnall (43), Darren Bagnall for J Lennon 54.

Key Score
Moville’s second goal in the 20th minute put real daylight between the sides and set the tone for the rest of the match. Moville’s measured build up was in danger of petering out before Graeme Doherty sent the ball into the square where Oran McDermott had stolen a march on his marker.

Turning Point
Since Moville were never behind, arguably this game didn’t have a turning point, but after Glenn hit back-to-back scores to pull within two points in the middle of the first half Moville upped the intensity of their play, won the kick out and captain Sean O’Hare put a three point cushion between the sides with a fine point.

Key Player
Graeme Doherty (Moville)
After an injury hit couple of seasons Doherty is approaching his best once again.
With nominal full-forward John Faulkner playing in a deeper role, the Moville corner forward shouldered the responsibility for spearheading the attack. Doherty caught the eye with excellent movement and perceptive passing. He won a penalty for the first goal, played the killer pass for the second, was instrumental in Moville’s fourth and scored the fifth himself.

Man in the Middle
Monaghan’s Gerry McCarron had a fine match. He let the play flow but intervened quickly and decisively on the few occasions where trouble threatened to rear its head. Moved the ball forward after blowing on several occasions when the offending player was slow to give up the ball. Bravely resisted the temptation to show red to Ruarai McGuigan after his cynical foul on Graeme Doherty or throw the Down side a life-line when Moville keeper Noone upended Raymond Quinn in the second half.

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