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Clonmany Shamrocks stun Celtic
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Cockhill Celtic...1 (A O’Donnell 42) Clonmany Shamrocks...3 (McDaid 20, J Devlin 26, P Devlin 45) by Simon McGeady, Inishowen Independent, at Cockhill Park WITH all due respect to Greencastle, and Carndonagh Reserves, Clonmany Shamrocks pulled off the result of the day in Inishowen with this comprehensive win over Ulster Senior League side Cockhill Celtic. The hosts' disappointing start to the season reached a new low with this strangely subdued performance as Clonmany Shamrocks got revenge against the side that knocked them out of this competition last term. Cockhill never got to grips with the industrious Clonmany midfield as youngster Stephen McLaughlin, for one, showed he could cut it with the big boys. |
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The Shamrocks, who started
Brendan Devlin and Steve Harkin on the bench - the
latter having played the whole of the Inishowen League’s
Oscar Traynor match the previous day, made the most of
the early running. And they took the lead in the 20th
minute. After good build up, the ball came to Stephen McLaughlin on the right wing and his chipped centre was perfectly directed for Raymond McDaid who broke through the static Cockhill back four and calmly played the ball beyond the exposed Shane Galvin. With Jason Devlin and Paddy Doherty doing their utmost to unsettle the Cockhill rearguard, Donal O’Brien’s boys struggled to maintain possession. Indeed it was the visitors who looked the more likely to score the next goal and so it came to pass in the 26th minute. If Paddy Doherty’s bending ball in from the right flank was good, then Jason Devlin’s header on the run 13 yards out from goal was even better, leaving Galvin rooted to the spot as the Clonmany marksman guided the ball into the bottom right corner. The Inishowen League side were good value for their two goal lead at this stage and as the half wore on Phil Pat Doherty an co dealt comfortably with whatever Cockhill could throw at them which, if truth be told, wasn’t that much. |
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Still, with quick attackers
like Derek Doherty and Aidan O’Donnell in the opposition
ranks, you can never truly relax, and the latter got
Cockhill right back in the mix three minutes before half
time. Galvin came to collect a Clonmany through pass and launched a booming kick upfield which was missed by a white-shirted defender and O’Donnell was onto it in a flash. The Cockhill forward showed excellent control and pace to carry the ball beyond two challenges and from a narrow angle eight yards out he flicked the ball with the outside of his right boot past the advancing Peter Devlin. As badly as they’d played, Cockhill would have fancied their chances going into the break only a goal to the bad, but that scenario was not to be. On the stroke of half time Clonmany launched the ball into the Cockhill area from deep on the left. The ever-willing Michael Byrne jumped with Galvin to pressurise the Cockhill keeper into conceding a corner, which was taken by dead ball specialist Paul McLaughlin. The Clonmany midfielder’s superb delivery caught out the Cockhill defence and there was Philip Devlin, up from the back, to power a downward header into the ground and up over Galvin’s dive. Cockhill showed some little improvement at the start of the second half, Derek Doherty having a few speculative shots, but Clonmany continued to show the greater desire and they almost scored a fourth following a sweeping 49th minute counter attack. Stephen McLaughlin acrobatically cleared the ball to Michael Byrne who showed good vision to release Jason Devlin up the right wing. The goalscorer spotted Paul McLaughlin who’d made a lung-busting run from well inside his own half and was now on the left hand edge of the Cockhill box. McLaughlin carried the ball a little wide and his cross flew across the Cockhill box, eluding the Clonmany cavalry charge. On the hour mark the Clonmany defence went to sleep, but luckily for the men from Clonmany John McElroy made a mess of his headed attempt from Paddy McLaughlin’s right wing cross. Stephen McLaughlin then looked to have released second half substitute Brendan Devlin but David McDermott was alert to the danger and slid in to deny the Clonmany player manager. Neither keeper had much in the way of direct shots to save, but that should have changed with a quarter of an hour to go when Brendan Devlin played Stephen McLaughlin through on goal but the Isle of Doagh teenager sliced his shot past the near post. Brendan Devlin did work the Cockhill keeper ten minutes from time but Galvin was not fooled by the Clonmany attacker’s cheeky attempt. In the closing stages Cockhill tried to find the net but first Joe Grant and then Byrne made good blocks as the Shamrocks ran out worthy winners. Cockhill Celtic Shane Galvin, Ciaran Grant, Paddy McLaughlin, David McDermott, Jim Gillespie, Derek Doherty, Liam O’Donnell, John McElroy, Aidan O’Donnell, James Bradley, Paul McKinney. Subs: George Porter for Bradley (10), Eddie McKinney for Ciaran Grant (25), Michael Doherty for David McDermott (78). Clonmany Shamrocks Peter Devlin, Joe Grant, Michael Grant, Phil Pat Doherty, Philip Devlin, Stephen McLaughlin, Paul McLaughlin, Raymond McDaid, Patrick Doherty, Jason Devlin, Michael Byrne. Subs: Brendan Devlin for Jason Devlin (54), Steve Harkin for Paul McLaughlin (74), Patrick Harkin for Raymond McDaid (85). For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent. |
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