All County Football League Division 2

Davitt’s 4-9 Dunloy 3-17

By Paul McLean

Dunloy travelled to Belfast for their opening game of the football season and claimed their first away win at Davitts for some eight seasons.

In what was an entertaining game it produced 34 scores including 7 goals over the course of the hour at the Boucher Road venue.

Both teams started with a real purpose probing for scores, but it was the visitors who opened the scoring first with a Conal Cunning point. However, it was Davitts who would take the initiative as they landed the game’s first goal.

A point from Sean Og O’Neill levelled the game and it was the same player fed the ball into full forward Danny Largey who hammered it into the top corner to open a 3-point lead.

Conal Cunning responded but this was in turn wiped out by a free by Aaron Slane to restore the lead for the home side.

Dunloy were starting to find their feet after a slow start with defenders Deaglan Smith and Cathair McGuigan pushing forward into attack. It was this hard-defensive hard work that seen Dunloy hit 4 scores in a row including a brace of goals.

Two points from Shane Dooey and a Caolan Gillan free reduced the lead when a two-goal burst from midfielder Karl Fitzpatrick gave the visitors a lead that they wouldn’t lose.

Deaglan Smith found Keelan Molloy who drove forward and fed Karl Fitzpatrick who fired low and into the net. Almost 2 minutes later it was a case of deja-vu as the same players combined to give midfielder Fitzpatrick his second goal following a good save by keeper Liam McGivern.

Declan Smyth responded for the home side with a well worked point, but it was in turn cancelled out by a Conal Cunning free.

Games between these sides are rarely dull affairs as the home side managed to get back into the game after some defensive mistakes. Full forward Danny Largey fired over a point from a good pass from Aaron Slane but it was that defensive mix up that gave the home side the break they needed. A free in by Aaron Slane dropped short into the box and a mix up between keeper and full back saw Karl O’Kane turn it into his net.

Scores from Keelan Molly, Conal Cunning for Dunloy and Padraig McParland for the home side brought an entertaining first half to an end with Cuchullains holding a 2-07 to 2-05 lead.

The second half started with Dunloy having the slight breeze at their back and they took total control of the game with 4 scores in a row to increase their lead to 6 points.

Points from Caolan Gillan (2 frees), Keelan Molloy & Conal Cunning stretched out the visitors lead as they took full control of the game in the opening 5 mins of the half.

A score from a free by Aaron Slane gave the home side a confidence boost but two more frees by Caolan Gillan pushed Dunloy further ahead.

Much like the first half games between these sides are anything but predictable as Davitts went on a purple patch of scoring themselves. Three scores by Padraig Robinson, one free and two from play in a 5-minute spell saw the home side shoot 3 bad wides as they tried to get back into the game.

This ended up hurting the Davitt’s casuse as Dunloy responded with 4 scores in a row as Keelan Molloy (2), Karl Fitzpatrick and Conal Cunning appeared to have put this game to bed. However the unpredictable nature of this fixture saw a 3-goal burst, a penalty and a black card for good measure.

A goal by Daviits looked to have given them a last-minute surge but it was wiped out straight away by Declan McGarrywho neeted at the other end. This was in turn cancelled out as keeper Paul McNally pulled down Danny Largey in the large square. A black card followed for the Dunloy man and to make matters worse for the visitors Danny Largey hammered his shot past Aaron Crawford for the home team’s fourth goal. However it turned out to be a case of too little, too late for the Davitt’s as referee Tomas Eastwood called time on a highly entertaining game with Dunloy five points to the good.

Davitts

L McGivern, S Linberg, D Pairc, C Toner, N Hughes, N McParland, A Rowntree, S Og O’Neill, D Smyth, P McParland, P Robinson, A Slane, D Largey

Dunloy

P McNally, A Crawford, K O’Kane, A McGrath, C Scullion, C McGuigan, D Smyth, K Fitzpatrick, K McQullian, S Dooey, K Molloy, C Gillan, S Elliott, C Cunning, A Smyth