O’Neill’s ACFL Division 2
Dunloy 1-13 Rasharkin 1-11
Wednesday April 10
Brendan McTaggart reports from Pearse Park, Dunloy
Dunloy made it two wins from two on Wednesday evening as they saw off the challenge of Rasharkin. Two points separated the sides after the hour but the Cuchullains had to stave off a late fightback from their near neighbours.
Leading by five points and with a little over three minutes remaining, the home side looked in control. Rasharkin hit back however with Andrew Hasson scoring a goal along with Ryan Lynch’s sixth and seventh points of the match to bring parity to the scores in the last minute of normal time.
The Cuchullains regained their composure at the end with substitute Conal Cunning and veteran Declan McGarry splitting the uprights to secure the league points.
The home side started brightly and inside four minutes they were five points ahead. Shane Dooey lining out at full forward opened the scoring with a classy score with the outside of his boot while Caolan Gillan scored his first of five frees over the hour shortly after.
The games opening goal came with the next Cuchullain attack with Dooey finding Anthony Smyth in space. The young Dunloy forward finished expertly beyond the rushing Brendan McMullan to give the home side the dream start.
There’s no doubting Dunloy had caught Rasharkin cold. The visitors were slow in starting and it took a piece of brilliance from Ryan Lynch to open their account. Finding the target with the outside of his boot from 40 yards out in the ninth minute.
Anthony Smyth replied by firing over a point to add to his earlier goal in the 11th minute but that was the home sides last score for ten minutes as the men from Dreen took control. Pushing up on the Dunloy defence and putting the home side under pressure from their own kick outs, Rasharkin finally settled into the game and while the Dunloy defence made life difficult for the Rasharkin men, the visitors began to find their range. Lynch and Conor McFerran looking lively with Shane Hasson heavily involved. A brace of points from McFerran followed a Shane Hasson free to reduce the home sides lead to two points but the Cuchullains were guilty of squandering golden goal opportunities. Twice Rasharkin ‘keeper McMullan denied the Cuchullains with Karl Fitzpatrick going close on both occasions.
The home side ended Rasharkin’s purple patch with Gillan splitting the uprights in the 21st minute with his second free before Deaglan Smyth opened a four point lead for the home side. Smyth was hugely influential for the home side during the first half and his direct running and pace was causing the Rasharkin defence major problems.
Lynch split the posts with his first free of the match in the last minute of normal time but tempers flared in the time that remained with both sides over stepping the mark. Referee Ryan O’Reilly stamping his authority on the game before calling time in what was an eventful first half with the Cuchullains taking a three point lead at the short whistle.
Half Time: Dunloy 1-5 Rasharkin 0-5
The home side edged the first half and with a trio of goal opportunities squandered they should have been further ahead. Rasharkin started the second half well with Lynch firing over his third poingt of the match but a brace of frees from Gillan put Dunloy in control once again by the 38th minute.
Andrew Hasson reduced the Cuchullain’s lead to three points once again and the men from Dreen were thrown a lifeline when Dunloy forward Dooey was shown a second yellow card for a high tackle in the 40th minute.
The home side reshuffled their pack and moved Deaglan Smyth to the edge of the square, packing their defence and looking to utilise his ball winning ability and blistering pace. They opened a four point lead with Callum Scullion finding space after a swift counter attack but Rasharkin answered with a brace of points from Lynch (one free) to halve the Cuchullain’s lead with eight minutes remaining.
Rasharkin sensed an opportunity but the home side kept them at bay with Kevin McAllister splitting the uprights with the outside of his boot.
The visitors challenge was dealt a hammer blow when Pearse Kelly saw red for an incident with the match official and with Gillan firing over the resulting free, the home side looked to be in control. A free from substitute Conal Cunning underlined that fact to open a five point lead for the home side but Rasharkin hit back. A brace of points from Lynch (one free) came either side of Andrew Hasson’s blistering goal to give Rasharkin all the momentum going into injury time.
The Cuchullains edge injury time though with Cunning and McGarry landing the decisive scores in the time that remained.
When these two take to the pitch, they rarely disappoint. Wednesday evening was no different. It was a typical derby between two passionate sides with great scores, missed chances and red cards. Thrills and spills but in the end it was the Cuchullains who edged the hour.
TEAMS
Dunloy: Anthony Doran; Aaron Crawford, Karl O’Kane, Paddy Kinsella; Anton McGrath, Cathair McGuigan, Deaglan Smyth; Callum Scullion, Kevin McQuillan; Chrissy McMahon, Karl Fitzpatrick, Caolan Gillan; Anthony Smyth, Shane Dooey, Kevin McAllister.
Subs: Declan McGarry for C McMahon (18); Conal Cunning for A Smyth (40); Gabriel McTaggart for A McGrath (43); Stephen McToal for A Crawford (58).
Scorers: Caolan Gillan 0-5 (5 f’s); Anthony Smyth 1-1; Conal Cunning 0-2 (1 f); Deaglan Smyth 0-1; Callum Scullion 0-1; Shane Dooey 0-1; Kevin McAllister 0-1; Declan McGarry 0-1.
Rasharkin: Brendan McMullan; Pearse Kelly, Thomas Doherty, Liam Quigg; Daniel Doherty, Emmet McFerran, Fergus Quigg; Thomas McMullan, Jack Quinn; Gerard O’Hagan, Ryan Lynch, Tiernan O’Boyle; Shane Hasson, Conor McFerran, Andrew Hasson.
Subs: Cathair Henderson for L Quigg (40); Colm Kennedy for T O’Boyle (40); Brian Og O’Neill for E McFerran (black card – 56).
Scorers: Ryan Lynch 0-7 (3 f’s); Andrew Hasson 1-1 (1 f); Conor McFerran 0-2; Shane Hasson 0-1 (1 f)
Referee: Ryan O’Reilly (Con Magees)
Pics by Brendan McTaggart