ACHL Division One
Dunloy 2-17 Cushendall 0-17
Friday April 29
Brendan McTaggart reports from Pearse Park, Dunloy
Goals in either half from Anton McGrath and Chrissy McMahon ensured Dunloy took the league points on offer at Pearse Park on Friday evening. Six points separated the Cuchullains from Cushendall at the end of the hour in a game neither side looked fluent but the the home side had more attacking threat throughout the pitch.
Chrissy McMahon top scored with 1-4, finishing the match with some exhibition like scores while six other players in green and gold finished with their names on the scoresheet. Deaglan Smith, Eoin McFerran and Ronan Molloy excelling also while the Cuchullains full back line yielded very little for the Ruairi’s. Oran Quinn in particular with an accomplished 60 minutes. A tally of 15 wides will be a cause for some early season concern for Gregory O’Kane and his management team but they were worthy of their six point winning margin.
Alex Delargy impressed for the Ruairi’s with six of his seven points coming from placed ball while Dominic Delargy put in a strong performance with confidence exhuming in his ability to take scores from all ranges.
Ruairi McCollam and Arron Graffin were solid at the heart of the Cushendall defence, Graffin’s battle with Kevin Molloy fascinating during the game but this was a game Dunloy rarely looked out of their comfort zone. The Ruairi’s had momentum mid-way through the first half but by enlarge this contest was played on the home sides terms.
Dunloy started brightly, going into a two point lead by the tenth minute but even at that stage both sides were guilty of missed chances. The Ruairi’s would hold Dunloy scoreless for the following ten minutes and raise the white flag five times themselves in the same period of time with Dominic and Alex Delargy and Aidan McNaughton on the scoresheet to give the visitors to Pearse Park a three point lead.
The first goal of the contest gave the Cuchullains the lead once again. With six minutes of the half remaining, Anton McGrath finished to the back of Eoin Gillan’s net after good work by Deaglan Smith down the right hand side. The Cuchullains maintained that advantage until the short whistle with the sides going in at 1-7 to 0-8 in the home sides favour.
The opening exchanges of the second half were sedate at best with Cushendall bringing parity to the scores by the 16th minute but Dunloy found some of their fluency in the time that remained.
They outscored Cushendall 1-5 to 0-2 in the last ten minutes. McMahon with the major thanks largely to a surging run from Kevin Molloy to draw in the Cushendall defence. McMahon’s fourth point of the contest was a touch of class, over his shoulder and under huge pressure while Eoin McFerran finished the scoring with his second point of the match in a big performance.
A welcome first two points of the league campaign fort the Cuchullains who will be next out on May 8thwhere they visit Ballycastle the Ruairi’s must wait until 18th May where they welcome Ballycastle to their grounds.
TEAMS
Dunloy: Callum Mullan; Eamon Smyth, Karl O’Kane, Oran Quinn; Conor Kinsella, Kevin McKeague, Conor McKinley; Nicky McKeague, Ronan Molloy; Deaglan Smith, Barry Scott, Eoin McFerran; Anton McGrath, Chrissy McMahon, Kevin Molloy
Subs: Ryan Mort for B Scott (42)
Scorers: C McMahon 1-4; N McKeague 0-5 (4f’s); A McGrath 1-00; K Molloy 0-2; R Molloy 0-2; E McFerran 0-2; D Smith 0-2
Cushendall: Eoin Gillan; Ronan McAteer, Arron Graffin, Liam Gillan; Conor McCollam, Ruairi McCollam, Seamus McNaughtonl Mark Donaghy, Joe McCurry; Andrew Delargy, Dominic Delargy, Aidan McNaughton; Francis McCurry, Alex Delargy, Niall McCormick
Subs: Padraig McKillop for F McCurry (43); Martin Burke for J McCurry (46)
Scorers: Alex Delargy 0-7 (6f’s); D Delargy 0-3; A McNaughton 0-2; Andrew Delargy 0-2; J McCurry 0-1; N McCormick 0-1; M Burke 0-1
Referee: Ciaran McCloskey (Loughgiel)
