Senior Football Championship – Group 1
Dunloy 3-15 Naomh Éanna 0-5
Saturday 17 August
Brendan McTaggart reports from Hightown
Dunloy made it two from two and safe passage to the quarter final with a comfortable win against Naomh Éanna at Hightown on Saturday. The Cuchullains were rarely troubled on the evening and despite a slow start, they created scoring chances with a range of attacking threats.
An impressive total of 10 different scorers and holding the Hightown Road men to just one point in the second half, Dunloy controlled this contest for the overwhelming majority of the hour.
Keelan Molloy would top score for his side, finishing with 1-4 beside his name before the Dunloy management rang the changes. Further first half goals from Anthony Smith and Caolan Gillan from the penalty spot ensured this game was all but over before half time.
Naomh Éanna started brightly and throughout the first half had an attacking threat in Fiontan O’Connor. He was proving a handful for the Dunloy defence with his ability to win primary possession while the intelligent runs of Ruairi Hamilton and Conor Maxwell always gave the Glengormley side options.
Naomh Éanna just couldn’t make inwards in a well organised Dunloy defence that was well marshalled by Deaglan Smith and Eoin McFerran while Oran Quinn and Conor Kinsella also shone.
The home side tried various options to try and nullify the Dunloy attack with Philly Curran playing in a sweeping position before having to come off at half time with an injury while Killian Jennings put in a mountain of defensive work. The Cuchullains did manage to cut through the centre of the Naomh Éanna defence with regular precision however and passed up a number of goal scoring opportunities.
Naomh Éanna made an impressive start to this contest by adding two points in the opening three minutes. A free from Stephen O’Connor opening the scoring before Lorcan Murray split the uprights with a confident score despite the pressure of the Dunloy defence. They wouldn’t trouble the scoreboard operatives for another 15 minutes however as Dunloy found some footing in the game.
A super score from Chrissy McMahon was followed some seven minutes later by the opening goal of the game from Anthony Smith. It came from the visitors pressing high and forcing a turnover in the Naomh Éanna defence. Oran Quinn and Nigel Elliott combined before finding Smith in space and he finished expertly.
Nigel Elliott split the uprights before Dunloy’s second major. A long ball was delivered into Molloy and he turned onto his left foot, he got the half yard he needed and while his shot looked to be falling harmlessly into the waiting arms of Sean Nagle in the Naomh Éanna goals, he misjudged the flight and Molloy’s effort dropped into the back of the net.
A Stephen O’Connor free briefly halted the Dunloy charge but further scores followed from Molloy (two) and Seaan Elliott. Elliott showing his trademark change of direction and burst of pace to evade the Naomh Éanna challenges.
Stephen O’Connor’s third of the half and first from play came in the 25th minute of the game, cutting in from the left hand side O’Connor split the uprights with an excellent finish but it would be their last score of the half.
Points came from midfielder Ryan McGarry and the impressive Deaglan Smith before some super defending from Oran Quinn denied Fiontan O’Connor when through on goal.
McMahon’s second of the half, this one from distance off his right while the third Dunloy goal followed in the last minute of the half. Caolan Gillan intercepted a Naomh Éanna restart and was one on one with Sean Nagle. He tried to go around the Naomh Éanna ‘keeper and Nagle dived at his feet but brought Gillan to the ground. The Dunloy man dusted himself off and converted the spot kick with what was the last meaningful action of the half to leave the half time score 3-8 to 0-4.
The second half restarted with Dunloy on the front foot once again and could have had another fortuitous goal. Molloy once again causing problems but Sean Nagle managed to scramble the ball clear with both umpires well positioned to make the call. A brace of frees from Deaglan Smith and Molloy edged the Cuchullains further ahead before Eoghan O’Hare would score Naomh Éanna’s only score of the half in the 38th minute. Sending a long ball into the forward line, it would bounce over everyone and clear the bar.
Dunloy’s attacking ingenuity kept the Naomh Éanna defence guessing with a varied range of threats coming from deep and through the middle. The home side abandoned their sweeper and went man for man but Dunloy were content to be more methodical in their approach.
Points from Gillan and Molloy (free) took the deficit to 16 before McMahon was unlucky not to score a fourth Dunloy goal. He saw a snapshot cleared off the line by Conan Lyttle.
As the half progressed, both sides rang the changes and while Naomh Éanna did pose more of an attacking threat, the Cuchullains remained happy to control the game.
Both sides had further goal chances before Dunloy would add to their tally – Anthony Smith fluffing his lines after a precise and patient move found him in space while substitute Paddy Doran’s effort was deflected onto the post.
Substitutes Karl Fitzpatrick and Kevin McQuillan (free) rounded up the scoring in the last five minutes as Dunloy ran out comfortable winners. They face Lámh Dhearg in two weeks time with the winner topping the group but both sides safely through to the knock out stages with a game to spare.
TEAMS
Dunloy: Sean Doherty; Conor Kinsella, Eoin McFerran, James Scally; Oran Quinn, Deaglan Smith, Seaan Elliott; Ryan McGarry, Aodhan McGarry; Nigel Elliott, Caolan Gillan, Tom McFerran; Anthony Smith, Keelan Molloy, Chrissy McMahon
Subs: Cathaoir McCloskey for O Quinn (43); Kevin McQuillan for K Molloy (46); Karl Fitzpatrick for N Elliott (46); Ryan McFarlane for R McGarry (50); Ciaran McQuillan for D Smith (53)
Scorers: K Molloy 1-4 (3fs); C Gillan 1-1 (1-00 pen); A Smith 1-1 (1f); C McMahon 0-2; D Smith 0-2 (1f); S Elliott 0-1; R McGarry 0-1; N Elliott 0-1; K Fitzpatrick 0-1; K McQuillan 0-1 (1f)
Naomh Éanna: Sean Nagle; Eoghan O’Hare, Philip Curran, Diarmuid McNulty; Conor Maxwell, Conan Lyttle, Ruairi Hamilton; Niall McKeown, Sean Murray; Lorcan Murray, Cormac Morgan, Sean McBride; Killian Jennings, Fiontan O’Connor, Stephen O’Connor
Subs: Tomás Gilmour for P Curran (HT); Paddy Doran for C Morgan (47); Ciaran McKeown for C Maxwell (53); Colm McCabe for R Hamilton (58)
Scorers: S O’Connor 0-3 (2fs); E O’Hare 0-1; L Murray 0-1
Referee: Paul Burns (St Comgalls)
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