Senior Football League
Division One
Dunloy 2-6 Portglenone 4-15
Sunday 7 June
Brendan McTaggart reports from Pearse Park, Dunloy
Portglenone produced a ruthless performance on Sunday morning to defeat a heavily depleted Dunloy side at Pearse Park. Leading by five points at the break and turning around to play into a stiff breeze, the Bannsiders were at their clinical best in the second half with the home side having no answer to their dominance.
With just one point of their final tally coming from placed ball and eight different scorers, the Portglenone management would have left Dunloy more than happy with their work over the hour. Aiden McAleese top scored with 1-4 while Odhran Doherty’s burgeoning reputation in the game grows further, he would split the uprights on five different occasions. Ciaran McAleese and Niall Delargy were the other goal scorers for the Casements who were immense in the final quarter of the game.
Eoghan McGrath finished top of the scoring charts for the Cuchullains, ‘Corkery’ splitting the uprights on two occasions from outside the 40m arc in the second half while their goals came from Karl Fitzpatrick and Barry McCloskey in either half. They would have been happy enough to be trailing by just five points at the break and after McCloskey’s goal in the 44th minute, that deficit remained but Portglenone upped the ante in those last 15 minutes.
With the wind at their back, the Casement’s looked to build a substantial lead from the first whistle while Dunloy looked to stifle the life out of the game by retaining possession. A brace of scores from Ronan Kelly was added to by Odhran Doherty’s first of the game to give the visitors to Pearse Park a three point lead inside the opening five minutes.
The first goal of the game came four minutes later with Ronan Kelly finding the back of Chrissy McMahon’s net. Collecting a super pass from Niall Delargy, Kelly made no mistake.
Doherty’s second of the game followed soon after as the Casement’s made a strong start to be 1-4 to no score ahead after 10 minutes.
Dunloy opened their account in the 12th minute with Callum Scullion splitting the posts with a swing of his left foot but that was the last score of the game for 15 minutes. Dunloy looked to control the contest by keeping possession and while Portglenone always looked threatening in attack, their delivery of the final pass sometimes letting them down.
Aiden McAleese split the uprights for his first of the game to leave seven between the sides with three minutes of the 30 remaining in the half but the home side scored their first goal of the game moments later. Jack Martin sending the ball high into the danger area where Karl Fitzpatrick timed his jump to perfection to deflect the ball into the back of the net.
Aiden McAleese rounded up the scoring in the first minute of injury time as he glided through the Dunloy defence before firing over to leave the half time score 1-6 to 1-1 in the Casement’s favour.
The home side started with more attacking intent and Donnach Laverty opened the scoring from a free just two minutes after the restart. Portglenone’s response was to hit 1-3 without reply in the space of five minutes. Points coming from Aiden McAleese, Kevin O’Kane and Doherty while Niall Delargy was on the end of a sweeping move that had the Dunloy defence chasing shadows before the Casement’s found the back of the net.
McGrath got the Cuchullains firing again with a two pointer before Barry McCloskey scored the second major for the home side. Getting on the end of a brilliant pass over the top from substitute Nigel Elliott, McCloskey finished superbly to give the home side renewed hope.
The Cuchullains wouldn’t register another score for 18 minutes however as Portglenone took control. A run of 2-6 without reply, Ronan Kelly, Doherty (2), Aiden McAleese and substitutes Paddy Kelly and Sean Byrne all splitting the uprights while Aiden and Ciaran McAleese found the onion bag in a blistering period of attacking intent from the Casements.
Dunloy rounded off the scoring with McGrath’s second two pointer of the contest but it mattered little with the visitors running out comfortable winners.
The Cuchullains thoughts will turn to the small ball on Wednesday evening before travelling to table toppers Creggan next Sunday while the Casement’s will look to maintain their fine form when they host All Saints on the same afternoon.
TEAMS
Dunloy Starting XV: Chrissy McMahon; Cathair McCloskey, Sean Og Blaney, Michael Traynor; Reece Cunning, Aaron Crawford, Callum Scullion; Eoin McFerran, Paudie McGilligan; Ben O’Kane, Barry McCloskey, Jack Martin; Donnach Laverty, Eoghan McGrath, Karl Fitzpatrick
- Subs: Ryan McGarry for R Cunning (HT), Nigel Elliott for E McFerran (HT), Charlie Cunning for R McGarry (40), Emmet McKendry for A Crawford (49)
- Scorers: E McGrath 0-4 (2xTP), B McCloskey 1-00, K Fitzpatrick 1-00, D Laverty 0-1 (1f), C Scullion 0-1
Portglenone Starting XV: Brian McManus; Daniel McNicholl, Ciaran Lynch, Paddy Graffin; Niall Delargy, Ruairi Hagan, Ryan Convery; Kevin O’Kane, Michael Donnelly; Aiden McAleese, Niall McKeever, Odhran Dohertyl Tom Duffin, Ciaran McAleese, Ronan Kelly
- Subs: Stephen Kelly for R Convery (HT), Paddy Kelly for M Donnelly (HT), Sean Byrne for T Duffin (49), Conall Delargy for R Kelly (52)
- Scorers: A McAleese 1-4, R Kelly 1-3 (1f), O Doherty 0-5, N Delargy 1-00, C McAleese 1-00, K O’Kane 0-1, P Kelly 0-1, S Byrne 0-1
Referee: Paul Burns (St Comgall’s)
To see more of Brendan’s photos from the game, follow the link below….
https://myalbum.com/album/4TK4ugb8aTwT2g/?invite=330184e1-02f2-4b30-be52-00509d6a9608