FOUR MASTERS AND MacCumhaill’s couldn’t be separated in an exciting AllSportStore.com All-County Football League Division 2 clash.
Four Masters 0-16 MacCumhaill’s 2-10
By Conor Breslin
Tension and drama opened the match with MacCumhaill’s winning a controversial penalty in the first 20 seconds of the game when referee Pat Walsh noticed a foul committed by Darren Walsh.
The penalty was beautifully taken by full-forward Darren O’Leary who buried it in the bottom left corner of the net.
[adrotate group=”68″]The match remained whatsoever even with two long ranged frees from Four Masters’ Conor McDaid in the opening five minutes as well as solo run from Sean O’Kennedy scoring a well taken point in the eighth minute.
McCumhaill’s didn’t remain level for to long however when the talented Stephen Mulligan darted through the Masters defence scoring the Twin Town side’s second goal. This followed by a well earned point from centre-forward Joe Dunnion leaving the masters four behind with ten minutes gone in the match.
[adrotate group=”67″]Repeated back and forward scores came from both teams with Darren Doherty, Conor McMonagle, Conor McDaid and Sean O’Kennedy who had to settle for a point after missing an opportunity for a goal chance, all landed scores for Four Masters, while Darren O’Leary, Stephen Mulligan and Adam Lynch added their names to the score sheet for MacCumhaills.
The talking point of the match game in the 20th minute when a second penalty was awarded to MacCumhaill’s only this time Darren O’Leary came up short hitting the post adding a sigh of relief to the men in blue.
A vital loss was issued to MacCumhaills on the stroke of half time when midfielder Nathan Gavigan who dominated the middle of the field was taken off due to bad injury. Both teams jogged to the dressing rooms at half time with a score line of 2-6 to 0-9.
[adrotate group=”63″]A completely new and more dominating four masters took to the field in the second half keeping MacCumhaills scoreless for eleven minutes as well as scoring four magnificent points in the opening ten minutes from the powerful Conor McDaid and the skillful half-forwards Darren Doherty and Conor McMonagle.
However MacCumhaills refused to give up resulting in perhaps one of the most hard fought dramatic half’s of this season. It was hard to control game with anger and tension spilling over. Both teams were level five times in the second half and resulting in an draw with Conor McDaid scoring a nervous last minute free kick in front of the posts.
Overall a well fought game of football with Barry Monaghan, Conor McDaid and Conor McMonagle delivering in the forward line as well as the physical presence of Barry Dunnion leading by example in defence for the Donegal town men.
While credit goes to the work rate of Darren McGowan Darren O’Leary and Stephen Mulligan as well as the dominating force of Gavigan and O’Reily in midfield for MacCumhaills.
Four Masters: James McDaid; Darren Walsh, Daire Quinn, Dylan Kennedy; Barry Dunnion, Leo McHugh (0-1),
John Boyle; Patrick Reid, Sean O’Kennedy (0-2); Darren Doherty (0-2), Conor McMonagle (0-4, 1f), Conor McDaid (0-6, 6f); Barry Monaghan, Dillion Muldoon, Kevin McBrearty. Subs Dillion Ward (0-1) for Walsh (half-time).
MacCumhaill’s: Christopher Patton; Geard Grindle, Martin Gallagher, Sean McGowan; Darren McGowan, Gary Dunnion, Shane Duffy; Stephen O’Reilly (0-1), Nathan Gavigan; Alan Patton, Joe Dunnion (0-1), Adam Lynch (0-1)
Stephen Mulligan (1-3), Darren O’Leary (1-4), Barney Lafferty. Sub: Cormac Muldoon for Gavigan HT.
