WHEN FRANCESCO CRISCI first landed in Letterkenny in March, he sought a football team to join in a bid to stay in the game and to help settle into his new surroundings.
The 23-year-old hails from Battipaglia, not far from Sorento in Southern Italy and had played for Polisportiva Santa Maria before moving to Ireland.
Crisci works for the Donegal Youth Service as a youth worker.
Carolyn Maguire is a work colleague who also happens to be on the Bonagee United committee.
[adrotate group=”87″]“She told me that Bonagee was a good team for me so, for that reason, I came out to play for them,” Crisci says.
“I did my first training in May and I signed for this season. It is a good League, it is a hard standard but I enjoy it.”
Crisci is playing for Bonagee United’s Ulster Senior League team and on Sunday netted the first goal in their 2-1 win over Fanad United at Triagh-A-Locha in the second round of the FAI Umbro Intermediate Cup.
Late in the first half, Shane O’Doherty’s corner fell invitingly in the box for Crisco and his finish was superb, firing a controlled effort beyond the Fanad goalkeeper Shane Graham into the bottom corner.
[adrotate group=”80″]Peter Moran’s team bagged a second goal through Seamus Brown and held on for the win after John McGarvey pulled a goal back for Fanad.
Crisci says: “It was nice to get a goal. I’m happy for the team and, of course, happy for myself to score.
“It was a hard game against Fanad, but the result was okay for us.”
Crisci will go back home for a break at Christmas, but has been enjoying playing in the USL at Dry Arch Park.
Although they suffered a heavy 7-0 defeat to Derry City Reserves lately, Crisci has been otherwise happy with how the season has been.
He says: “The season so far has been okay. We had a problem against Derry a couple of weeks ago, but they are a big team. The rest of the season we have played well.”
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