TWO GOALS APIECE from Lucas McSorley, Mark Mbuili and Andrew Murray helped Sean MacCumhaill’s to victory over Aodh Ruadh in the County Division One Under-13 Championship final.
Sean MacCumhaill’s 6-5
Aodh Ruadh 1-5
We’ve all heard the old mantra about goals making the difference and that case was further backed up this afternoon at a chilly O’Donnell Park in Letterkenny and despite the best efforts of Aodh Ruadh goalkeeper Aaron Cullen, the cup is on its way back to the Twin Towns.
An early marker helped Noel Doherty’s team and in just the third minute they grabbed the opening goal at the Town End. Murray, it was, who poked in when he initially looked like he had lost a loose ball.
A second goal then arrive courtesy of the impressive Mbuili as he tucked home after goalkeeper Cullen denied him initially and also kept up the follow-up from Kevin McCormick. However, Mbuili made no mistake to finish on 10 minutes.
Aodh Ruadh managed to chalk up four first half points, with Donall Breen-Brosnan, Ryan Daly, Damian Weber and Robbie Murphy on the mark.
But MacCumhaill’s cutting edge up front and eye for goal meant they were 4-3 to 0-4 ahead by half-time. Their third goal came courtesy of McSorley, who was having a fine game, as he slipped his shot in on 19 minutes before a fourth from the same player, this time an individual effort having cut inside.
In the second half, Cullen, the Aodh Ruadh netminder, again did very well to keep out McCormick before a powerful shot and goal from his teammate Breen-Brosnan brought some cheer from the Ballyshannon fraternity.
That brought Aodh Ruadh back to 4-3 to 1-5 down, with a glimmer of hope but MacCumhaill’s were not to be denied.
A brilliant fifth goal from man of the match Mbuili on 41 minutes put the issue to bed as he rounded Cullen soccer style – showing the types of skills that meant he had to run off to Finn Harps’ underage set-up just afterwards – to score with aplomb.
The icing was put on the cake in the closing stages courtesy of Murray’s second goal of the game, having strode away and pierced his shot home.
Sean MacCumhaill’s: Charlie Byrne; Oisin McGlinchey, Evan Long; Sean Martin, Josh McMenamin, Conor McGinty (0-1, 1f); Ruiari Callaghan, Eoin McGonigle; Andrew Murray (2-0), Mark Mbuili (2-2), Sean Breen; Kevin McCormick (0-1), Lucas McSorley (2-2). Subs: Daithi McMahon, Caelan Reid, Alan Sproule
Aodh Ruadh: Aaron Cullen; Seamus Campbell, Padraig Daly, Drew Ryan; Aidan Sweeney, Shane Delahunty, Aaron Neilan (0-1); Ryan Keenaghan, Ryan Daly (0-1, 1f); Jack Gallagher, Robbie Murphy (0-1), Damian Weber (0-1), Donall Breen-Brosnan (1-1). Subs: Aonghus Daly, James Gallagher, Cian McKenna, Shane McGloin, Troy Killela, Oisin Daly, Can McKenna, Kevin Aryes, Troy Winters, Oisin McGlinchey.
Referee: Mark Dorrian (St Naul’s)
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