SHANNON MCBRIDE returned to haunt former club Glenree United with a deadly double inside the space of 45 seconds tonight.
Glenree United 1 Bonagee United 4
The Downings woman struck twice at Glenree Park in the 11th minute as Bonagee United (pictured above) swept to victory on the opening night of the new Donegal Women’s League season.
McBride’s brace and goals by Deborah Kerrigan and Chantelle Grant handed Seamy McGinty’s team a comfortable win on what was a pretty straightforward night for the Dry Arch outfit.
Denise Doherty did pull one back for Glenree, after McBride’s double stunned the hosts, and at times Cathal McGinley’s team did make life difficult for their opponents.
But when Grant tucked home Bonagee’s fourth, in the 40th minute, it was game, set and match.
The second half was devoid of as much goal-mouth action as in the first, but it was halted for 12 minutes, after Glenree’s Natasha McElwaine fell sick and received lengthy medical attention before leaving the action.
It was always going to take something to live up to the tone set in a lively first half.
McBride broke the deadlock after firing wide with an earlier snapshot.
Alice Diver, another of the additions for new-look Bonagee, fed the ball wide to Kerrigan, whose cross was expertly turned past Clare Friel by McBride.
[adrotate group=”37″]Glenree know all about McBride’s prowess having had her talents in their corner last season and, less than a minute after her first, she doubled the Bonagee lead.
This time, full-back Leona Russell provided the assist and from her ball over the top, McBride neatly side-stepped and slotted home.
Glenree United ladies
Emma Wright chipped a free over the wall and over Denise McElhinney’s crossbar, but Glenree did reduce the arrears when Doherty exploited the space and fired past the exposed McElhinney.
Kerrigan was denied by Friel and Sweeney’s tame effort was gathered by McElhinney before Bonagee bagged a third as Kerrigan made no mistake from the left edge of the penalty box.
Five minutes before the break, Grant added the fourth.
Kerrigan rescued a seemingly lost cause and created the opening. Initially denied by Friel, Grant kept her composure to apply the finish.
[adrotate group=”62″]Anna Doherty’s dipping effort dropped a fraction too late when Bonagee might have had a fifth on the blow of Con McLaughlin’s half-time whistle.
The extensive pause took the sting out of the second half, although there were chances.
McElhinney clawed away from Julie Trearty at one end and McBride, with the chance of a hat-trick on familiar ground, was wide as she latched onto Shannen Martin’s delivery after Diver’s battling swung the play.
[adrotate group=”46″]Tomorrow evening, defending champions Lagan Harps take on League newcomers Finn Valley at Orchard Park.
Glenree United: Clare Friel; Emer Trearty, Niamh McDevitt, Siobhán Sweeney, JJ McGinley; Maria Carr, Hannah Shiels, Emma Wright, Julie Trearty; Denise Doherty, Brenda Sweeney. Subs: Danielle Doherty for Wright (18), Natasha McElwaine for McGinley (39), Megan McGee for McElwaine (70), Kylie Coyle for S.Sweeney (81).
Bonagee United: Denise McElhinney; Leona Russell, Amy Thompson, Gráinne Gallagher, Lauren Lynch; Bridgeen Devenney, Chantelle Grant, Anna Doherty, Deborah Kerrigan; Alice Diver, Shannon McBride. Subs: Shannen Martin for Kerrigan (h-t), Aoife Gallagher for Thompson (70), Natalie McFadden for Diver (82), Natalie Sweeney for Doherty (86), Lynnette Rodgers for Lynch (86).
Referee: Con McLaughlin
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