Raphoe finished their season’s home fixtures off in style with a ten-goal thriller against Portadown at the Royal & Prior on Saturday.
Raphoe 5-5 Portadown
The first goal was created when Jonny Long got in front of his player and won the ball which fell to James Wilson, who held on to the ball and played Long in on goal. Long made no mistake with his finish finding the bottom left corner of Portadown’s net.
Raphoe held the lead only for five minutes when Alan Meehan tried his best to keep the ball from crossing the line from a short corner but it came off his knee, awarding Portadown a penalty stroke which they converted to make it 1-1.
Raphoe soon got back on top again after coming under some pressure for the Portadown attack. Tommy Orr getting on the end of a George Patterson deflected effort towards goal.
Portadown got another short corner and converted it to make it 2-2 at the half way point, exactly the same as when the two teams met in the reverse fixture.
Raphoe came out looking to get the next goal and they had a glorious chance when a goal mouth scramble fell to James Wilson whose shot was saved and cleared away from the danger zone.
Raphoe would rue missing this chance as Portadown caught the Raphoe midfield and defence sleeping and scored two goals to take a commanding lead, 4-2.
Raphoe got one back when a ball from Keith Meehan found Tommy Orr in space inside the circle and the young striker rounded the keeper to tap into an open goal.
Raphoe got a lift off Orr’s goal and they soon made it 4-4 when they played the ball around the Port players, with Keith Meehan, George Patterson involved in the build-up before finding James Wilson in the circle and he kept his composure. Wilson played a simple ball to Orr for a tap in for his hat-trick.
Raphoe were going for the winner and they got it when a short corner routine found Keith Meehan to slap the ball under an on rushing goalkeeper to make it 5-4.
The Donegal team had 10 minutes to hold out for the win but it wasn’t to be as they conceded a fifth goal from a short corner routine.
Raphoe were looking now to hold out and not concede another goal to go away with nothing after their fighting spirit to get back into the game.
The game ended 5-5, Raphoe now have two away matches to Harlequins and Queens University before the end their season.
Raphoe: D.Moore, T. Eaton, E.Lyttle, K.Meehan, J.Long, T.Orr, Z.West, A.Crumley, J.Watt, G.Patterson, A.Meehan, John.Watt, S.Clevery, J.Wilson
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