Report: Brian Marren.
In Round 2 of the 2019 Fureys Coaches Division 1 Football League, Coolaney/Mullinabreena took on Coolera/Strandhill in Nace O Dowd Park. In what was a clash of the two beaten Semi Finalists from last years Championship, and a preview of what could be a pivotal group match in this year’s instalment, Coolaney/Mullinabreena inserted their dominance over their would be rivals with a resounding 3.15 to 1.07 victory.
Points from Wing-Forward Niall Connolly, Corner-Forward Kieran Finan and Captain Nathan Mullen helped Coolaney/Mullinabreena jump out to a commanding lead before Shane O’Brien slipped the ball underneath Coolera/Stranhill keeper Keelan Harte to bring the score to 1-04 to no score. Within the space of ten minutes, Coolera/Strandhill were left with a mountain to climb, as Coolaney/Mullinabreena moved in for the kill. Dominant in Midfield, Coolaney/Mullinabreena kept their Opposition penned inside their own half for large parts of the game, and made their advantage in territory pay dividends, with scores from 18-year-old Gavin Gorman, et al stretching their lead.
But for Sligo Inter County captain Niall Murphy, who engineered two scores to get Coolera/Strandhill off the mark, this could have been a thoroughly comprehensive rout for the men in blue. It served as little more than window dressing, as despite another point from full forward Barry O Mahoney, Coolaney/Mullinabreena took a commanding 10-point lead into the changing room at halftime, the score 1-10 to 0-03.
The second half was an altogether more cagey affair, less blitzkrieg more trench warfare, as Coolera/Strandhill made their last stand in this game. After scores from Gary Cadden, and in particular a goal from talisman Murphy, whose Rocket from the 21 flew past Lorcan Callaghan in the Coolaney/Mullinabreena net, it seemed that the second half would not be the procession in appeared to be.
All hopes of a comeback however were firmly put to bed when substitute Darren Coleman finished off a well worked team move moments after Murphy’s Strike. From there Coolaney/Mullinabreena would canter home, with a goal from Gavin Gorman providing the exclamation point on the contest.
Up next for Coolaney/Mullinabreena is Tubbercurry on Friday night in Kilcoyne Park, in what will be a barnstormer of a match, with Coolaney/Mullinabreena seeking retribution after their exit from last years Championship at the hands of their opponents.
Final Score:3.15 to 1.07.
Team:
1. Lorcan Callaghan
2. David Barrett
3. Stephan Barrett
4. Eamonn Gorman
5. Conor McCormack
6. Aidan Coleman
7. Anthony Walsh
8. Declan McCormack
9. Sean Gorman (0-1)
10. Stephan Connolly(0-1)
11. Nathan Mullen(0-2)
12. Niall Connolly (0-1)
13. Kieran Finan ( 0-6)
14. Shane O’Brien (1-0)
15. Gavin Gorman (1-03)
Substitutes: Niall O Dowd, Darren Coleman(1-0)
Cian O Dowd, Conor Feely, Shane Marren, Shane Gormalley.