Sunday 10 February 2008
LOUGHMACRORY 0 - 08 0 - 12 BUNCRANA
Seniors fail to impress in opening Ulster League fixture
The seniors went down by four points to visitors Buncrana on Sunday.
The visitors registered two wides before opening their account from a free in the fourth minute and a minute later Enda Ward combined with Emmett and Stephen Donaghy to restore parity with a clever fisted effort. Two quick points from Buncrana put them two ahead before Stephen Grimes was fouled going through and Emmott Donaghy converted the resultant free. Within a minute Grimes had the sides level when he fielded and turned quickly to split the posts. On seventeen minutes Stephen Donaghy took a pass from his namesake Emmett to put the Lough boys ahead for the first time. The seasiders then notched four points inside four minutes to go 0 - 07 to 0 - 04 up. Loughmacrory were finding it hard to hit the target and the Donaghys, Emmett and Stephen, saw efforts sail harmlessly wide before Enda Ward was pulled down and he himself put the resultant free between the posts to reduce the deficit to two at the break.
On the resumption Buncrana again pressed forward but corner back Neil Mullan started a move on his own 20m line and travelled the length of the field to take the final pass and split the posts. Loughmacrory began to press forward more but Emmett Donaghy was wide of the mark with two frees while at the other end Buncrana successfully converted similar opportunities. With Buncrana attacking Donal Ward, in the home goal, made good work to turn a blasting shot around the post for a 45. The Donaghys combined again for Stephen to register Loughmacrory’s first score in twenty minutes while the visitors sent over another three minors in reply and, although substitute Connal Kelly had the last say with a fine left-footed effort, it was too late to make any inroads into the visitor’s lead.
Loughmacrory were missing the cutting edge up front and the quicker the injured Ronan Ward is back in the fray the better for the St Teresa’s.
