Match Reports >> 2008 Match Reports >> Swinford 2-2 Crossmolina

September 6th 2008 Swinford 2-2 Crossmolina

Crossmolina’s church re-opened this weekend after refurbishment and the local soccer team could do worse than to pay it a visit after this draw in Swinford which makes relegation to Division One a real possibility. With only a single game remaining in the season this encounter presented both sides with an opportunity to dismiss the threat of demotion to the third tier of Mayo football and the frantic opening exchanges revealed the nerves, passion and attitude associated with such an undesirable fate. It was the visitors who harnessed their poise first though and they took the lead after a hard-fought five minutes. Paul Flaherty profited from some good play on the left flank that granted him sufficient space to swing a high delivery into the penalty area. The Swinford rearguard were unable to clear the ball and Kevin McLoughlin swooped to prod the ball home from six yards. The early concession of a goal exacerbated the frayed nerves of the hosts and Crossmolina capitalised on their early strike with a purposeful quarter hour of football. However, the flow of the game altered dramatically after that and their previously solid defence was exposed on a few occasions, prompting their opponents to believe that a capitulation was imminent. The Swinford pressure caused the inevitable to happen after twenty minutes as the Deelsiders couldn’t paper over the cracks any longer and they conceded an equaliser when a cross into the penalty area was headed down into the path of Gordon Carter who slotted the ball into the bottom corner. Swinford were in the ascendancy and they retained their superiority for the remainder of the half. Keith Regan began to torment the visitors on both flanks and his nimble footwork was the launchpad for many of their better moments. He would benefit from his teams renewed vigour on the half hour mark when he received the ball on the edge of the penalty area and, after being afforded time and space to pick his spot, he rapped a twenty five yard cracker into the bottom left corner of Johnny O’Hora’s net.

Buoyed by the lead Swinford piled forward repeatedly at set plays and hounded the Crossmolina backline incessantly for the duration of the half. O’Hora was called upon again before half time when he had to palm a long range blast onto his left post. The Deelsiders restored some order to their game after the break as they began to attack more cohesively. Both sides battled gamely and although the hosts displayed slightly more threat going forward the visitors could never be discounted either. As the contest moved into its final quarter Crossmolina crafted their best chances of the evening. They were finally rewarded with twenty minutes remaining when Derek Sweeney met a dropping ball with a sweet volley from fifteen yards that flew into the net. Stewart Griffin could have won the game soon after when he met a left wing free kick with a towering header but his effort was slightly too high. John Duggan also had a chance to poach a winner but his attempted chip of the the goalkeeper from the edge of the box was about a yard too strong and it dropped behind the crossbar. Swinford staged a last-ditch rally in the final five minutes and they had two excellent chances to steal all three points. Firstly a penalty box scramble resulted in a snap shot being taken from the twelve yards that was somehow cleared off the line by a Crossmolina defender. Moments later Vinne Murtagh executed a header from close range that sailed just over the crossbar. When Jimmy Blake sounded the final whistle it was rather anti-climactic and neither side could feel too satisfied with their evenings work which leaves their futures in doubt until this Saturday when they complete their league campaigns. Both will be praying for better results then.

Crossmolina – J O’Hora, Mark Howley, Michael Cafferty, Kenny Canavan, Paul Flaherty, Anthony Ruddy, Stewart Griffin, Kevin McLoughlin, Michael Timlin, John Duggan, Derek Sweeney

Referee – Jimmy Blake

Stalemate at Swinford as relegation race hots up

Report courtesy of David Tuohy, Western People

CROSSMOLINA had to settle for a draw after taking an early lead in this fascinating relegation encounter on Saturday evening. Neither side wanted a draw, but it was the fairest result in this end-to-end battle which either side could have won. The visitors hit the ground running with a goal after only five minutes of play. Kevin McLoughlin’s well-placed header beat Shane Holleran in the Swinford goal to give Crossmolina the early advantage. Their good start continued three minutes later, as winger Anthony Ruddy came very close with a well-struck effort which whistled past the post to Holleran’s great relief. The hosts began to establish themselves more after this early period of Crossmolina supremacy. Their direct style of play was beginning to pay off, winning plenty of corners and putting the visitors’ defence to the test. Keith Regan, Robbie Quinn and skipper David Brennan were the main threat to the Deelsiders goal and were involved in the vast majority of Swinford’s attacking play. The scores were level after 18 minutes, through striker Gordon Carter, who was perfectly positioned to get in front of the goalkeeper after David Noone’s low ball into the box was not dealt with properly. Carter deftly flicked past Johnny O’Hora to level proceedings again. The home side were on top as the game approached half-time and Keith Regan put them ahead in the 39th minute with a fantastic goal. Regan received the ball 30 yards out and the midfielder struck a low shot into the bottom corner; goalkeeper O’Hora was deceived by evening sun and the ball bounced in front of him before hitting the back of the net. Swinford deserved their lead at the interval, they had taken control of the game in the midfield areas and had created far more of the chances. Regan, in particular, was a thorn in Crossmolina’s side, and his incisive passing and all round hard work was vital.

The sides began the second half knowing that the next goal would be crucial and the intensity of the match could be seen on every face. Both sides were hungry for three points and were not willing to give an inch to their opponents. Crossmolina, however, were the better side for much of the second half. Paul Flaherty’s superb 53rd minute free kick very nearly crept inside the Swinford goal and Derek Sweeney almost released Kevin McLoughlin through on goal but his pass was bravely smothered by Holleran. The visitors’ mounting pressure eventually yielded an equaliser, a powerful Derek Sweeney volley, after he found himself unmarked ten yards from goal. It was a rare lapse in concentration by an otherwise solid Swinford back-four. With the sides now level at two goals apiece, the remaining 20 minutes was a very tense affair. Both sides had chances to steal the points but neither could actually do so. Swinford sent on Vincent Murtagh in a bid to grab a winning goal and this new three-pronged attack, along with Brennan and Carter, looked an effective combination. Murtagh came agonisingly close with a header from Keith Regan’s corner but his effort was stopped by great reactions on the line from defender Paul Flaherty. At the other end, John Duggan had a chance to win the match from the Deelsiders as he latched on to Derek Sweeney’s ball over the heads of the defenders, but Duggan’s touch was slightly too heavy as his attempted chip sailed harm-lessly over the crossbar. The closing period of the game produced enough clear-cut opportunities for both sides to win the match but excellent defending at both ends kept the scores level. The final chance of the match fell to Gordon Carter, as he raced onto Tom Kavanagh’s through ball, only to fire directly at Johnny O’Hora. The concession of a late goal on either side would have been harsh, as both teams deserved to take something from this compelling match.

SWINFORD: Shane Holleran, Niall Feeney, Peter Quinn, Liam Foy, Matt Gallagher, Keith Regan, Tom Kavanagh, Robbie Quinn, David Noone, David Brennan, Gordon Carter. Subs: Vincent Murtagh, Danny Cassidy.

CROSSMOLINA: Johnny O’Hora, Mark Howley, Paul Flaherty, Kevin McLoughlin, Kenny Canavan, Michael Cafferty, Michael Timlin, Stuart Griffin, John Duggan, Derek Sweeney, Anthony Ruddy.

Referee: Jimmy Blake.

Match Reports >> 2008 Match Reports >> Swinford 2-2 Crossmolina