Match Reports >> 2009 Match Reports >> Mulranny 4-0 Crossmolina

October 4th 2009 Mulranny 4-0 Crossmolina

Despite dominating this FAI Junior Cup tie from start to finish Mulranny had to wait until the final quarter of the game before converting their superiority into goals. But when the floodgates did open it generated a scoreline that was a much fairer reflection of the match than the narrow victory that had seemed inevitable due to the profligacy of the victors. This was a no-contest. With better finishing by the Mulranny forwards it could have been the first game ever stopped due to the Mercy Rule. On a narrow spongey pitch overlooking the spectacular panorama of the Atlantic the hosts made themselves feel right at home straight from the off with a display of tidy passing football that repeatedly shredded the visiting Crossmolina team. The Deelsiders only genuine goal-scoring opportunity of the whole game came in the third minute when Stewart Griffni teed up Anthony Ruddy on the left edge of the penalty area but the winger dragged his shot across the face of goal. It was to be their last good look at goal all day long as the hosts proceeded to boss matters in every area of the pitch by combining complete commitment with a healthy helping of free-flowing football that always seemed to culminate in a threatening effort on goal. In the fifth minute Adrian McManaman fired the first of many shots across goalkeeper Mark Fox’s bows with a solid effort that the netminder batted back towards the same player who drew another good save by poking the rebound goalwards. Two minutes later Shane McManaman unleashed a twenty yard rocket that fizzed just over the crossbar. The same player showed his long distance prowess after twenty minutes when a headed clearance from a left wing corner landed at his feet and he ripped another thunderbolt from outside the area that Fox had to tip over. Four minutes later the forwards combined wonderfully again when Pat Sweeney latched onto a nice through ball that Adrain Grealis had relayed in his direction but, faced with a clear run at goal, he side-footed the ball over the target.

Just before the half hour mark the hosts were bearing down on the visitors goal again and the move was instigated by Shane McManaman after he laid the ball off to Sweeeny on the right wing who drilled it across the face of goal but McManaman couldn’t cap his good work with the necessary finish as he jabbed it at Fox from close range. Only a minute later the cavalry were on the charge again. Once again Shane McManaman was at the heart of matters when he cut the ball back from the left flank to Adrian McManaman who struck the sweetest of first time drives from the edge of the penalty area that whistled just an inch wide of the left upright. Like the point man on an ice hockey power play Adrian McManaman seemed happy to position himself at the edge of box and bombard the opposing goal with howitzers all game long. Ten minutes before the break he seized on an underhit defensive clearance and despatched another belter that scraped the crossbar on its way over. A minute later a corner kick landed in the Crossmolina penalty area and after pinging around briefly it squirmed out to Mulranny’s Johnny On The Spot who fired directly at Fox, forcing the custodian to palm the ball around the post for a corner. From that corner a Mulranny player headed the ball narrowly wide. The hosts best chance was created two minutes before the interval by Charlie O’Donnell who scooped a clever ball over the opposing defence but a gilt-edged chance was squandered when the striker blazed over with the goal at his mercy. Like a punch drunk fighter the half-time whistle provided a merciful respite for the beleaguered Crossmolina side whose goalnmouth had enjoyed a charmed life during the opening half.

The second half was oddly quiet by comparison but ironically it was during this period that the home team capitalised on all the good work that they had done in the first half. Their long overdue breakthrough arrived after twenty minutes of the half when Johnny O’Donnell headed into the net after some a colleague had failed to convert only seconds before. With a quarter of an hour remaining Adrian McManaman finally registered on the scoresheet, albeit with an effort from closer in than he had become renowned for. A few minutes later Shane McManaman raced onto a long ball from defence and headed the ball over the onrushing goalie for his sides third strike. Pat Sweeney rounded off the scoring in the waning moments to give a fairer representation of what had occurred during the previous ninety minutes.

Mulranny – Martin Moran, Kevin McManaman, Bobby Grealis, Johnny O’Donnell, Mark Staunton, Adrian McManaman, Frank Cawley, Charlie O’Donnell, Adrian Grealis, Pat Sweeney, Shane McManaman

Crossmolina – Mark Fox, Mark Howley, Michael Cafferty, Kenny Canavan (Jason Canavan 75), Sean Hiney, Enda Jordan (John Duggan 65), Stewart Griffin, Adam Gordon. Anthony Ruddy (Damien Rowland 75), Johnno Heffernan, Eoin Corcoran

Match Reports >> 2009 Match Reports >> Mulranny 4-0 Crossmolina