Donohue hat-trick inspires Bellurgan
BAY UNITED 3 BELLURGAN CELTIC 4
BELLURGAN Celtic prevailed on account of a hat-trick by striker Niall Donohue against the valiant hosts who fought back three times and did everything they could to earn a draw after Milo Veale tucked away what proved the decisive goal midway through the second-half.
In the warm sunshine the sides served up an exciting and entertaining spectacle at the Rock Road on Saturday morning in which Bay played the more cultured football but Donohue provided the winners with the vital thrust with his power and drive.
He spelled out the danger he posed in the early minutes when he cut in along the home by-line after regaining possession following a corner kick and struck the near post.
From another corner at the other end Luke Ryan found room to get his head to it at the near poster but his effort lacked direction and power.
In contrast to Donohue when three Bay players surrounded him as he bore down on their goal and he was fouled inside the penalty box. The striker blasted the spot kick into the top corner to give the visitors the lead on nine minutes.
Bay levelled when Fawade Kareen’s shot from inside the penalty box was parried by goalkeeper William Quinn and Gerard Chikodza stroked the rebound into the gaping goal six minutes later.
Bay had something of a let-off when Jason Brady’s cross cum shot slipped through Michael Nash’s fingers and went out for a corner.
In almost carbon copy fashion of his first goal Donohue put the visitors back in front in the closing minutes of the half. He collected a pass not far inside the Bay half from Milo Veale and made his way into the penalty box and held off a defender to shoot past Nash.
Bay again equalised quickly just before half-time whistle. Lucas Gregory robbed a Bellurgan defender on the edge and advanced into the penalty box to have his shot saved by Quinn but the ball broke loose and the forward under pressure from a defender managed to force it over the line.
Donohue five minutes into the second-half burst through two defenders to make it 3-2, but the Bellurgan went asleep almost straight away from a corner and allowed the ball to roll across their goal for Stephen Mullen at the back post to prod it home.
For the fourth and last time Bellurgan went ahead with Milo Veale turning in the rebound after Luke Ryan’s shot was saved.
This time they held out but only because two great saves by William Quinn prevented Boris Bielou from equalising. BAY: Michael Nash, Nathan, Cillian Cranny, Mason Hughes, Adam Hearty, Boris Bielou, Fawade Kareen, Lucas Gregory, Gerard Chikodza, Stephen Mullen, Edward Abreau, Callum Moore, Luke Gillespie. Cormac Conlon. Managers, Darren Keogh and Gordan Corry.
BELLURGAN: William Quinn, AJ Bothwell, James Silva, Ben Duffy, Milo Veale, Jack Mackin, Kyle Keenan, Niall Donohue, Jason Brady, Luke Ryan, Doire Toner. Manager, Damien Toner.
REFEREE: Eoin Quigley.