O’CONNOR EARNS POINT FOR UNITED
NORTH EAST FOOTBALL LEAGUE
BELLURGAN UNITED 1 QUAY CELTIC 1
THIS was not the result either team wanted, although it extends their respective recent unbeaten runs, and they couldn’t really quibble with the draw in a tale of two halves at Flynn Park on Sunday.
The outcome means both have lost ground to the leading teams, with Quay slipping back a place to fourth behind Muirhevnamor who they meet this Friday night in a crucial encounter that will have a big bearing on the teams’ title challenge.
Bellurgan remain in fifth place, but Newfoundwell lurk menacingly behind them, just three points adrift with six fewer games played, and they have been favourites in many people’s eyes to make it third time lucky after going so close to winning the pennant over the last two seasons.
Quay completely dominated the opening 45 minutes and were well worth their slender one-goal lead, scored 10 minutes from the break by their player manger Martin Smith who finished off a fine move in which Sean Hand was a central figure.
Hand made a run down the right in which he beat two opponents and cut inside before slipping the ball to Aaron Comerford who made his way to the endline and cut the ball back for Smith to turn it in at the near post.
Hand was unlucky not to open the scoring in the first 10 minutes when his shot from 30 yards struck the crossbar. He had another good chance, as well as Vinny Smith, to get their names on the scoresheet.
However, the second half was a complete reversal of the first period, with Bellurgan getting on top, playing nice football and creating a number of chances.
But it wasn’t until a couple of minutes from the end when their pressure finally paid off, following a corner kick which resulted in a scramble in the Quay penalty box. Brian White shot and the ball was blocked on the line, but Daniel O’Connor toe-poked the rebound over the line. On the overall play it was a fair result that Quay might have more reason to be pleased with in the end as they brought to an end Bellurgan’s run of three successive wins.
BELLURGAN: Robert Arthur, Aoghan McGuinness, Diarmuid Murphy, Ray Finnegan, Owen Traynor, Stephen Finnegan (Gavin Gregory), Owen Armstrong, Brian White, Shane Finnegan, Daniel O’Connor, Ciaran Sheelan.
QUAY: John Rogers, Stefan McKevitt, Gary Shevlin, Dean Sheil (Padraig Brown), Denis Cholach (Sean Matthews), Eanna McArdle, Sean Hand (Shaun O’Connor), Danny Coyle (Niall McLaughlin), Vinny Smith, Aaron Comerford, Martin Smith (David Redmond).