Report

Clonmany Res                        3

Illies  Celtic                            0

Illies had the better of a tight first half.Playing with a strong breeze at their back,Illies had a good chance in the 4th minute when Kevin McGonagle found himself in space on the left side of the box but his shot whistled past Liam McGonigle’s right hand post.On the 26th minute Illies built up a good move down their left flank which culminated in Stephen Doherty receiving the ball in the Clonmany box,he made room for his shot but his low drive past Liam McGonigle just ran past the foot of the back post and out for a goal-kick.Clonmany’s keeper Liam McGonigle had to be alert in the 33rd minute when Kevin McGonagle unleashed a shot from the edge of the box but the Clonmany net-minder palmed the shot over the crossbar to concede a corner.Clonmany finally created a clear chance in the 43rd minute when Mark McLaughlin received the ball on the left side of the box and hoisted a dipping cross to the back post ,which was met by Dessie Doherty’s head but Ryan McElhinney in the Illies goals was in a good position to hold his effort.

Clonmany began the second half with the benefit of the breeze at their backs,but it was Illies who threatened to break the deadlock first in the 50th minute when Stephen Doherty was upended in the right side of the Clonmany box to concede a penalty.Illies Number 9 Paddy Doherty stepped forward to take this but his low shot to the keepers left hand side was saved at full stretch by Liam McGonigle. Clonmany seemed to take heart from this let-off and as the half progressed they became more dominant.After having one effort chalked off for offside they eventually took the lead in the 66th minute when Brendan Doherty’s flick through the middle of the Illies defence was run on to by Mark McLaughlin and his shot beat the out-rushing Ryan McElhinney to find the empty net.They made it two in the 76th minute when substitute Jake Harkin’s through ball down the right side was run onto by Mark McLaughlin and he drove into the box before shooting towards goal,but Ryan McElhinney was able to parry the ball away only for Clonmany’s Steve Harkin to gather at the back post and with defenders blocking his shot for goal he pulled the ball back to Brendan Doherty at the edge of the box and he fired a shot  to the top left hand corner of the Illies goals.Clonmany’s pressure was telling now and they almost added a third in the 80th minute when Mark McLaughlin’s corner from the left side was met by Steve Harkin at the near post and his low volley was kept out at the foot of his post by Ryan McElhinney before the ball broke to Oisin Hession, twelve yards out but his drive was deflected wide for another corner.Clonmany finally made it three in the 87th minute when another Mark McLaughlin corner from the left was controlled by Brian Devlin on the edge of the six yard line,and as the Illies defence pressed to clear the danger,Brian looked up and picked out Brendan Doherty on the edge of the box and Brendan unleashed an unstoppable drive into the top right hand corner of the net for a superb finish .