COLERAINE showed that the future is bright as three members of the club’s U20 squad netted in a 4-1 win against Limavady United…
By: Charlie Cooke
With two minutes of play gone Michael McCrudden has a shot from close range after the ball is well work down the left wing by Luca Doherty. Not too long after, a dangerous cross from Doherty sees the Roesiders goalkeeper out to successfully punch ball out of the hosts’ box.
With five minutes on the clock, Limavady flashed a quick moving ball across the box from the right wing. After that dangerous play by the hosts, the Bannsiders used the goal kick to reset themselves and Doherty crossed the ball which McCrudden expertly met with his head which went a couple yards by the post.
Just by the 10 minute mark, Jamie Glackin tried to place a chipped through ball over the top of the Roesiders’ defence and finds his man in McCrudden but he was adjudged to have just strayed offside.
With less than a quarter of an hour played, the Roesiders started a counter-attack which saw them find space down the right wing. A dangerous cross into the box found Joe McCready who met the ball well but fortunately for the Bannsiders he was unable to find the target.
Around the 20 minute mark, the ball from is lifted forward from deep within the Roesiders’ half which breaks the Bannsiders defensive line. A great tackle come block inside the box from Graham Kelly prevented a goal-scoring opportunity and sees the ball go from a corner.
Five minutes later, Glackin side footed a through ball to Ciaran O’Hara who is unlucky not to score from close range after United stopper Ricky Purcell made a very good save.
With less than five minutes remaining in the first-half, O’Hara met a dangerous cross and finishes with fine technique to break the deadlock.
With nine minutes gone of the second-half, Stephen Lowry won possession of the ball back just inside the Roesiders’ half, before taking a touch and playing a precise through ball on the ground to O’Hara.
The striker glided by the ‘keeper and then calmly placed the ball into the back of the net for his second goal of the afternoon.
As we entered the last 20 minutes, Limavady got a series of shots off but all their attempts were confidently blocked by both Kelly and Kieran Farren.
With 15 minutes left, a well-placed through ball finds McCrudden and he dribbles into the box, and just after the home goalkeeper comes off his line, the striker unselfishly squared the ball to Doherty who has the simple task of slotting into an empty net.
Minutes later, there would be another unselfish act as Glackin was played through on goal and the winger saw the advancing Joshua Callaghan who also bundled into an empty net.
With the last kick of the game, the Roesiders would find the back of the net as John Butcher was played through on goal and he fired past Martin Gallagher.
COLERAINE: Gallagher, Curran (Wilson ’70 mins), Kelly, Farren, D. Jarvis, Glackin, O’Mahony (Callaghan ’35 mins), Lowry, Doherty, O’Hara (O’Neill ’70 mins), McCrudden.
Referee: Diarmuid Harrigan