Chris Collins stars in clinical Clon’s Premier win

CLONAKILTY SOCCER CLUB 3

TOGHER CELTIC 1

GER McCARTHY REPORTS

CLONAKILTY Soccer Club joined PremierHiSpecCars.com Premier Division leaders Togher Celtic at the top of the table following a 3-1 win in Darrara.

Togher created plenty of chances and enjoyed plenty of possession during an entertaining game, but it was their opponent’s clinical finishing that decided the outcome.

Defending deep and utilising the counter-attack, Joe Edmead and George Cannon goals handed the home side a 2-0 advantage before Peter Collins pulled one back late on. Rob Downey put the result beyond doubt with a third strike as Clonakilty Soccer Club inflicted a first league loss upon Togher and took a deserved share of the division’s lead.

The league leaders travelled to Darrara in good health following two wins and a draw from their opening three fixtures. Celtic’s confidence was obvious as the visitors dominated possession and territory from the first minute.

Brian Horgan brought the best out of Clonakilty goalkeeper Iain O’Driscoll from an early free-kick as Togher quickly settled to their task. Unable to settle into their usual rhythm due to Togher’s superior work rate, Clonakilty struggled to get anything going before taking the lead, against the run of play, after 22 minutes. A breakaway down the right flank ended with Chris Collins’ straightforward centre evading the Togher defence and goalkeeper before being tapped into an empty net by Joe Edmead.

The visitors responded with Donnacha Collins cutting in from the left and forcing Iain O’Driscoll into a point-blank stop. Niall Hurley headed narrowly over from a corner and Adrian Hurley saw a goal-bound effort blocked but Clonakilty’s slender lead remained intact until the conclusion of a frantic first 45 minutes.

The tempo was upped immediately after the restart with Donnacha Collins firing inches wide from the edge of the box. Encouraged by that opportunity, Togher pushed higher up the pitch and the same player went even closer to conjuring up an equaliser after 50 minutes. Turning inside a defender on the corner of the box, Collins’s curling attempt narrowly missed the target.

Those wasted chances would prove costly as a deep-lying Clonakilty bided their time before making it 2-0. The home side counter-attacked from deep and worked the ball wide to Chris Collins to provide his second assist for George Cannon to score.

A succession of set-pieces failed to deliver a much-needed Togher response during a closing quarter; both teams struggled to find the net. Togher’s efforts were finally rewarded when Peter Collins headed home Robbie Lucey’s free-kick ten minutes from the end.

Any chance of a late Celtic comeback was thwarted once Rob Downey burst clear and beat Ciarán Murray to round off a merited 3-1 Clonakilty win.

OUR STAR: Clonakilty Soccer Club’s Chris Collins was involved in all his team’s best moments and set up his side’s opening two goals.

Clonakilty SC: Iain O’Driscoll, Rob Downey, George Cannon, Joe Edmead, Chris Collins, Liam Anthony White, Prince Iyalla, Shane Buttimer, Mark Irwin, Eoin Hartnett, Reuben Henry (captain).

Subs: Thomas Battersby, Charlie McShane, Conor McKahey, Paul Daly, Jonathan Leahy, Alan Ward, Gearoid Calnan.

Togher Celtic: Ciarán Murray, Eoin Murray, Kevin Cotter, Ian Crowley (captain), Peter Collins, Brian Horgan, Donnacha Collins, Niall Hurley, Adrian Hurley, Robbie Lucey, Jamie Lucey.

Subs: Conor Horgan, Patrick Collins, Dylan O’Callaghan, Thomas Kingston, Seamus Crowley, Alan Brickley, Liam Creedon.

Referee: Richie Collins.