CLONAKILTY SC 5

DRINAGH RANGERS B 1

GER McCARTHY REPORTS

REIGNING Premier Division champions Clonakilty Soccer Club maintained their perfect league record in Darrara on Sunday morning.

A fourth consecutive league win came courtesy of an efficient rather than spectacular performance.

The most impressive aspect of the champions’ latest victory was the fact some of the club’s emerging talent played leading roles. James O’Donovan, Charlie McShane and Odhran Bancroft rarely grab the headlines but all three were central to this win over Drinagh Rangers B.

Clonakilty were made to work for their latest three-point haul. Thanks to the aforementioned trio, as well as Rob Downey and Alan Murphy’s industry, the points were secured thanks to five well-crafted goals.

Considering strikers Joe Edmead and Jonathon Leahy started on the bench, the depth of Clonakilty’s squad suggests it is going to take something special to prevent a third league crown heading to Darrara.

A word for Drinagh Rangers B – 4-0 down away from home, the young Canon Crowley Park side showed why they belong in the top tier. Denis O’Driscoll pulled a goal back, as Daniel Fernandes, Conor Bradfield, Jack O’Sullivan and Evan Fitzpatrick ran themselves into the ground.

This was Clonakilty Soccer Club’s day however. Deservedly so, thanks to goals from Chris Collins (2), Charlie McShane, Reuben Henry and Joe Edmead.

It was the hosts who enjoyed the better start as James O’Donovan’s close-range effort was blocked inside 60 seconds. Alan Murphy released the same player on goal shortly after, and only an excellent Shane Kingston stop kept the score at 0-0.

Ryan Daly fired wide following a rare Drinagh attack before the deadlock was broken after nine minutes. James O’Donovan’s low centre was met by Charlie McShane who slid in the game’s opening goal.

A scrappy spell followed in which neither side created a chance of note. An inability to deliver a quality pass in the final third, at both ends of the pitch, meant the score remained unchanged until the 28th minute.

James Calnan was brought down inside the penalty area and Clon’s Chris Collins made no mistake from the resulting spot kick.

Calnan’s deflected shot struck an upright as Drinagh struggled to contain their increasingly confident opponents. It took a breakaway involving Evan Fitzpatrick and Daniel Fernandes, with the latter shooting narrowly wide, to remind the leaders they could not afford to switch off.

Deteriorating weather closed out the half and prior to a second period where Drinagh enjoyed their best spell. The Fernandes brothers, Evan Fitzpatrick and Jack O’Sullivan kept Rangers B on the front foot, instigating numerous attacks.

Having withstood Drinagh’s pressure, the home side made sure of the points with two goals in as many minutes.

Chris Collins’ corner was headed on by Charlie McShane and an in-rushing Reuben Henry supplied the finishing touch. A Clonakilty counter-attack saw James Calnan provide the assist for Collins to put the result beyond doubt just past the hour mark.

Creditably, Drinagh Rangers B maintained their shape and pulled a goal back when Denis O’Driscoll evaded an offside trap to divert Evan Fitzpatrick’s free-kick delivery beyond Adam O’Regan.

Reuben Henry headed off the crossbar during a closing period, before Joe Edmead scored Clon’s fifth goal to round off a good day’s work.

Clonakilty Soccer Club: Adam O’Regan, Eoin Hartnett, Reuben Henry, Rob Downey, Charlie McShane, James Calnan, Chris Collins, James O’Donovan, Ethan Draper, Alan Murphy, Odhran Bancroft.

Subs: Cal O’Mahony, Joe Edmead, Eoin Murphy, John Deegan, Jonathon Leahy, Tomás Batterberry.

Drinagh Rangers B: Shane Kingston, Gavin McCarthy, Darragh Coakley, Denis O’Driscoll, Conor Bradfield, Jack O’Sullivan, Ryan Daly, Liam Daly, Evan Fitzpatrick, Daniel Fernandes, Damien Fernandes.

Subs: Anthony O’Sullivan, David Curran, Conor McCarthy, Dominic Redl, Tomás Connolly, Eammon Connolly.