Roe Rovers Reserves 2-1 Draperstown Reserves
September 30, 2007
Roe Rovers Reserves continued their early season run of form by defeating Draperstown 2-1 at Scroggy Road on Saturday. In a scrappy affair Rovers found themselves behind as early as the first minute.
Poor marking and a pacey attack saw Draperstown score almost from kick off. Rovers carved out some decent chances. Micky Logue’s fine pass was met sweetly by Daniel Carlin. He rattled the bar with a great effort half an hour into the game. Brendan McGonigle had a good chance after Faulkner carved an opening but the player manager wanted too many touches and was closed down. Rovers pressed hard second half. Dan Maude rattled in a second half brace to win the game for the Limavady side. A good ball from Haslett set up the first, and Maude beat the keeper in a sprint and knocked into the open net. Moments later the big striker got on the end of a big clearance from keeper Gregory O’Brien and he steered the ball home with a sweetly struck half volley on the turn. Rovers always looked the more dangerous on the attack but in a largely scrappy game neither side would be happy with the performance levels. It was a battle and Rovers will be happy that they got three pints without playing particularly well. Carlin ,Maude and O’Kane were the pick of the Rovers side. Rovers now go second but improvement will be needed if they can remain in this position. On the bonus side Dan Maude has rattled in 6 goals in 5 games and Brendan McGonigle has returned to the Reserve side after scoring a few goals for the first team.
Match report courtesy of roeroversfc.com
Sky Blues 1-2 Draperstown Celtic
September 29, 2007
This eagerly awaited cup tie certainly lived up to expectations as Celtic edged out the Blues courtesy of a wonderful winning goal from John Higgins after 75 minutes and send Draperstown into the semi-final draw. The victory came as a result of dogged determination and no shortage of character from the Draperstown side as opposed to some of the excellent creative play which has been seen recently.
They initially appeared somewhat lethargic and were in danger of being over-run in the first half by a rampant Blues’ side which threatened to take the game by the scruff of the neck but the home side’s inability to turn their dominant possession into clear cut goal chances was to play a large part in their ultimate downfall.
ndeed from as early as the second minute Magherafelt should have taken the lead when hesitancy in the Celtic defence let in Ciaran Monaghan but the winger blasted over when he should have scored. This was indicative of the how the game was to pan out in this half. Magherafelt enjoyed the vast majority of possession as their midfield pairing of McAleese and Hawe were getting the better of Conway and Higgins while Larkin and Maynes were causing Celtic’s defence a few headaches with their pace and good hold up play. In these early stages, Celtic were unable to get enough of the ball to pose any type of threat to the Magherafelt goal.
Hawe came close when he headed over from a corner on 7 minutes and such was the Blues’ dominance that Celtic’s first noteworthy chance came after 23 minutes when Conway shot wide. Sean Young saw his shot blocked after Kerr spilled a free kick on the half hour while at the other end McConnell had to be quick off his line to prevent Maynes from latching on to a good through ball. However, the striker was not be denied five minutes later when he turned in a good cross from Walls to give the home side a deserved lead.
The half time whistle came with Celtic somewhat relieved not to be more than one goal in arrears and with some stern words needed from the management team.
The first ten minutes of the second half was more of the same before Celtic introduced subs Seamus Bradley and Kevin Ward and moved Sean McBride into midfield. The Celtic mid-field began to win tackles and put Magherafelt on the back foot for the first time in the game. Kerr spilled a Higgins’ shot before the danger was cleared and it was Higgins again who came close on 55 minutes when, following great work from Eamon Murray on the right, he shot narrowly wide. Larkin and Maynes were not getting the same supply of ball they enjoyed in the first half as Celtic’s Darren McKillion and Davan McSorley grew in stature as the game progressed. Indeed it was McSorley who grabbed the Hoop’s equaliser on 70 minutes when a free into the heart of Magherafelt’s defence was not cleared and the centre-half stabbed home from close range.
Draperstown had now the upper hand and four minutes later came their winner from John Higgins who, having collected a throw in on the right, cut in past two defenders and curled a superb shot into the far corner of the goal past Kerr. The remaining fifteen minutes saw Celtic deal quite comfortably with Magherafelt’s attempts to rescue the tie with goal keeper McConnell in good form. However, Gareth Cassidy almost sent the game into extra time but his header flashed over the bar and with it went the Blues’ last chance and at the final whistle it was Draperstown who enjoyed the victory.
Next week Draperstown Celtic travel to play Newington Y.C in the Irish Cup.
Draperstown Celtic 4-2 U.U.C
September 22, 2007
Draperstown, needing only a draw from this final section game in the league cup to progress to the semi-finals blew the current league champions away due to one of the finest opening half hour of football seen at Cahore Park. U.U.C had already qualified for the semis but were left totally shell-shocked as Celtic raced into a 4-0 lead after only 30 minutes of play.
By this stage the game was already won and the visitor’s goals were no more than consolations in the context of the overall game.
Draperstown’s football was inventive, with slick, fast passing which time and time again had the U.U.C rearguard at sixes and sevens. It only took the home side three minutes to open the scoring when John Higgins’ reverse pass found Cathal Donnelly who scored from ten yards past McGeough. Donnelly almost scored again on nine minutes when he rounded off a fine move involving Heron, Higgins and Conway only to see his shot parried by McGough in the U.U.C goals. UUC did have their chances and Ciaran Doherty headed wide after a good cross from Ally Gordon on the right. But they were made to pay for their miss when on 11 minutes , Eamon Murray scored from close range after excellent work on the left wing from McKillion and Heron. It should have been three only two minutes later when with the visitors’ defence on walkabout, Heron and McKillion got in each other’s way with a goal begging and the chance was gone.
U.U.C attempted to get back into the game and again came close when Gordon hit the side netting after a good pass from Doherty. But again they were made to rue this opportunity as Draperstown took a 3-0 lead when Eamon Murray found Gary Conway who slid the ball in from close range on 22 minutes. If the match, as a contest was almost over at this stage, it most certainly was on 31 minutes when after superb defensive work and pass from Raymond Caulfield, Cathal Donnelly found Eamon Murray who rounded keeper McGough to slot the ball home for goal number four.
Right on the stroke of half time Paddy Trolan latched on to a free kick to pull a goal back for the university but it still left for his side to do in the second half.
While U.U.C did enjoy greater possession for periods in this half, they never looked as if they would bring about what would heave been a remarkable come-back. McGough saved from Murray on the hour while Coyle was booked for a challenge on the Celtic forward which smacked of frustration as Murray had led him a merry dance all afternoon. McAtee did score again for U.U.C after 78 minutes but it was the home side which finished the strongest as both Donnelly and Murray could have scored in the final minutes. As it was, the home side was content with the victory which sees them top their group and secure a home draw in the semi final against Churchill United on a date as yet to be decided.
Next week, Draperstown travel to play Magherafelt Sky Blues in the quarter final of the Craig Memorial Cup.
Draperstown Celtic 2-1 Nortel
September 15, 2007
Two first half goals from Eamon Murray and Emmet McKillion were enough to see off the challenge of Amateur league side Nortel in an entertaining game played at Cahore Park on Saturday. Apart from the opening 10 minutes when Nortel played some attractive football, Draperstown were the dominant side and perhaps should have seen off the challenge of the visitors in more emphatic scoreline.
Nortel’s consolation score came in the 89th minute but with the referee playing 7 minutes of injury time, there was still an anxious few moments before the final whistle was blown.
Nortel came into the game on a good run in the Premier league where they remain unbeaten and certainly opened the game in a confident manner. Captain Wayne Lorrimer was pulling the strings in mid-field while Paul McCort and Colin McBride were lively up front. However for all their neat and tidy play, they did not force Celtic’s McConnell into making any significant saves in the first half at all. Indeed it was Celtic who should have taken the lead on 7 minutes when Gary Conway’s pass found Eamon Murray in the clear, but Kris Malone in Nortel’s goal made a good save. However, the keeper was soon picking the ball out of the net, and what a good goal it was too. Dean Flanagan was fouled 20 yards out and Eamon Murray’s superbly struck free kick curled around the wall and into the net, leaving Malone rooted to the spot.
Celtic were now well in control of the game. Davin McSorley saw a good shot blocked following a corner kick but Draperstown’s second goal duly arrived on 29 minutes. Brendon Heron was fouled on the edge of the box. This time Malone parried Murray’s free but only to Emmet McKillion who headed in from close range. Draperstown remained in control for the rest of the half without creating any more opportunities.
Again, as at the beginning of the first half, so Nortel opened the second brightly. Playing with the wind they began to exert some pressure on Celtic’s defence but Darren McKillion and McSorley were more than a match for the Nortel attack which continued to prove itself somewhat impotent throughout. Celtic should have added to their goal tally on 68 minutes when good play from Heron set up Gary Conway on the edge of the box. His shot hit the post, rebounded to Dean Flanagan who also hit the post before Nortel scrambled the ball away to safety. Flanagan also came close on 72 minutes when he had a good shot blocked. From this Nortel launched a good attack which saw Mc Connell save from McCort at the expense of a corner from which Tom Kyle headed over.
Nortel pulled a goal back when substitute Craig Magee turned in the box and scored in the 89 minute. The visitors almost scored a dramatic late equaliser in the 96th minute but McConnell pulled off a wonderful save to secure the deserved victory for Draperstown and put them in the hat for the draw for the next round.
Draperstown Celtic would like to thank Frankie’s Pizza Shop for their sponsorship of the game.
Draperstown Celtic 2-1 Churchill Utd
September 10, 2007
Draperstown progressed through to the second round of the Craig Memorial cup with a good win over a competitive Churchill side. Both teams were not at full strength with the visitors having three players suspended while Draperstown’s starting eleven only a shadow of the side which did so well during last season.
However missing players means an opportunity for others and Dean Flanagan has certainly grabbed his chance, scoring the winner yesterday, adding to his double against Roe Valley last week.
Draperstown began well and were one up after 6 minutes when Davin McSorley scored at the second attempt following a corner. Churchill came straight back to equalise when Brian Devine score following an indirect free inside Celtic’s penalty area. The game settled into a fairly dour struggle with little creative football from either side but Flanagan came close to restoring the lead but saw his shot canon off the cross bar with keeper Deeny beaten. Churchill themselves were not shot shy and David Scanlon tested Celtic’s keeper in quick succession with two well hit long range efforts. Sean McBride brought out a good save from Deeny before Celtic took the lead from a very well worked goal. Stephen Caulfield skipped past McGlinchey before putting in a good ball to the near post which Flanagan was able to get to first and direct the ball into the far post past a helpless Deeny on 38 minutes. A well taken goal from the player who last season was scoring freely for the U-17Celtic side.
Churchill opened brightly in the second half with both Ryan O’Donnell and Mark McKittrick coming close to grabbing an equaliser. The visitors certainly enjoyed the majority of the possession in this half and Celtic’s cause wasn’t helped with injuries to both Ward and Crozier forcing both to be substituted. McKittrick again came close for Churchill on 65 minutes but again shot just over, while at the other end, substitute Brendan Heron gave a glimpse of his ability with a jinking run and shot which produced a good save from Deeny on 76 minutes.
The home side were able to see out the remaining part of the game without too much trouble and grind out the victory which keeps Draperstown’s promising start to the season going.
Next First Team Fixture
V 
Draperstown Celtic v Broadway Celtic
Under 15 Presentation Evening
The under 15 Presentation evening has been arranged for this Saturday evening 19th June 20.Re: Technical Issues
issues resolved..Technical Issues
Currently having a few technical problems with the website, hopefully be resolved ASAP.Quick League Table
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