Welcome to dc-fc.NET | Draperstown Celtic FC NI Intermediate League Champions 2008 Draperstown Celtic 4-0 Strabane : Welcome to dc-fc.NET | Draperstown Celtic FC
Browse > Home / First Team, News / Draperstown Celtic 4-0 Strabane

Draperstown Celtic 4-0 Strabane

February 24, 2009

Draperstown secured a resounding victory on Saturday thanks mainly to a three goal blitz in nine minutes which took the game totally away from a good Strabane side. The goals, which came from McLean, Bradley and Murray, left the visitors with a mountain to climb in the second half and the game was effectively over in the 46th minute when Bradley scored his second and Celtic’s fourth.
But for the first 15 minutes of the game the final score line looked far from likely. Strabane, playing against the wind, opened up the home defence on more than one occasion and should have taken the lead when after a fine passing move, John Donaghy fired over when he should have put his side into a deserved early lead. Michael McDaid and Stephen Donaghy were very busy up front while Aaron Brennan,on the left wing, had an excellent first half for the visitors but faded in the second. Generally it was Strabane in the early stages of the game who made light of the heavy pitch, which cut up badly, and the strong wind as Celtic struggled to get any shape into their game.

Eamon Murray had Celtic’s first shot on target in the 17th minute but Harley saved easily as he did again in the 22nd minute, again from Murray. Strabane’s Gallagher had a good effort saved before Celtic took the lead in the 29th minute. Higgins’ rasping drive from 25 yards hit the cross bar and Murray’s follow up was deflected for a corner from which McLean , alert to Bradley’s flick, controlled the ball and slot home from close range.

The goal certainly brought more life back into Celtic’s game and they doubled their lead in the 36th minute when Gavin Bradley fired home from a narrow angle after Murray’s pass and a minute later it was Murray who latched onto Young’s sublime pass to coolly round Harley and score. Young himself could have added a fourth just before half time but Harley was able to block this effort but Celtic were now firmly in the driving seat with a comfortable, if a little surprising, 3-0 lead given their performance in the first fifteen minutes.

Any hope Strabane had of quickly getting back into the game where dashed a minute after the re-start when Higgins found Bradley in the area and he scored past Harley to put Celtic four up. Despite having the strong wind at their backs, Strabane played like a team who knew the game was lost and despite having a good deal of possession, they failed to put the home defence under too much pressure. Indeed as the half wore on it was Celtic who should have extended their lead. Bradley, Flanagan and Young all had decent chances. Higgins was thwarted by Harley but Davison and Gallagher had two good efforts saved by the Celtic keeper but if they did harbour any thoughts of a dramatic fight back they were extinguished when Richard Graham was sent of for a second yellow card after a bad tackle on Higgins.

Celtic were able to see out the game with some ease despite Strabane putting a little pressure on the home goal in the last few minutes but by then any goal would not even have been a consolation.

  • Share/Bookmark

Written by Michael Kelly · Filed Under First Team, News