Rathmullan Celtic 2
Swilly Rovers 1
By Stuart Connolly
Kevin Doran scored a very late winner for Rathmullan Celtic, as they came from behind to defeat the ten men of Swilly Rovers at Flagpole Field on Sunday afternoon.
Alfie Rodger netted the first goal of the day prior to the half hour, but Swilly Rovers’ feeling of joy turned to one of trepidation as Clive Callan was shown a red card before the break.
Kevin O’Donnell found the leveller after the hour, and Doran popped up in the final moments to seal the three points for his side after a period of heavy pressure.
The hosts were on the front foot in the early stages, and should have opened the scoring within five minutes. Kevin O’Donnell’s free kick smacked the post, with the rebound on a plate for Jay Curran, but his attempt was hit into the ground and bounced over an unguarded net.
A dozen minutes in, Rathmullan Celtic did find the back of the net, however, the offside call cut the celebrations short, as Curran headed a cross onto the bar, with Kevin Doran in place to finish it off.
With half an hour on the clock, Swilly Rovers took the lead. Michael Kerr’s free kick was parried by Killian Hagan, and into the path of Alfie Rodger, who had an easy finish from close range.
While the visitors held the lead, their afternoon took a turn in the opposite direction as they were reduced to ten men. On the counterattack, Jay Curran looked to be through but was brought down by Clive Callan, and the defender was shown a straight red for denying a goal scoring opportunity.
Into the second-half, Rathmullan Celtic began it in a similar fashion to the first, as Daniel Wojciun had a low shot saved, while a strike from Doran fizzed wide as the minutes ticked away.
Toby Taylor had an attempt for Swilly from a narrow angle saved by Hagan just after the hour, and Serhii Oriabinskyi earned a corner for his side with Barry Gallagher equal to a free kick from 25 yards.
Kevin O’Donnell curled it in, and it caught the visiting defence off guard, as it snuck in at the near post.
Rathmullan Celtic ramped up the pressure, and a conveyor belt of deliveries into the box commenced in the final 20 minutes.
Many of those were cleared by the Swilly rearguard, while those that broke through were dealt with by Gallagher.
O’Donnell struck the side netting on one occasion, while Gallagher reacted twice to deny Reece Thompson and Doran in quick succession.
Into the dying embers of the game, Rathmullan Celtic bagged the winner.
With almost every player in the attacking half, Shay Lindsay’s shot looked to be on a collision course with Gallagher, but Doran nipped in at the crucial moment to score the winner.
Teams
Rathmullan Celtic: Killian Hagan; Ryan McCleary, Mehdi Benezzaoui, Islem Siguerdjidjane, Daire Sheridan; Kevin O’Donnell, Mokhtar Bousria, Kevin Doran, Jay Curran; Daniel Wojciun, Achul Eldad. Subs: Serhii Oriabinskyi, Reece Thompson and Shay Lindsay for Eldad, McCleary and Wojciun (59 mins), Oscar Carruthers for Bousria (78 mins), Caolon McElwee for Curran (90+4 mins).
Swilly Rovers: Barry Gallagher; Alfie Rodger, Michael Kerr, Tony Gallagher, Clive Callan; Leon Boyce, Jordan McDaid, Matthew MacKinnon, Toby Taylor; Patrick McGeever, Isaac Mukiri. Subs: Corey Oliver for Mukiri (59 mins), Adam Daly for Taylor (67 mins), Shea McFadden for McGeever (78 mins), Sultan Owolabi Ejwunmi for Oliver (85 mins).
Referee: George Clinton.
Kevin O’Donnell (Rathmullan Celtic) – Unlucky with a free kick in the first five minutes, O’Donnell’s involvement was constant throughout, and he tucked away the equaliser straight from a corner in the second-half. Plenty of deliveries caused problems for the visitors, and he was always looking for the ball to create something. Leon Boyce, Alfie Rodger and Kevin Doran deserve a shout for their displays.
Turning Point – The red card certainly had a part to play in how the game unfolded, and much of the second half was backs against the wall for Swilly Rovers. Their resilience was broken in stoppage time, as Rathmullan Celtic came from behind to win.
The Whistler – George Clinton had a particularly busy first half, with the first few bookings pretty clear-cut. Clive Callan was dismissed for the denial of a goal scoring opportunity, and beyond that, the official was kept alert with his yellow card issued quite a few times, but most were warranted.
Talking Point – This was a big win for Rathmullan Celtic. With the gap at the top of the table so narrow, five points separating first down to sixth, any slip ups could result in being adrift pretty easily. This was only their second win in the last seven, while Swilly Rovers have an eye on a gap of their own, although theirs is on the perilous side, with the drop zone only a point behind.
What’s Next – Both sides are on the road next weekend, as Rathmullan Celtic face Cappry Rovers, while Swilly Rovers make the short trip to Milford United.
