Round Tower 6-16 v St Peregine’s 3-10, Minor Football League 3A, Monastery Road
Round Tower Minor Footballers went on a goal spree in their MHL3 league clash v St Peregine’s and reaped the rewards, writes Mick McGlynn. VIEW MATCH PICTURES HERE. It was the morning after the night before, with the Dubs endeavours to overcome a blanket Derry rearguard a talking point at Monastery Road. But these two Minor teams served up a completely different spectacle.
Towers wasted no time going for the jugular. Two minutes were on the clock when Adam Doyle released Stephen Bracken and he dindked it over the advancing keeper into the net. The full-forward then kicked a point from the right but the visitors enjoyed 10 minutes of superiority that saw them level it 1-1 v 0-4. Matthew McLoughlin was sprung from the bench and his impact was instant. Doyle batted a kick-out into his path and he advanced on goal before striking across keeper into top corner. A push on advancing Peregine’s midfielder presented them with a penalty they converted but the home side responded by again cutting open the visitors defence. McLoughlin ran at pace before cutting inside and releasing Bracken. He side-footed past onrushing keeper. Goals were on the Towers radar. McLoughlin released Doyle and his drive was tipped over the bar. Midfielder Craig Shaaban and Bracken kicked two further points before the net was found again. Thomas Galvin won and released his midfield partner Shabaan. He fed Bracken in the inside forwards and he cut inside his marker and again stroked beyond keeper. McLoughlin registered an excellent individual score when he retrieved a high ball kicked towards corner and created the space to curl it over with his left. Two Bracken frees, an excellent team score that was finished by Eoin Halpin, and a Kevin McGibney strike from long-range reinforced Towers advantage and they were strongly in command at the break 4-9 v 1-5.
Towers started the second period as they had the first. Halpin was onto a Towers clearance and attacked from the middle. A one-two with Bracken released him on goal and it was another excellent finish – this time to top corner. Graham Proctor and Conor Harte set up another Bracken point and our full-forward kicked magnificently from range on 37 minutes. Understandably there was a lull during which Peregines scored 1-2 without reply over a ten minute period. But Towers kicked-back into action with Eoin Brady winning on the visitors 40 and setting up Shaaban for his second. Doyle cut in from the left to raise the umpires arm before Bracken tapped a point from a free. Midfielders Shaaban and Galvin registered points before Bracken rounded off the goalscoring with his remarkable fourth net.
Round Tower: Karl Byrne, Daniel Kelly, Jordan Walsh, Conor Harte, Eoin Murphy, Darren Gilligan, Eoin Brady, Thomas Galvin, Craig Shaaban, Eoin Halpin, Kevin McGibney, Adam Doyle, Graham Proctor, Stephen Bracken, Patrick Daly. Used subs: Matthew McLoughlin, Ben Pepper, Conor Flannery, Azees.
