Castleisland Desmonds 3-9, Laune Rangers 1-13
For the fourth time this season, a two point margin saw Laune Rangers fall to defeat in Division 2 of the County Senior Football League, as one of the form teams in the competition Castleisland Desmonds hosted the game on Sunday afternoon. Evan Madden missed the game, joining an already extensive list of injured players – in the backs particularly – on the Laune Rangers sideline.
Laune Rangers took an early lead, as goalkeeper Jason Browne scored a long range free before a great team move saw Jack O’Connor find the top corner of the net for a goal. Desmonds responded immediately with a goal by PJ Curtin before Maurice Hickey levelled matters with a point. With fifteen minutes played, the sides were tied at 1-1 a piece.
Thomas Hickey pointed a free to give his side the lead before Jason Browne came up to split the posts from the 45. Browne had hardly made it back to his goal line before he was called upon again, and he kicked his third point of the game from distance – this time from the left flank. Rangers quickly added points from play by Jack O’Connor and John Tyther, the latter almost sneaking under the crossbar but flashing over for a point instead. Luka Brosnan and Thomas Hickey (free) pointed for the hosts to leave the minimum between the sides at the break.
Half Time Score:- Castleisland Desmonds 1-4, Laune Rangers 1-5.
The third quarter – and specifically the six minutes after the restart – saw Desmonds blitz Rangers to take a seven point lead. Pointed frees by Thomas Hickey and Cian W O’Connor were followed by goals by PJ Curtin and Tomás Lynch.
This left Laune Rangers with a huge mountain to climb, but they began to chip away at the deficit, as Eoin Clifford and David Mangan drove their team forward from the back. John Tyther slotted three points (two frees) from the left side before Fiachra Clifford kicked three frees in quick succession from the right. Laune Rangers also had a great goal chance in this period, but Eoin Clifford saw his shot go agonisingly wide after he had escaped a tackle and run through the Desmonds defence.
Castleisland Desmonds ended their scoreless run with a point through Adam Donoghue. This was a crucial score for the home side as it slowed the significant momentum built up by Rangers, but Eoin Clifford scored an excellent point at the other end. Tomás Lynch doubled the lead for Desmonds, after David Mangan received his marching orders to leave Rangers down to 14 men, Cian W O’Connor pointed for the home side to leave a goal between the sides. Jack O’Connor’s late attempt to drop the ball to the edge of the square was overhit by the slightest of margins and it snuck over the bar for an unwanted point, as the final whistle was blown to see the home team take the win.
Laune Rangers have now lost 4 games in the County League, all by the same two point margin.
Full Time Score:- Castleisland Desmonds 3-9, Laune Rangers 1-13.
Laune Rangers A:- Jason Browne (0-3f), Ryan Diggin, Patrick Carey, Eoin Clifford (capt, 0-1), Stephen Sealy, David Mangan, Daragh O’Connor, Eoin O’Sullivan, Jack O’Connor (1-2), Daniel Macbeth, Dáire Cleary, John Tyther (0-4, 2f), Fiachra Clifford (0-3f), Roan Moriarty, Darragh O’Grady. Subs: Ronan O’Shea for Macbeth, Shane Daly for R Moriarty, Matthew Leslie for O’Grady, Calum Moriarty for D O’Connor.