Junior League 10: DLHC 2XI 2-0 Raphoe
Donaghadee 2s welcomed league leaders Raphoe to Bangor Grammar school for their final home match of the season last Saturday, determined to get a win in their penultimate league game of the season.
The first minutes were quite end to end with both teams threatening but neither creating any clear chances. For Donaghadee, Tasha McGimpsey found lots of room down the right wing and in the ninth minute a blistering run towards the baseline saw her fire the ball across goal to find Vicky O’Neill waiting at the back post, Vicky pouncing to open the scoring for the home side, 1-0 to the good in the first quarter.
In defence the hard work of Floss Patton, Natalie Jamieson, Lisa Higgins and Laura Hamilton kept the Raphoe forwards away from Janice’s McVeigh goal, whilst Donaghadee continued to threaten at the other end, as Emily Morrison and Caroline Davison created chances for Dawn McDonald and Chloe Ferguson; the quarter end seeing the visitors’ keeper the busier of the two, having saved a couple more shots and penalty corners but she kept the deficit to one at the first break.
A shuffling of players for quarter two saw Laura, Tasha and Vicky rested but there was no let up for the Raphoe defence, with attacks coming from Erin Hamilton, Faith McMillen and Katie McKee but some super last ditch defending by the visitors restricted Donaghadee’s chances to score and, with Janice saving the visitors’ only shot on target, the score at half-time was still 1-0.
Into the second half and another shuffle saw Dee swarming all over the visitors as they fired in half a dozen shots, including the one that doubled Donaghadee’s lead – a calm Tasha gathered the ball at the top of the attacking circle and drew the keeper before firing it home to make it 2-0 in the 37th minute.
Donaghadee dominated possession and territory for much of the remaining periods of the game, and while they were unable to add to the score it ended as a comfortable 2-0 win for the home team. Vicky O’Neill received this week’s Player of the Match award and she thanked Row Moore and Gavin Moore for umpiring, Final thanks to Elevate Storage Solutions for sponsoring the home match ball for the 2XI this season.
There follows a break in action for both sides: next up is a Donaghadee Select against Ulster 45s on Wednesday 2nd April as the latter prepare for the Interpros in Cork at the end of April, with the 1XI’s Intermediate Plate Semi Final confirmed as Tuesday 8th April away to Civil Service, followed by the 2XI’s last league match of the season, away to Ballymena on 13th April.
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