Drinagh Rangers 3
Dunmanway Town 2
DRINAGH Rangers earned the local bragging rights following a 3-2 West Cork U19 League win over Dunmanway Town at a rain-lashed Canon Crowley Park.
Rangers and Dunmanway made their first appearances in a newly-created U19 division, consisting of eight clubs playing one another home and away, last Saturday.
It is to both teams’ credit that an entertaining, if understandably disjointed, derby took place despite the awful conditions as the game was hindered by heavy rain and a strong wind.
The visitors settled quickly and dictated the early tempo thanks to Gavin Farr and Aidan Vassallo’s midfield promptings. Rangers took their time to come to terms with the conditions before Sean Calnan forced Mikolaj Jeske into a fine save.
Town were indebted to Jeske for a string of top-class stops to keep the score at 0-0 during a frantic opening. The Dunmanway goalkeeper prevented a goal-bound Ciarán O’Regan free-kick from hitting the net prior to a finger-tip save from another dead ball situation.
The pressure finally told on an overworked Dunmanway back four when Owen Tobin broke the deadlock on the quarter hour. Tobin crashed a terrific shot off the crossbar and into the net. Rangers maintained their slender lead 1-0 until the interval.
Dunmanway were much improved after the resumption and drew level when Gavin Farr netted on 51 minutes. That was Drinagh’s cue to regroup however, and Ciarán O’Regan restored the home side’s advantage on the hour.
Play continued to ebb and flow despite the deteriorating conditions but it was Rangers who scored the derby’s fourth and most important goal. Owen Tobin grabbed his second of the afternoon to make it 3-1 and give Dunmanway a mountain to climb.
Creditably, a dogged Town side reduced the deficit courtesy of another Gavin Farr effort four minutes from the end. The visitors’ Shane Murray had a goal-bound shot saved and another effort cleared off the line but Drinagh Rangers ran out 3-2 winners at the conclusion of a terrific West Cork U19 League season opener.
Best for Dunmanway Town included Gavin Farr, Matthew O’Mahony, Aidan Vassallo and Mikolaj Jeske. Owen Tobin, Liam McCarthy, Sean Calnan and Ciarán O’Regan were the pick of Rangers’ top performers.
Drinagh Rangers: Darragh Twomey, Liam McCarthy (captain), Eoghan O’Donovan, Gearoid McCarthy, Ciarán O’Regan, Tom McQueen, Liam O’Sullivan, Paddy Taylor, Owen Tobin, Sean Calnan, Robbie McCarthy. Subs: Gavin McCarthy, Paddy McCarthy, Matthew Murnane, Shane O’Sullivan, Ben Morgan, Damien Fernandes.
Dunmanway Town: Mikolaj Jeske, Cathal Murray, Killian Vassallo, Liam O’Leary, Matthew O’Mahony, Jack McCarthy (captain), Aidan Vassallo, Gavin Farr, Gavin Dullea, Evan Maguire, Diarmuid Murphy. Subs: Shane Murray, Jack Crowley, Conor Glynn.
Referee: Anthony McDermott.
