Defensive frailities costly for Loughinisland

IT’S back to the drawing board for an understrength Loughinisland who are still seeking their first win of the new season following this latest defeat at home to Clonduff on Saturday afternoon.

It took a mixture of some very naive defending and top class finishing from the mercurial Jason Brown to condemn Loughinisland to their third straight defeat.

But no one at the game would have been surprised if the men in white coats had arrived and carted managers Aidy Robinson and Kyran Smyth off to the funny farm, such was their bewilderment at their charges’ defending.

Loughinisland started as if there was no tomorrow and Jamie O’Reilly had his side 0-3 to 0-0 ahead with some delightful scores before Clonduff got anywhere near the ball

Clonduff quickly cut off the supply route to O’Reilly and responded with unanswered points from Karl O’Hagan (0-2) and Brown to level the scores.

The visitors then hit the jackpot with a superb goal from Karl O’Hagan after good work from Packie O’Hagan to take a 1-3 to 0-3 lead after 14 minutes.

The accurate Karl O’Hagan tagged on two more points to extend Clonduff’s lead to five points before Rory Mason roamed into a bit of space out on the left flank.

He immediately launched a Hail Mary ball towards the melting pot and Dominic McClements beat ‘keeper Gary Haughey to the ball and goaled from close in.

Karl O’Hagan and O’Reilly exchanged points before O’Reilly, who was let off the leash again, lofted over two fine scores to level matters in the 27th minute at 1-6 apiece.

Clonduff seized the initiative with a Jason Brown free in the 30th minute, but then came two moments of footballing gold.

A searing piece of play from O’Reilly carved out a goal chance for Gary Stranney and he made no mistake to give Loughinisland a 2-6 to 1-7 lead.

But Clonduff went straight down the park and goaled themselves when Karl O’Hagan netted after Kieran Gordon had saved from Barry O’Hagan and the look on Robinson and Smyth’s faces said it all.

Stranney brought the sides level immediately after the restart and McClements edged Loughinisland into a 2-8 to 2-7 lead after 33 minutes, but that man Brown converted a free to level the scores once again.

Gordon then produced a crucial save to deny the free-running Karl O’Hagan before Rory Mason pointed Loughinisland into a 2-9 to 2-8 lead. Brown and Stranney swapped points as Loughinisland held on to their lead, but Clonduff stole a march when Brown finished a sweeping move to the net to give his side a 3-9 to 2-10 lead by the 44th minute.

Mason and Conor Brown exchanged points before points from Brown and a goal from McGreevy killed Loughinisland’s challenge stone dead but those defensive errors will be hard to erase from the memory.

Loughinisland: K. Gordon, P. Megoran, Conor O’Toole, R. Nixon, P. Cochrane, Cormac O’Toole, J. Flynn, R. Stranney (1-2), D. McClements (1-1), C. Megoran, P. Digney, A. Nixon, R. Mason (0-2), J. McCarthy, J. O’Reilly (0-6). Subs: D. Corrigan for Cochrane, O. Teague for R. Nixon, D. O’Toole for Stranney (blood sub), J. McClements for McCarthy, C. Killen for C. Megoran (black card).

Clonduff: G. Haughey, K. Trainor, E. O’Reilly, J. Killen, C. Brown, A. Carr, S. O’Hagan, P. Brown (0-1), D. Canning, B. Branagan, P. O’Hagan, B. O’Hagan, K. O’Hagan (1-5), J. Brown (1-7), L. McGreevy (1-1). Subs: M. McPolin for S. O’Hagan (black card), R. McQuaid for Killen, G. McDonald for K. O’Hagan.

Loughinisland 2-11

Clonduff 3-14

ACFL DIVISION 1

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