Rangers too hot to handle for Galls
In a frenetic and fractious contest that saw three red cards, 11 yellows, two penalties, and a litany of towering individual performances, the Ulster club series has suddenly assumed a whole new dynamic.
Even by the half-way stage, Rangers had one foot in the semi-finals, having assembled a 1-8 to 0-4 lead. Oisín McConville complemented his five-point haul by drilling home a 28th minute penalty and this served to cement his team’s dominance, as St Gall’s were restricted to futile attempts at achieving any real level of cohesion.
St Gall ‘s received further confirmation that their reign was over when Rangers goalkeeper Paul Hearty saved Kevin Niblock’s penalty in the opening minutes of the second-half.
With Francie Bellew pitched into the action and evergreen John McEntee making a surprise return from retirement as an impact substitute, Rangers not only had the pace and energy, but they now had the craft and power to retain their grip on the tie.
McEntee pilfered a late point with McKenna also on target in response to another brace of C.J. McGourty scores as Rangers finished with a flourish much to the delight of joint manager Tony McEntee – this, despite the fact that midfielder Johnny Hanratty was shown a straight red card in injury time.
Meanwhile, Johnny Curran emerged as the Coalisland hero with a wonderful save to deny Roslea an equalising goal at Healy Park in a pulsating Ulster club SFC quarter-final tie that finished 1-10 to 1-7 yesterday.
He deflected a Liam Lynch effort onto the crossbar, and the Tyrone champions held out for a last four slot.
The sides were locked on two points each after Fermanagh star Seamus Quigley had cancelled out early efforts by Stephen Curran and Plunkett Kane. Coalisland then went in front in the 19th minute; goalkeeper Curran drilling a ‘45 between the posts.
Right on the stroke of half-time, Coalisland grabbed a rather fortuitous goal when Philip Toner’s delivery was fumbled by goalkeeper Sean Boyle, and Tiarnan O’Hagan booted to the net for a 1-3 to 0-4 interval lead.
The Erne men got themselves right back in contention with a 36th minute goal from Sean Quigley, who tussled with keeper Curran to punch to the net.
Roslea centre-forward Niall Cassidy received a second yellow card, and the Fianna went on to hit five of the final six scores, despite also losing a man – wing back Stephen McNally.
Elsewhere, second-half goals from Leon Thompson and Dermot Molloy paved the way for Donegal champions Naomh Conaill in their AIB Ulster club championship quarter-final win over Clontibret in Ballybofey.
The final score of 2-12 to 0-9 was indicative of the dominance of the Donegal champions. Incidentally, the Monaghan kingpins started better but were eventually made to pay for an over-reliance on Conor McManus up front, who scored all but two of their points.
Clontibret goalkeeper Paul McElroy thwarted Anthony Thompson with a 12th minute penalty save after he had been penalised for a foot block by referee Martin Sludden, who was making his first officiating appearance outside his native Tyrone since the infamous Leinster final.
Clontibret led 0-5 to 0-2 with five minutes left in the first half, before their hosts sprung into life to chalk up seven unanswered points either side of the interval – Dermot Molloy being the chief gunslinger.
The second half, barring the occasional flashpoint, was more pedestrian and with Naomh Conaill double-marking McManus, Clontibret soon ran out of ideas. Leon Thompson scored the first goal on 45 minutes, before Molloy was again on hand to seal the win with a second goal in stoppage time.
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