DANIEL HOUGHTON SAVED two penalties as Carn FC secured a League and Cup double on Saturday at Maginn Park.
Carn FC 2 Dunree United 2
After extra time, Carn FC win 4.3 on penalties
Houghton sprang to save two spot-kicks to seal the Hannon Greene Insurances Fr O’Gara Cup for his side, after a two-all draw with Dunree United, who came from two down to force extra time.
A minutes silence preceded this game in memory of Rosie Coyle, grandmother of Carn players Cathal and Christopher Doherty.
The first half was a tame affair with few goalmouth incidents, but the second half exploded to life.
Dunree started the better and on 13 minutes Philip McGuinness dispossessed a Carn player outside his own area and advanced unchallenged before unleashing a 25-yard effort which was well off target.
Carn had to wait until the 28th minute for their first effort after good play by Ryan Kelly on the right saw his deep cross headed into the side netting by Darragh Deery.
A brilliant turn on the half way line by Dunree’s Darryl Moran saw him skip clear towards goal but he fired over from the edge of the area.
Carn responded and a Cathal Doherty left footed effort from the right hand side of the area drifted just past Philip Doherty’s right hand post before a looping Michael O’Donnell saw Doherty parry under pressure but the defence cleared as the half ended scoreless.
The game burst into life on the restart and in the opening minute Declan McGonagle fed Brandon Browne who displayed great feet before unleashing a low effort which Doherty saved brilliantly at the near post.
Within a minute Carn had taken the lead after a loose ball on the edge of the area saw McGonagle fire a brilliant effort to the top corner for a stunning opener.
Dunree came roaring back and Daniel Houghton in the Carn goal made a brilliant save from a Liam Baldrick header before McGuinness burst past two men into the area and from a tight angle a combination of Houghton and Christopher Doherty blocked his effort.
On 57 minutes Browne again showed great feet in midfield to advance but he fired well off target.
Minutes later it became two nil when Browne waltzed into the area on the left hand side and when his effort was blocked the ball fell to Shane Doherty who hammered low and hard to the net despite Doherty getting a leg to it.
[adrotate group=”37″]Carn continued to press and just after the hour mark Browne had big claims for a penalty waved aside. Dunree then raised the tempo and Carn seemed to lose their way a bit.
Man of the match Liam Baldrick drove wide from the edge of the area before they scored a cracking goal on 64 minutes to reduce the deficit.
A headed clearance from the Carn defence was controlled on his chest by Kevin McColgan before he volleyed to the top right hand corner from 20 yards.
With McGuinness causing the Carn defence all kinds of trouble on the right a scramble in the area ended with Dunree substitute Ryan Bradley volleying inches over before McGuinness stepped inside his man and unleashed a thirty yards effort which Houghton held well.
[adrotate group=”38″]The pressure eventually paid of on 75 minutes when Moran advanced past two men from midfield and fired a brilliant twenty yards effort low into the bottom left hand corner.
Carn looked dead and buried but Dunree seemed to slacken off after drawing level and the only effort they had was a late McGuinness effort which sailed over the bar.
In the first period of extra time, Carn substitute Matthew McLaughlin had an effort from distance which Doherty gathered well.
There was little action in the second period until the final minutes. Baldrick had a free gathered by Houghton before, with the last kick of the game, Daniel McLaughlin had a shot from the angle of the area which Houghton saved at full stretch and his defence completed the clearance.
In the shootout Houghton emerged the hero with two saves to give Carn a shootout success.
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