Premier 1 MFC: Goals secure winning start for Douglas against Nemo
Douglas player Diarmuid O'Donoghue tries to get around Nemo's Luke Neenan during their Rebel Óg Premier1 minor football championship game at Trabeg. Picture: David Creedon
Douglas got their Rebel Óg Premier 1 MFC campaign off to a winning start at Trabeg.
Two first-half goals were key for the visitors in a highly entertaining game, that could have gone either way for long stretches.
But overall Douglas were that bit better on the night, with the likes of Joe Mouret, Liam Kelleher, Ronan Sweeney and James Gordon in impressive form for the winners.
Nemo, as always, played some impressive football, with Matthew Keenan, Daniel Mellerick, Larry Butler and Mike Scott working hard for them all through.
Nemo took the lead five minutes in when Mark O’Keeffe set up Oisin Jordan for the opening point.
Douglas hit back three minutes later when Mouret took on the Nemo defence, beating several players before passing to Sweeney to find the back of the net.
Kelleher added a point and with 10 minutes gone the visitors were in front by 1-1 to 0-1.
A free from Padraig McGrath stretched their lead further, before Nemo hit back with a magnificent two-pointer from Matthew Keenan.
Mellerick added another point and he was on target again, after 17 minutes, to level it, 0-5 to 1-2.
Another two-pointer put Nemo back in front, this time Mike Scott scoring from distance to put three between the sides.
With 23 minutes gone Douglas got their second goal, again Mouret setting up Sweeney for his second green flag.
Mouret added a point from the restart to put Douglas back in front
Just before half time Ben O’Keeffe pointed for Douglas to see them lead by 2-4 to 0-8 at the break, as they turned to play with a slight wind in their favour.
Dara O’Sullivan, on at half time as a sub for Nemo, got the first score of the second half to reduce the deficit to a point.
But using the wind Douglas hit back, with Ben Herlihy and Ben O’Keeffe both pointing, to make it 2-6 to 0-9 after 37 minutes.
With 42 minutes gone Douglas has another goal chance, but this time Callum McCarthy O’Donovan saved well to deny McGrath.
However there was little he could do seven minutes later when Mark O’Brien blasted to the back of the net to secure the points for Douglas.
That put six between the sides, with McGrath adding a point to stretch their lead further.
O’Sullivan hit two late frees for the home side, but Douglas ran out deserving winners on the night.
D O’Sullivan (0-2 f), D Mellerick 0-3 each, M Keenan, M Scott 0-2 tp each, O Jordan, M O’Keeffe 0-1 each.
R Sweeney 2-0, M O’Brien 1-0, P McGrath (0-1 f), B O’Keeffe 0-2 each, L Kelleher, J Mouret, B Herlihy 0-1 each.
C McCarthy O’Donovan; D Kelleher, J Randles, R Sheehan; J McLaughlin, C Power, A Quinlivan; D Callanan, M Keenan; L Neenan, D Mellerick, L Butler; M O’Keeffe, O Jordan, M Scott.
E Fitzpatrick for J McLaughlin, D O’Sullivan for L Neenan (both ht), C Twohig for A Quinlivan (44), M Corkery for O Jordan (50), R Denn for M O’Keeffe (60).
J O’Flaherty; E Kilbride, T Curtin, D O’Donoghue; J Mouret, L Kelleher, J Gordon; R Sweeney, J O’Brien; B O’Keeffe, M O’Brien, D O’Connor; B Herlihy, P McGrath, T Murray.
A Kelly for T Murray (50), K Kavanagh for R Sweeney (56), I Butler for M O’Brien (60).
PJ Dennehy, Glanmire.
App?
