This article is from page 73 of the 2009-03-17 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 73 JPG
COROFIN had a look of resignation about them as they trooped towards the sideline after 110 minutes of ac- tion in which they pummeled Her- mitage, but failed to close out the game in regulation time.
The “Tage knew they’d got out of jail, when the combination of a stout defence and the brilliance of David Phillips in goal kept the Corofin tidal wave at bay.
And, it was as if getting to a penalty shoot-out was such a relief that they were unburdened by the prospect of the Russian roulette-style end to pro- oreTere nba eace
It certainly showed in the shoot-out that followed – all four of the “Tage’s takers who stepped up to the plate drove the ball home with conviction, while Corofin could only muster one goal from three attempts.
It left the “Tage celebrating and Corofin regretting once more where it all went wrong in normal time. De- spite going behind to a Paul Dulla- ghan goal after 30 minutes, Corofin were the dominant team over the 90 minutes, pepparing shots at David Phillips’ goal from start to finish.
On another day they could have got six, but on a day that effectively signalled the end of their season the two-time champions from 2005 and ‘(06 were left to rue what could and should have been.
Credit the “Tage though – they played an enterprising game and with Gerry Dullaghan influential from the word go they weren’t afraid to take the game to their Premier Division Opponents.
Indeed it was Dullaghan who near- ly produced the opening goal in the 20th minute when his sweetly struck left-footed drive was tipped over the bar by Fergal Neylon.
However, Neylon could do little to prevent the other Dullaghan in the *Tage’s ranks, Paul, from break- ing the deadlock. Latching on to a through ball from Sean McGee, he
rounded Neylon and thumped the ball into the empty net.
It’s not that the “Tage tried to lock the shop for the remaining 60 min- utes, but such was the dominance of Corofin the visitors camped in defen- sive mode thereafter.
Jonathon Clohessy’s thundering half-volley from outside the area on 35 minutes was brilliantly touched
on to the crossbar by Phillips.
Then the real siege began in the second half. Eleven minutes in Clohessy’s free whistled over the top, while five minutes later John Keane forced another fine save out of Philips.
The equaliser came in the /7Ist minute when David O’Brien drove the ball home from eight yards after Paul Linnane’s corner. The Harps should have closed it out before full- time, but spurned half a dozen decent chances – Noel Mullane’s glancing header that just went wide in the 85th minute was the pick of them.
Then after an uneventful extra-time came penalties. Gerry Dullaghan, Thomas Leahy, Paul Dullaghan and Donal Harnett scored for the “Tage; John Keane was the Harps’ only scorer while David O’Brien and Ja- son Tierney missed.