Goals win games as Red Hughs U-21s see off Naomh Muire in C championship

A quickfire brace of second-half goals decided this U-21 C championship group clash in favour of hosts Red Hughs as they got the better of Naomh Muire at the Cross on Saturday.

In a cagey encounter, the teams were locked on 0-7 apiece approaching the last ten minutes. 

But a Shea McMenamin penalty, quickly backed up by another goal from play by Conor Gallagher, finally gifted the home side some breathing space down the stretch as they managed to see matters out.    

In a lacklustre opening period, it was Red Hughs that snatched the lead just before the short whistle as Liam Carlin landed the contest’s first two-pointer. 

The hosts had also nailed the opening point of the game through Cathair Browne on three minutes. 

But back-to-back efforts from Ryan Gallagher and Cathal Fee saw Naomh Muire lead on six minutes, but with Gallagher landing towards the end of the opening quarter, matters were deadlocked at 0-2 apiece. 

In a disjointed ten-minute period, Charlie Gallagher was off cue from a good position for Naomh Muire while McMenamin, down the other side, dragged well wide on the hunt for a goal. 

The pace picked up once more from the 25-minute mark on as Shaun Gallagher brilliantly dropped a shoulder to engineer the space to once again nudge Naomh Muire back into the lead. 

Two minutes out from the break and Browne levelled matters up once again at 0-3 each. 

Fee seemed like he’d kicked Paul ‘Yank’ Boyle’s side back in front, nearing the break. 

But at the tail end of three minutes of injury time, Carlin pulled the trigger from outside the arc and, in the process, propelled his side from one down to one in front, at 0-5 to 0-4 at the changeover. 

Influential pair Gallagher and Browne were on the mark soon after the restart as Declan Carlin’s side opened up a three-point lead. 

But with Fee really grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck for the Lower Rosses outfit, he boomed over three successive efforts, including two from play, to once again square matters. 

However, with Joseph Rodgers upending McMenamin inside the area, the same player picked himself up, dusted himself off, and planted the resulting spot kick in the left-hand stanchion. 

Red Hughs would turn over the subsequent kickout, and with Gallagher getting on the end of that sweeping counter, the big midfielder arrowed in that crucial second Red Hughs goal. 

Corrthaigh Doherty and Ryley Stewart swapped points before James Doherty left it 2-9 to 0-8 in favour of Red Hughs with five to go. 

Naomh Muire full-back Darragh Doherty did manage to split the posts while Fee also snatched a late over for the visitors. 

However, in the end, it was Red Hughs that deservingly took the points. 

Red Hughs scorers: Conor Gallagher 1-3,1f; Cathair Browne 0-3,2f; Shea McMenamin 1-0; Liam Carlin 0-2,1tp; Ryley Stewart 0-1. 

Naomh Muire scorers: Cathal Fee 0-6, 2f; Corrthaigh Doherty, Darragh Doherty, Ryan Gallagher and James Coll 0-1 each. 

Red Hughs: Thomas McMenamin; Ronan McLaughlin, Cathal McMenamin, Caolan Burns; Bryan Irwin, Conor Galvin, Killian Rushee Gallinagh; Conor Gallagher, James Doherty; Ryley Stewart, Liam Carlin, Adam Doherty; Shea McMenamin, Cathair Browne, Daithi Scanlon. 

Subs: Caolan Duffy for D Scanlon (45), Oisin Coyle for Stewart (57), Luke Doherty for A Doherty (60). 

Naomh Muire: Martin Gallagher; Piarais McBride, Darragh Doherty, Joseph Rodgers; Odhran Boyle, Owen Martin McGee, Seosamh Doohan; Corrthaigh Doherty, Cathal Fee; Charlie Gallagher, Aidan Boyle, Ryan Gallagher; Shaun Gallagher, James Coll, Nóa Freel. 

Subs: Odhran Kavanagh for Freel (ht), Tiernan Mac Ruairi for O Boyle (43), Declan Boyle for A Boyle (55). 

Referee: Daniel Carlin (Naomh Padraig, Lifford).