Cross' comeback kids maintain perfect league start
Pictured are Joe Kinhart and Chris Murphy, directors of ProConstruct, presenting new jerseys to Crossmolina Deel Rovers management, players, and officers. The building firm are a new club sponsor.
Crossmolina Deel Rovers staged a remarkable comeback from six points down midway through the second half to pick up victory on the banks of the River Moy in Foxford on a wet and windy Saturday evening.
Sloppy errors in defence by the home side gifted Crossmolina the opportunity to go for goal and they took their chances when presented.
Moy Davitts had been the better team until two goals in the space of a minute turned the game on its head midway through the second period.
Kobe McDonald opened the scoring with a ’45 nonchalantly stroked over the bar in the second minute, but Moy Davitts took control after that, rattling off three points through Sean Kelly, Oisin McHugh and a Ronan Clarke free.
Against the run of play in the ninth Dylan Flynn got hold of the ball just inside the Moy Davitts half and ran for goal, getting through the home defence with barely a glove on him before firing the ball just under the crossbar for the game’s opening goal.
There were loud questions about the number of steps taken by the wing-forward but the goal stood, and Moy Davitts responded in perfect fashion as they went straight down the pitch from the kickout. Brian Heneghan worked the ball to Brian Reape in front of goal and he made no mistake finishing from close range.
Reape, Ryan Kenny and Clarke would add points in the following minutes to open a five-point lead for the hosts in a frantic first half.
Crossmolina would close the gap as points from James Maheady (two), Oisin Deane and Cillian Fergus sandwiched a Ryan Kenny free to leave two between the sides.
It was an end to end first half which ended with Clarke, Kenny (two) and Heneghan raising the white flag for Moy Davitts and Diarmuid Coggins and Maheady doing likewise for the visitors all in the final five minutes of the half.
The second half couldn’t keep up the relentless nature of the first as the conditions worsened. Padraig Ruane got the hosts up and running in the 31st minute but Crossmolina almost hit their second goal a minute later when Josh Moyles’ shot dropped short and Deane found himself completely unmarked in front of goal, but Chris McGlynn was out fast to get down low and stop the shot.
Maheady would trade points with Ruane before Ronan Clarke pushed Moy Davitts into a six-point lead with another free in the 43rd minute.
Then the game turned on its head with first Oisin Deane hitting the net after McGlynn had saved Dylan Flynn had run through the home defence only to see McGlynn equal to his effort. The resultant kickout went straight down the throat of Kobe McDonald and he drove at goal before raising the green flag.
Jamie Clarke and Coggins traded points to keep the sides level with ten minutes to go and Moy Davitts attack beginning to malfunction, hitting four wides in the final ten minutes.
The visitors would get in for another goal in the 53rd minute, this time a lovely handpassing move involving five different players was finished to the net from close range by substitute Danny McDonald before Maheady put four between them with a late free.
A Ronan Clarke two point free closed the gap to two, but the hosts ran out of time. Despite numerous stoppages in the second half there was just one minute of injury time played, and with it went the two points back to North Mayo.
