Three and easy for Conn Rangers over Manulla
Living up to his name! Manulla sub Conor High, comes out on top in this clash with Ronan Holmes of Conn Rangers. Picture: John Corless
Conn Rangers were good value for their win at Manulla on Sunday afternoon. They used the big pitch and good surface to great advantage, and played some excellent football in the process. They used the wings to great advantage, with Adam Gallagher and Colm Ruttledge causing Manulla problems all afternoon.
Two of their goals came directly from set pieces. Both were somewhat controversial. The first was scored from the penalty spot by Owen McNamara, after Gavin Jennings clipped Eoin Prendergast in the box. The contact was minimal, but referee Eric Eaton was right beside the action, and had no doubt, proving yet again that physical contact in the box is judged more harshly than out the field by referees.
The second goal came from a Gallagher free kick on the edge of the box, when Manulla goalkeeper Mattie Flanagan handled millimetres outside the line. He protested his innocence initially before retreating to his line and arranging his five-man wall. Neither he nor the wall could prevent Gallagher’s excellent strike from going in to put the game beyond Manulla with 15 minutes remaining.
There was nothing controversial about Tadhg O’Sullivan’s fine solo effort from open play, near the end, when he outsprinted the tiring Padraig Beirne, to make it three with three minutes left.
Manulla played some good football too, but they found it hard to break down the Rangers midfield and defence.
Conn played with a stiff breeze to their backs in the first half, but it was Ruairi Kelly for Manulla that had the first chance. His effort beat the ’keeper but Tuan O’Horo cleared off the line. Ruttledge twice, and Gallagher had unsuccessful attempts for Rangers, before Dylan Dunne sent a tame shot straight at Mikey Barrett in the Conn goal. His brother James tried one from distance, but it went wide.
Prendergast went to ground easily in the box for the penalty, but Manulla had a good spell immediately afterwards, with Jennings shooting wide after they had won two corners. And at the other end, a minute before the interval, O’Sullivan should have doubled the Conn lead, on the break, but he sent it over.
Conn played cat and mouse with Manulla for parts of the second half with McNamara and O’Horo passing across the open space trying to tease the Manulla front line into having a go, before they countered, but the Manulla players stood off, and at times it was fascinating to watch.
Flanagan saved from O’Sullivan after Mikey Burke’s cross, and for Manulla Dylan Dunne had a good effort saved by Barrett. Conn took over for a spell then with Ruttledge (twice), O’Sullivan, McNamara and Prendergast being denied by Flanagan. Conor Brett came close for Manulla before Flanagan handled outside and Gallagher’s free kick ended the contest. O’Sullivan caught Beirne for pace on the break, for the third.
Conn Rangers have improved since the Super League table split, and if they had been able to produce their current form in the earlier part, would probably be sitting in fourth, in the top half, at this stage. But that opportunity went at the half-way point.
Manulla should be okay. They have 13 points, six more than Ballinrobe, which should be enough to keep them up.
Manulla: Matty Flanagan; Padraig Beirne, Diarmuid Byrne, Andrew Shally, Niall Barrett; Conor Brett, Matthew English, James Dunne, Gavin Jennings; Dylan Dunne, Ruairi Kelly. Subs: Liam Redmond (for Byrne 13), James Bolster (for Jennings 60), Conor High (for D Dunne 70), Padraig McHale (for English 80).
Conn Rangers: Mikey Barrett; Mikey Burke, Owen McNamara, Tuan O’Horo, Ronan Holmes; Colm Ruttledge, Mikey Lowther, Matthew Neary, Adam Gallagher; Tadgh O’Sullivan, Eoin Prendergast. Subs: Keelan Jordan (for M Neary 66), Mikey McHale (for Holmes 81), Kyle Neary (for Prendergast 82).
REF: Eric Eaton
