Belfast Telegraph NI Football League – Championship Two

Moyola Park 1 (Dowie) Coagh United 0

A Chris Dowie goal just before the hour mark was sufficient for Moyola Park to take all three points in the local derby against Coagh United at Mill Meadow. The visitors made a strong start and on six minutes Marty Farniok did well to foil Glenn Clarke when the latter broke through the Moyola Park defence. In the 29th minute Conor Taggart saw his long range effort go over the Coagh United crossbar. One minute later Matthew Kempton delivered a good pass to Glenn Clarke who shot wide of Farniok’s upright. Farniok made an excellent save on 34 minutes when he punched Kempton’s long range effort over his crossbar and left the game scoreless at the half time interval.

Moyola Park played a much more prominent role during the second half and when a Eugene Gallagher cross was whipped in on 48 minutes the ball was eventually cleared off the Coagh United goal line. On 53 minutes Gallagher headed a corner kick by Nicky Black wide of the Coagh United goal. In the 59th minute Chris Dowie took advantage of a gap in the visitors’ defence to cleverly chip the ball past William Hassan into the net for the only goal of the game. Ten minutes later Thal Blevins’ long range shot went wide of the Moyola Park goal. One minute later at the other end a Dowie pass gave David Healy the opportunity to test Hassan but his shot came back off the crossbar. As Moyola Park failed to get an ‘insurance goal’ Coagh United continued to press for an equaliser. An Aaron Thornton free kick ten minutes before the end went narrowly over the Moyola Park crossbar. In the final minute a Darren Walls’ shot was well saved by Hassan.

The game was well refereed by senior ‘whistler’ Ross Dunlop. As has been true in many games this season Moyola Park had two players in particular to thank for earning three points, Marty Farniok and Chris Dowie. Moyola Park have no league fixture on Saturday 28 March, the next game being a visit to Sport and Leisure Swifts on Saturday 4 April.

Moyola Park: Marty Farniok, Craig McAllister, Gareth Stewart, Steven McQuillan, Mark Waddell, Adam Gray, Nicholas Black, Eugene Gallagher, Chris Dowie, David Healy (Steven Kelly 81), Conor Taggart (Darren Walls 58). Subs not used: Connor Barrow, Kyle Bradley.

Coagh United: William Hassan, Scott McGeown, Stefan Hogshaw, Sean Heneghan, Aaron Thornton, Jonathan Young, Thal Blevins, Steven Glasgow (Ryan Smith 67), Matthew Kempton (Jason Ferry 77), Glenn Clarke (Ian Todd 58), Mark Taylor. Sub not used: Gareth Maguire.