Dons share spoils with Mayfield
AUL LEAGUE 1A Donoughmore Ath FC 1 Mayfield Utd 1
Thursday March 11 2010
IN what turned out to be a very competitive and entertaining game Donoughmore and Mayfield ended up drawing.
Donoughmore started the better and Sean O'Mahony had an early effort that he blazed over. Terence Looney then had a great chance minutes later when a shot from Damien Hennessy was parried into his path on the left but his shot from a difficult angle didn't find the target. Mayfield then scored the opener when uncharacteristic confusion in the Donoughmore defence was pounced on by the Mayfield attacker who poked home from six yards. Jamie Lewis and the returning Aidan O'Shea looked dangerous throughout the first half and some good interchange between the two lead to Lewis being fouled in the penalty area. O'Shea stepped up to the spot kick and beat the keeper with a shot low to his left. Donoughmore finished the half strongly and Looney had another chance from a similar angle to his first in the 30th minute but his shot was comfortably saved by the keeper.
The second half was a rip-roaring affair with both teams going for the win. Mayfield's strikers kept Connie Buckley and Rob O'Sullivan in the Donoughmore defence on their toes during this half and behind them Noel O'Connell dealt very well with anything that came at him.
Darragh O'Shea came on for O'Mahony with 20 minutes remaining and he made an immediate impact. A Long Connie Buckley free kick was only half cleared by the Mayfield defence and Cathal O'Hanlon put a first time ball back into the box. O'Shea watched it all the way and broke the offside trap before bringing it down well but his well hit shot was wide of the target from 15 yards.
Noel O'Connell came to Donoughmore's rescue in the 85th minute when he saved brilliantly at the feet of the inrushing striker just inside his box. A late free, after O'Shea was fouled bearing down on goal, saw Tom Daly head goalwards from 12 yards only to be met by the keeper on the line.
