Dream start helps Curraha make it back-to-back wins

Curraha...3-8

Dunshaughlin... 0-11

Ivan Keogh

Curraha made the short journey to Dunshaughlin on Bank Holiday Monday evening for the rescheduled round five A FL Div 2 fixture against the home team.

Played in perfect conditions, referee Joseph Curran got the game underway shortly after 6pm. Curraha were coming into this game off the back of a three point win against Meath Hill three weeks ago.

Curraha got off to a dream start after four minutes of play when a brilliant team move ended up with a brilliantly finished goal by Ruairí O’Sullivan who slotted the ball to the back of the net.

Dunshaughlin responded two minutes later with a fine point from Aaron Murphy from play. Curraha's full forward Conor Moriarty restored their lead to three points with a brilliant point off his left foot.

James McEntee got his first point of the match after 10 minutes of play when he kicked a fine point off his right foot to give Curraha a four-point lead.

Curraha were playing their best football all year and a brilliant kick out from Liam Hogan split the Dunshaughlin defence in two and the ball ended up in the hands of Ruairí O’Sullivan who cut in along the end line, his shot looked to have been saved but the ball ended up in the back of the net and the goal stood, with 12 minutes gone in the first half.

Curraha then got their 3rd goal 3 minutes later when Ronan Flynn's fine shot rattled the back of the net to give Curraha a nine-point lead.

Curraha were forced into a change directly after the goal when Conor Moriarty was forced off through injury and was replaced by David Coyle. Dunshaughlin weren't going to give up and Luke Mitchell got two fine frees in the 17th and 18th minute which left seven between the sides.

David Coyle got a brilliant point in the 21st minute of the first half to restore Curraha's lead to eight. Dunshaughlin weren't going down without a fight though with two fine points from play from Aaron Murphy to leave six between the sides.

Aaron Murphy cut the deficit to five with a well taken point from a mark with four minutes remaining in the half. Liam Hogan the Curraha goalie produced an excellent save to deny Dunshaughlin a certain goal which would have brought the deficit back to two.

Ronan Flynn got a badly needed score from play for Curraha after a brilliant team move with three minutes remaining in the half. Dunshaughlin's Luke Mitchell scored his side's eighth point of the match with a fine point from a free.

Aaron Murphy's point from play left only three points between the teams as the clock went into injury time.

At half-time score stood read: Curraha 3-4 Dunshaughlin 0-9

Curraha decided to introduce Conor Joyce for Sean Ronan at halftime. Curraha would have the aid of a strong wind in the second half shooting into the school end. Curraha won the throw up and straight away Diarmuid Moriarty made a great run and was fouled just outside the D.

He converted the free himself to give Curraha a 4 point lead. The second half was a low scoring encounter. Some great fielding from Brain Joyce and Diarmuid Moriarty in the midfield led to the next point of the match in the 18th minute when James McEntee won the ball out on the left hand side, McEntee skinned his man and kicked a brilliant point off his right foot to leave some breathing space for Curraha.

Curraha extended their lead to seven when James McEntee scored a brilliant 45 with five minutes remaining. David Coyle got his second point of the game to leave eight between the sides.

Dunshaughlin did get the last two scores of the game in injury time to leave six between the sides. Curraha were unlucky not to get a fourth goal late on with Conor Joyce's fine effort saved brilliantly by the Dunshaughlin goalkeeper to leave the final score at 3-8 to 0-11.

A well earned win for Curraha which gives them back to back wins and leaves them third in the table. Dunshaughlin to their credit made a great game of it and didn't drop their heads despite the three early goals and brought the lead back to three at one point but the Curraha lads grinded out a well deserved win.

Curraha's next fixture is a home fixture on Friday evening the 10th May in Joe McDermott Park as they take on against Oldcastle, with a 7.45pm throw-in.

Curraha - Liam Hogan; Eoghan Burke, Matthew Webb, Oisín Fay; Niall Murphy, Mark Jackson, Seán Ronan; Diarmuid Moriarty (0-1free), Brian Joyce; Séamus Hogan, James McEntee (0-3, one '45') Ruairí O’Sullivan (2-0), Gavin Coyle, Conor Moriarty (0-1), Ronan Flynn (1-1). Subs - David Coyle (0-2) for Conor Moriarty and Conor Joyce for Sean Ronan.