Maguiresbridge 2-15 Coa 0-08


Maguiresbridge picked up a first league win of the season with a strong second half performance on Sunday after the visitors controlled the game for the majority of the opening 30 minutes.

The sides went in level at halftime with Adrian Diver’s side then picking the pace up to bounce back from their draw with Brookeborough.

“Happy to get the win,” Diver said after the game. “It was important after dropping a point last week that we got the win this week.

"We weren’t happy with our first-half performance but in fairness to the lads, they kept plugging away and we got a really important goal just before half time which turned the game in our favour.

"Although we were second best in the first half, we knew if we cut out the silly frees and gained some composure in front of goal, we could win the game and thankfully that’s what happened.

"We played some excellent football in the second half both defensively and offensively scoring 1-10 and not conceding at all which was very pleasing. We hope to be able to start where we left off when we play Aghadrumsee on Friday.”

Coa player/manager Gary Lynch was left disappointed with his side’s second half display at Páirc na hÓige.

“I thought we played well first half it was a really competitive game, and we were unlucky not to go in at halftime winning,” he said.

"I can’t get my head around our second half performance, we stood off our men, couldn’t get a tackle in and they just walked through us. Very frustrating to be so inconsistent.”

The home side took an early two-point lead through Dan Teague and Fionn Nolan, but Coa then came back into the contest with efforts from Oisin Farry, Jason Farry and Caoilte Farry.

Mark Hughes and Luca McCusker closed the gap, but Coa stretched their lead as they enjoyed more of the ball, with Niall Quinn and Caoilte Farry splitting the posts including a sublime free, from Farry, just inside the 45’.

The hosts hit 1-1 in the final few minutes to draw the game level, McCusker found Nolan who got in behind and found the net with Teague adding his second point.

Dwayne Rice converted two early points, in the second half, to put Maguiresbridge ahead with Nolan then finding a second goal after his shot deflected into the net.

Two impressive points from Teague were added to by Sean Corrigan, McCusker, Tommy McGrory (2), Hughes and substitute Eoin Mulligan to round off the win.