OLDEST IRISH AMERICAN NEWSPAPER IN USA, ESTABLISHED IN 1928
Category: Archive

N.Y. GAA Hurricane Donegal blow away Leitrim

February 16, 2011

By Staff Reporter

Jack Flynn

Donegal 3-12, Leitrim 1-8

Hurricane Donegal touched down on Gaelic Park Sunday, destroying an overmatched Leitrim side and picking up a 3-12 to 1-8 win that wasn’t as close as the final score might indicate.

The hurricane actually only lasted for 30 minutes, as Donegal jumped out to a 2-9 to 0-3 lead before allowing Leitrim to come back and make the final score somewhat more respectable.

“Overall, it was a very good team performance and we’re very happy with it,” said Donegal’s Lar Molloy, who scored a goal and picked up three points.

As usual, it was Donegal’s full forward line of Molloy, Stephen Cassidy and Edmund Cleary that proved to be too much for Leitrim to handle. The fearsome trio combined for three goals and nine points.

Follow us on social media

Keep up to date with the latest news with The Irish Echo

Although trying to determine which of the three is the best footballer for Donegal, Molloy has already formed his opinion. “Stephen had a very good game,” Molloy said. “He’s probably the leader of our pack.”

Regardless of which of the three might be the superior player, Donegal relied on Molloy, Cassidy and Cleary’s scoring prowess to blow Leitrim out of the water in the first half.

Cleary started the scoring parade with two straight points, then Donal Breslin put a ball over the bar to give Donegal the early 0-3 to 0-0 advantage.

Leitrim, which boasts a strong full forward line of their own in Al Travers, Davey Phelan and Sean Jones, scored their first point of the match when Travers converted a rebound to make the score 0-3 to 0-1.

The rebound was the product of a gorgeous save by Donegal keeper Eunan Doherty. The ball caromed back to Travers, who calmly put the ball over the bar.

Travers scored Leitrim’s second point as well, but not before Donegal would score a goal and four points to take a commanding 1-7 to 0-1 lead.

Breslin scored his second point of the match, then Molloy converted a strong feed from Cassidy and scored a goal past Leitrim’s Joe Madden to put Donegal ahead 1-4 to 0-1. Molloy and Cassidy combined for three more points before Travers was able to break the string.

Cassidy then scored a brilliant goal, taking a long pass off the foot of Breslin, blowing past a Leitrim defender and beating Madden from a sharp angle.

Going into the second half with a 12-point lead, Donegal began to sit back and relax while Leitrim began assert itself more. But the lead was so large that it wouldn’t have mattered if Donegal had rolled over and went to sleep.

Jack Flynn

Donegal 3-12, Leitrim 1-8

Hurricane Donegal touched down on Gaelic Park Sunday, destroying an overmatched Leitrim side and picking up a 3-12 to 1-8 win that wasn’t as close as the final score might indicate.

The hurricane actually only lasted for 30 minutes, as Donegal jumped out to a 2-9 to 0-3 lead before allowing Leitrim to come back and make the final score somewhat more respectable.

“Overall, it was a very good team performance and we’re very happy with it,” said Donegal’s Lar Molloy, who scored a goal and picked up three points.

As usual, it was Donegal’s full forward line of Molloy, Stephen Cassidy and Edmund Cleary that proved to be too much for Leitrim to handle. The fearsome trio combined for three goals and nine points.

Although trying to determine which of the three is the best footballer for Donegal, Molloy has already formed his opinion. “Stephen had a very good game,” Molloy said. “He’s probably the leader of our pack.”

Regardless of which of the three might be the superior player, Donegal relied on Molloy, Cassidy and Cleary’s scoring prowess to blow Leitrim out of the water in the first half.

Cleary started the scoring parade with two straight points, then Donal Breslin put a ball over the bar to give Donegal the early 0-3 to 0-0 advantage.

Leitrim, which boasts a strong full forward line of their own in Al Travers, Davey Phelan and Sean Jones, scored their first point of the match when Travers converted a rebound to make the score 0-3 to 0-1.

The rebound was the product of a gorgeous save by Donegal keeper Eunan Doherty. The ball caromed back to Travers, who calmly put the ball over the bar.

Travers scored Leitrim’s second point as well, but not before Donegal would score a goal and four points to take a commanding 1-7 to 0-1 lead.

Breslin scored his second point of the match, then Molloy converted a strong feed from Cassidy and scored a goal past Leitrim’s Joe Madden to put Donegal ahead 1-4 to 0-1. Molloy and Cassidy combined for three more points before Travers was able to break the string.

Cassidy then scored a brilliant goal, taking a long pass off the foot of Breslin, blowing past a Leitrim defender and beating Madden from a sharp angle.

Going into the second half with a 12-point lead, Donegal began to sit back and relax while Leitrim began assert itself more. But the lead was so large that it wouldn’t have mattered if Donegal had rolled over and went to sleep.

Breslin and Leitrim’s Hugh Sheehan had a confrontation early in the second half, but order was restored before any blows were landed.

John Donohue’s play for Leitrim improved as time went on, scoring three straight points midway through the second half to cut into Donegal’s huge lead. Donohue’s third point made the score 2-11 to 1-7 in favor of Donegal, but Leitrim would draw no closer.

After Cleary scored his second straight point to make the score 2-12 to 0-7, he took a long pass of the foot of a Donegal teammate, juked twice and blasted home his team’s third goal, effectively killing the comeback hopes of even the most fervent Leitrim follower.

Cassidy had an opportunity late in the match to pick up his second goal of the day, but the oft-tested Madden came up with the save.

Donegal scorers: Leitrim: Meehan 1-0, Donohue 0-3, Travers and Collins 0-2, Sheehan 0-1.

Breslin and Leitrim’s Hugh Sheehan had a confrontation early in the second half, but order was restored before any blows were landed.

John Donohue’s play for Leitrim improved as time went on, scoring three straight points midway through the second half to cut into Donegal’s huge lead. Donohue’s third point made the score 2-11 to 1-7 in favor of Donegal, but Leitrim would draw no closer.

After Cleary scored his second straight point to make the score 2-12 to 0-7, he took a long pass of the foot of a Donegal teammate, juked twice and blasted home his team’s third goal, effectively killing the comeback hopes of even the most fervent Leitrim follower.

Cassidy had an opportunity late in the match to pick up his second goal of the day, but the oft-tested Madden came up with the save.

Donegal scorers: Leitrim: Meehan 1-0, Donohue 0-3, Travers and Collins 0-2, Sheehan 0-1.

Other Articles You Might Like

Sign up to our Daily Newsletter

Click to access the login or register cheese