Lifford on top in Ennis derby

Lifford   4

Ennis Town Rock   2

WHILE the inclement weather played havoc with the Clare soccer fixture list last weekend, one of the games to survive was this big Ennis derby when Lifford welcomed neighbours, Ennis Town Rock, to the well-appointed Cassidy Park. Clare’s UEFA qualified referee Pádraig Sutton got this Premier-Division clash underway as the heavy early morning rain was beginning to clear but not without leaving its mark on the playing surface which was very soft throughout.
The visitors started brightly and their chief marksman, Stephen Hickey, came close to getting the opening score in the 11th minute but Lifford’s net-minder, Jan da Silva, was alert and raced from his line to avert the danger.
Two minutes later, his side were behind when the defence failed to clear their lines following a corner. The ball fell to Ennis Town Rock midfielder Daryl Eade, who saw his effort come back off the right-hand post but Marty McLoughlin was on hand to finish from six yards.
Both sides were playing entertaining football in the difficult conditions and the home side was back on level terms 10 minutes later when a sweetly hit right-foot shot from Lifford midfielder Pat Darcy from the edge of the area beat Loftus in the visitors’ goal.
Ennis Town Rock, despite this setback, continued to push forward and great work by Eade on the half hour saw Hickey come close with a glancing header, which was just over. Three minutes later, Da Silva was back peddling to tip a Barry Woods effort over his crossbar.
Shortly before the break, Lifford should have been in front when their centre-half, Hamad Kuku rose unchallenged in the Ennis Town Rock six-yard area only to miss contact with the ball. Da Silva was again in the thick of the action in the dying seconds of the half having to dive full stretch following a good cross from Ritchie Neylon with the ever present Hickey waiting to pounce.
The second half was only one-minute old when the next score came. A long-range effort from Ruari Norrby from a free out near the sideline somehow deceived everyone, including Loftus in the Ennis Town Rock goal. Eight minutes later, things got even better for the home side as centre-forward, Scott Hennessey timed his run perfectly to beat the offside trap and his strong right-footed drive flew past Loftus to give his side a well-deserved two-goal cushion. Lifford further emphasised their dominance when Lunga Balman evaded his marker on the edge of the area and he fired home to make the score 4-1.
A late Stephen Hickey goal only proved to be a consolation for Ennis Town Rock and Lifford secured all three points on offer to keep their title hopes very much on track.

Lifford Utd A: Jan Da Silva; Eoin Murphy, Dylan Blake, Michael J Sullivan, Hamad Kuku, Patrick Mannion, Lunga Balman, Pat Darcy, Scott Hennessy, Ryan Boyle, Ruairi Norrby.
Subs: Darren O’Neill for Boyle; Paul Cantillon for Blake; TJ Ajisomo for Hennessy.
Ennis Town Rock: Stephen Loftus; Barry Woods, Ronan Judge, Jason Whyte, Shane Daniels, Adrian Walshe, Marty McLoughlin, Daryl Eade, Ritchie Neylon, Niall McNevin, Stephen Hickey.
Subs: Gary Walsh for McNevin; Mikey Dinan for Walshe.