Match of the Week: Glenmalure too good for Ronanstown FC

GLENMALURE Rovers got their UCFL Division 2 campaign off to a winning start when they met the newcomers to the league, Ronanstown FC, in Walkinstown Park on a sunny Saturday afternoon reports John Mooney.

It was exactly what the lads wanted but, to be honest, it was less than spectacular from their point of view as, after a 2-0 half time lead, they seemed to sit back and basically allowed the visitors to control the game.

Luckily it was Ronanstown’s first competitive game and they will take time to gel as a team, and had they faced someone else this report could read very differently.

However, points on the board is what counts and to be honest Rovers took their chances even though the opener was an own goal.

Just seven minutes had passed when Ronanstown captain Cian McGovern, gathered the ball just outside his area and turned and slipped it back to keeper Alex Dunne, but he took his eye off the ball and it rolled under his foot and into the net.

It was a cruel blow on the visitors and worse was to come 15 minutes later, when Eoin Leonard floated in a corner that Bobby Murphy powerfully headed home.

Glenmalure Rovers beat newcomers Ronanstown FC 3-0 in their opening game Photos by John Mooney

From that point it looked like Peamount United team line up with mascots it would be a comfortable afternoon for the home side, but, despite pressing forward in the opening half, in the second half they were a totally different side and all over the place.

Ronanstown piled forward and pinned them back on the edge of their own area for long periods, but just couldn’t turn their dominance into goals.

They had a few chances through McGovern, the first that Rovers keeper turned away for a corner, Lee Wogan, and header from Kyle Grant but, unfortunately, they were all the wrong side of the post.

But the longer this game went on with the visitors not scoring you always had the feeling that Rovers would catch them on the break, and they did with 10 minutes remaining when Henry Lopez put the result beyond doubt.

GLENMALURE ROVERS: Marcel Mitrica, Leo Finan, Ciaran Eccles, Eoin Leonard, James Wall, Robert Murphy, Keith Comerford, Nathan O’Reilly, Matthew Elliot, Shane Hanrahan.

RONANSTOWN FC: Alex Dunne, Cian McGovern, Lee Wogan, Jamie Doyle, Blake Devitt, Josh McDonagh, Dylan Grendon, Taidgh Curran, Roy Thomas, Callum McGovern, Kian Kavanagh.

REFEREE: Brendan. Coleman.