On a good day for football Gweedore Celtic had a comfortable win in the end but Cranford were well in the game until the latter stages. The visitors could have gone ahead as early as the third minute when Philip Buchanan got behind the Gweedore defence but Christopher Sweeney spread himself to block the shot. Cranford squandered another chance as the home team were slow to get up to speed.
Gweedore soon came into the game and took control of the midfield for the rest of the half. Chris Porter, Johnny McGinty and Damien Sullivan used possession well and the home team started to stretch Cranford. On twenty five minutes Gweedore took the lead. Chris Porter’s corner went directly to the back of the net via the the back post. They doubled their lead on forty minutes when Colin Ferry beat the offside trap to round the keeper and roll the ball into the net. Ferry had a second chalked off when the referee adjudged the ball to have gone out of play in the build up. This was shortly followed by another disallowed effort when Jamie Boyle fired home from the edge of the box. The referee deciding Boyle’s foot was high in the initial challenge to win the ball.
Boyle was replaced at half-time with Brendan McGeady slotting into the left-wing. Cranford started the second half well but failed to create any clear cut chances as the Gweedore defence blocked attack after attack . As the half went on Gweedore pressed and were guilty of missing several chances. Substitutes Thomas Diver and Odhran Diver and McGeady had several clear openings before Fionnan Diver scored the third goal following good work by Brendan McGeady on the left. Cranford almost claimed a consolation on 85 minutes when a curled effort glanced off the post.
Best for Gweedore were Christopher Sweeney and Chris Porter.
For Cranford Kyle Black and Philip Buchanan worked hard.
Referee: Marty McGarrigle
