SECOND AWAY DAY DEFEAT FOR THE COBRAS

COPANY TEAM

A double from Paul Clarke was not enough as the Cobras suffered defeat by the odd goal in five away to Kerrykeel in Rabs Park.

Copany started the encounter the brighter, and David Graham was unfortunate to see his volley fired narrowly over the crossbar on 12 minutes following a deep ball from Paul Clarke.

Gradually the hosts came into the encounter and narrowly missed the opportunity to take the lead when a header skimmed the top of the crossbar on 31 minutes.

The home side did take the lead two minutes before the interval, when the big number 5 lost his marker from a set piece to head home.

Copany grabbed an equaliser on 56 minutes, when a long ball from Thomas Given caught the Kerrykeel defense unsuccessfully trying to play offside, and left Paul Clarke through one on one with the keeper. Clarke bid his time swivelling in and out of a challence from a recovering defender, before firing the ball home at the near post in a goal reminiscant of Suarez's effort for Liverpool at the weekend.

Following a dubiously awarded free kick, Kerrykeel doubled their lead through another set piece on 60 minutes, when a long free kick from the half way line again met the head of the number 5, who nodded to the back post and left a Kerrykeel striker with the simplest of tasks to slot home from one yard.

Kerrykeel went 3-1 up on 75 minutes when a quick free kick down the right caught the Copany defense cold, and the dangerous Fergal Friel beat the full back before firing an unstoppable effort to the roof of the net to give Kerrykeel a cushion.

Copany reduced the defecit to one on 84 minutes. Good link up play by David Graham and Ryan Kerrigan brought the attack up the left hand flank. When the ball returned to Kerrigan, he showed excellent footwork to decieve his marker before laying the ball on a plate for Clarke with a well weighted through ball. Clarke duly slotted the ball home to leave the home side nervous.

Despite pushing hard for an equaliser, with Paul Patton firiring over  with a striker from outside the area after beating his marker with a clever bit of skill, Copany could not find enough time and will end up rueing a missed opportunity for points in this encounter, but with other results providing surprises Copany have not lost much ground in the grand scheme of things in what is shaping up to be a very competitive CT Ball Division.

Darren Kilpatrick was best for Copany on the day.