MacDara and West Coast United stop the rot with timely wins

By Mike Rafferty

UNLIKE Cois Fharraige, the opening weeks of the First Division season has proved to be difficult for the other two Connemara teams as MacDara and West Coast United have struggled in the lower regions of the table.

However, there are mitigating circumstances as the region has a strong GAA background and a large number of players combine football, hurling and soccer, but when there is an overlap something has to suffer and, as a result, the top teams have been badly hit in the event of a clash of fixtures.

Gradually, the players are returning to the soccer fields and weekend results indicate as much as MacDara and West Coast United both registered their first wins of the campaign with impressive away successes over Renmore and Dynamo Blues.

Carraroe based MacDara defeated Renmore by 3-2 having come from behind on two occasions, as they inflicted a first defeat on the city side. The sides were level at the break as Paddy Gannon and Oisin Mac Donnacha (pen) exchanged the goals, before a Rory Glynn goal put the home side ahead on the resumption. The introduction of Eamon Ó Loinsigh proved crucial to the MacDara success as he levelled matters with a free kick, before snatching the winner when set up by fellow substitute Tom Ó Curráoin.

West Coast United made the long journey to Tuam to face Dynamo Blues and also emerged 3-2 winners. Noel Varley had an eventful day, for after having had an earlier penalty saved by Dara Forkan, the midfielder then notched the late winner.

Theo Joyce and Shane Lydon got the earlier goals for the Letterfrack based side as they, like MacDara returned to somewhat full strength. Christian Ryan and Enna Donnellan were on the mark for a home side who have just picked up one win from their opening five games.

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