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DC ended their pre-season run against Armagh Ladies where they tasted defeat for the first time. The game was very open with end to end attacking but failure to convert the chances created cost DC victory. DC started brightly with Mandy Timmons lively on the right hand side and she almost gave her side the lead with only five minutes on the clock. A great through ball by Louise Irvine released the pacey Timmons and her first time effort was pushed away by the home keeper. From the resulting corner DC threatened again. Irvines corner was only half cleared by the Armagh defence and the ball fell invitingly to Sonia Toner. Toner controlled well but her shot lacked any real conviction which the keeper easily dealt with. Next to test the home keeper was Lesley Beattie. Last seasons top scorer Lauren Moore was hauled down just outside the penalty area. From the resulting free kick Beattie curled the around the wall but again the keeper was equal too it.
Armagh opening the scoring midway through the half although they were helped by an error in the DC defence. The normally reliable Elaine Curley misjudged the flight of a long ball and as it bounced past her, the Armagh striker used her blistering pace to nip in and slot past Emma Morgan. Armagh added a second soon after before DC had time to recover. DC to their credit fought back bravely and continued to create chances, the best of which came to Lauren Moore who stung the keepers hand with a blistering drive.
DC started the second half like a house on fire and finally got on the score sheet. With DC winning the midfield battle Sonia Toner played an excellent ball over the Armagh defence for Lauren Moore to run onto. Moore beat the defence to the ball and with the keeper of her line, she casually placed the ball over the her head to throw her team a life line. Armagh weren�t giving up though as they restored their two goal advantage when a close range shot flew past the DC keeper. DC fought back again and it was Aideen Shannon who scored her first goal for the club after being promoted from the championship winning U-14 squad. Shannon cooley controlled a quickly taken DC free kick and with her back to goal she spun her marker and shot low into the corner. DC had a good claim for a penalty soon after with the tireless efforts of Nuala Rafferty getting her into the penalty area only to be chopped down but the referee refused to give it and Armagh were let of the hook. Armagh scored minutes later to the despair of Celtic as they seemed to have control of the game. With fifteen minutes left Aideen Shannon, not content with getting her first for DC scored another to give DC some real hope of getting something from the game. Shannon showed a great turn of pace to reach a long ball by Charlene Smith and she finished confidently again finding the far corner.
With 10 minutes to go both management teams decided to end the game as the pitch was almost in darkness due to not floodlights.
DC Squad: Emma Morgan, Emma McVeigh, Charlene Smith, Lesley Beattie, Elaine Curley, Many Timmons, Louise Irvine, Sonia Toner, Aideen Shannon, Lauren Moore, Nuala Rafferty, Joanne McCann, Leanne McGonigle, Ciara McMenamin.
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