by Logan Marsh

The Verri Industries Douglas Dragons battled to a 1-1 draw with one of the competition favourites Marlin Coast on Sunday.

It was a very hard earned point and could well have been three points had the Dragons managed to hang on to the lead they had gained through Ciaran Lemon’s first half penalty.

The match was a torrid affair with play being stopped for about half an hour following a head clash that resulted in a Marlin Coast player swallowing his tongue and later being taken to hospital.

There were injury problems for the Dragons too with Lemon breaking a bone in his wrist early in the match only to bravely carry on, score the Dragons goal and put in an outstanding 90 minute performance.

Douglas, playing the first of their JCU ‘home’ matches started brightly, having particular success attacking down the right hand side.

Captain Nick Tither, moved into midfield for the clash, could have put the Dragons in front with an audacious volley from 40 yards having seen the Marlin Coast keeper out of position but unfortunately the wind carried the ball slightly over the bar.

The game was then delayed while the Marlin Coast player received treatment following a nasty head clash with Dragons coach Logan Marsh. Both players attacked a bouncing ball on the edge of the area and the sickening impact and after effects resulting in the lengthy delay.

After the restart the Dragons again were on the front foot. Joe Fox, playing out wide on the right, released Lemon who was through on goal only for a late flag to halt play for offside.

After the whistle he was tackled and in the process injured his wrist however he bravely carried on to good effect. Moments later he was again released by Fox and this time he lured the defender into a challenge with the referee pointing to the spot immediately. Lemon picked himself up and calmly slotted home the penalty to give the Dragons a deserved lead.

This finally spurred the Marlin Coast side into gear and they began to impose themselves on the game with their fullbacks in particular getting forward to good effect and causing the Dragons problems.

Douglas were still a threat going forward and Ash Woods was unlucky not to score, striking the outside of the post after more good play from Lemon.

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Marlin Coast won a number of corners but these were dealt with reasonably comfortably which is pleasing considering the Dragons have conceded a couple of goals from corners already this season.
They were, however, fortunate not to be reduced to ten men and concede a penalty when keeper Gary Fitzgerald rugby tackled an opposition striker only for the referee to turn a blind eye.

The second half continued as the first had ended with Marlin Coast laying siege to the Dragons' goal with the Dragons content to soak up the pressure and hit Marlin Coast on the counter attack.

And for all their pressing it was Douglas who were perhaps unlucky not to add to their first half goal. Both Ash Woods and Matty Smith had decent penalty shouts while Lemon had two chances to double the advantage.

First, Nick Tither headed a Marsh free kick across the face of goal and Lemon thought he had scored only for the opposition keeper to appear from nowhere to claw the effort away from goal, then he was played through one on one but the keeper again made a good save with his legs to deny the Irishman.

The Dragons were tiring but still the equaliser was eluding Marlin Coast, however their fullbacks were continuing to bomb forward relentlessly and with ten minutes to go they broke once more down the Dragons' right. From the resulting cross the ball was poked past a couple of sprawling Douglas challenges and past the despairing Fitzgerald.

While it was a bitter pill to swallow it was a deserved goal and now the Dragons had to dig deep to ensure they left with a point. There were a couple of late scares but the Dragons held on to take an important point.

The Paddy’s Bar Man of the Match went to Joe Fox who put in a hardworking shift down the right flank, tracking the opposition runners and using the ball intelligently, especially in the first half.

Next up for the Dragons is a trip to Innisfail in the final game of the first round. It will be another tough clash against a side who have got some excellent results in the league thus far.

A win for the Dragons, however, will see them finish the first round in the top four and in an excellent position to push on from.