Annagh United manager Ciaran McGurgan praised his young squad's hunger and consistency after a 2-0 home win over newly-promoted Moyola Park. Craig Taylor scored and assisted while Martin Marron saved a penalty to secure the points in a performance McGurgan described as complete.
Taylor fired Annagh United in front after the break with a powerful angled drive then set up substitute Henry Cromack to seal the Championship points. Jordan Gibson was at the heart of Annagh’s positive play and Jude Cargill delivered another assured performance. Sam Sproule came close to scoring on two occasions off the bench.
Martin Marron made an unbelievable save from the penalty after Dylan Graham’s suspension, which McGurgan called a game-changing moment that gave the team more energy. The clean sheet added to the satisfaction of a performance where multiple players stood out.
Having suffered promotion play-off pain on four occasions, McGurgan has set his squad a challenge to maintain momentum week in, week out for 40 weeks. He said they have set the standard and the bar, and it is about getting that level regularly.
Moyola Park boss Marty Smith said they were beaten but felt the contest was closer than the score suggested, acknowledging Annagh United’s direct style. He noted they have experienced all extremes four games in, with one win, one draw and two defeats.
Annagh United are seventh in the Championship with seven points from four games, a record of two wins, one draw and one loss, and recent form WDWL. They have scored nine goals and conceded eight, giving them a +1 goal difference and leaving them three points behind leaders Newington Youth.
The squad will look to build on this performance ahead of their next fixture away to Newry City AFC on 2026-09-18, which fans can track via the fixtures page as the team aims to improve their standing in the table.
