WHILE THERE was Knockalla Caravans Cup joy for Glengad United and Buncrana Hearts, Culdaff’s revival in the League continued.
Knockalla Caravans Senior Cup
Glengad United 5 Kildrum Tigers 0
THE first chance of the game did not arrive until the 20th minute when Seamus Doherty headed a Stephen McLaughlin corner over the bar.
The visitors replied with Oran Higgins breaking on the left and his dangerous cross found no takers.
On 38 minutes the home side made the breakthrough when great work on the edge of the area from Michael Byrne saw his effort parried by Kevin McDermott but Terence Doherty pounced to slot home.
Kildrum replied on the stroke of half time but Reece Laird’s free kick was just over the bar.
Glengad dominated the second period and Terence Doherty headed wide at the near post after a Christy McLaughlin cross.
They had to wait until the 73rd minute to increase their lead after good play by Byrne and Patrick McDermott saw them find Christy McLaughlin who cut in and fired a superb effort to the top corner.
Minutes later Terence Doherty broke clear but his effort was well saved by McDermott.
On 77 minutes Patrick McDermott split the defence for Mclaughlin to run clear and cooly slot home his second of the game.
They made it 4-0 on 85 minutes after good work by Nigel McMonagle fed Terence Doherty who rounded McDermott to slot home.
McMonagle then beat two men on the left and found Adam Byrne to slot home from close range.
Buncrana Hearts 4 St Catherines 2
BUNCRANA had the first effort on goal in the 15th minute when Liam McCarron fired wide when well placed fifteen yards out.
Midway through the half the visitors went close with a Gareth Concarr free kick crashing back off the bar.
Buncrana then spurned two good chances when Gary Duffy headed a John McLaughlin cross straight at the keeper from point-blank range before Liam McCarron had an effort blocked by two defenders.
On the stroke of half time St Catherine’s broke the deadlock
when Concarr converted a penalty past Sean Sweeney awarded after he had been upended.
Buncrana started the second period well and equalised on 48 minutes when James McGonagle crossed from the right for Calvin Gallagher to head low to the corner.
A short corner on 55 minutes saw Kieran McDaid cross to McGonagle who headed home from eight yards to
give the hearts the lead.
On 66 minutes McDaid beat two men with goodBfootwork before slotting low under the advancing Kevin Martin to make it three one.
They made it four one when Ryan Curran fired a penalty low to the right hand corner after Gallagher was upended.
The visitors got a consolation on 81 minutes when Barry Rose rounded the last man and squeezed the ball low past Sweeney.
Buncrana had the final say when
Martin made a tremendous save to deny Gallagher and the rebound fell to substitute Stephen McHugh who fired inches wide.
Derry City Reserves 3 Aileach FC 0
A SLICK and youthful Derry City were too good for the home side who suffered a blow when they lost Cathal McElhinney through injury early in the game.
Aileach were under pressure from the off against a well drilled and tenacious Derry side.
They dominated possession early on and took the lead on 15 minutes when an unmarked Cathal Farren headed home from six yards following a corner.
Derry increased their lead on 35
minutes from the penalty spot Farren converting low to Roulstone’s right.
The second half was barely five minutes old when Cathal Farren
completed his hat trick when he tapped home from close in following a leftwing cross.
Cockhill Celtic 3 Clonmany Shamrocks 1
COCKHILL blitzed the Shamrocks in the opening period and were three up by the 22nd minute and really there was no way back.
Cockhill had a huge slice of luck in their opener on 7 minutes when a Ronan Doherty free kick took a huge deflection to wrong foot Patrick Harkin in the Clonmany goal.
They made it two on 19 minutes after a good run and cross by Derek Doherty found Gerard Mclaughlin sliding in to slot home.
Three minutes later Bradley broke free of the Shamrocks defence and drew keeper Harkin before unselfishly squaring for Doherty to tap home.
Clonmany replied before the break with two Ferghal Harkin free kicks well saved by Gavin Cullen.
clonmany came much more into the game in the second period and Mark McLaughlin had an effort tipped around the post by Cullen on 65 minutes.
Five minutes later McLaughlin sent Michael Devlin through the middle and he lifted the ball over the advancing Cullen to reduce the deficit.
Cockhill were always dangerous on the break and Harkin had to be alert to deny both McLaughlin and Doherty.
Clonmany spurned a great chance to make it a nervous finish when Jamie Coyle broke clear in a one-on-one but Cullen advanced to save.
Jackie Crossan Premier Division
Culdaff FC 2 Moville Celtic 1
CULDAFF continued their good form since the Christmas break and have moved out of the bottom two for the first time this season.
Moville will be kicking themselves especially in the first half when they missed two gilt edged chances.
The first came in the opening minute when the home defence allowed Ciaran Diver to race through the middle but he blazed over from twelve yards.
Culdaff replied with Dermot Diver heading over from a corner and Brendan McLaughlin unmarked collecting a throw in deep inside the area but with the outside of
his foot flicked the ball over the bar.
Moville then had another good chance when Joe Doherty got in behind the home defence on the left hand side but his effort was blocked by the legs of Darragh McLaughlin.
The home side hit back with Paul McLaughlin racing onto a Michael Coyle flick but denied by a combination of defenders before Brendan McLaughlin unmarked headed well over from a corner.
On 40 minutes, good work by Conor Lafferty saw him slip the ball into the path of Conor Doherty but from a very tight angle McLaughlin advanced to block.
Culdaff took the lead a minute before the break when Brendan McLaughlin collected a loose ball wide on the left and fired a stunning left footed effort across Sean McGuinness and into the bottom right hand corner.
Moville got back on terms within minutes of the restart after
good work by Conor Lafferty saw his cross fired home by Joe Doherty from ten yards.
Culdaff upped the tempo then and spurned three good chances in an eleven minute spell.
A well struck effort from twenty
yards by John McFeely was beaten away by McGuinness before Paul McLaughlin latched onto a ricochet inside the area but McGuinness blocked with his legs.
The best chance came on the hour when Michael Coyle rose unchallenged from a corner but headed wide.
Three minutes later Coyle made amends when he rose superbly to meet a Conor Keddy corner from the left and head powerfully past McGuinness.
Both sides struggled to create chances then with a lot of crosses well defended at each end.
The nearest Moville came to an equaliser was an overhead kick from Doherty which McLaughlin gathered.
Culdaff should have sealed it when Brendan McLaughlin burst into the area but his low effort was again blocked by the legs of McGuinness.
Illies Celtic 1 Greencastle FC 6
ILLIES are in deep trouble at the bottom of the table as they are now four points adrift.
Greencastle started well and took the lead on 5 minutes after a ball broke to Ronan Doherty who struck a superb twenty yards effort low to the corner past Johnathan Noone.
Illies replied and both Stephen Doherty and Shane Devlin were off target with efforts.
The home team did get back on terms on 21 minutes after a snapshot from Dominic Coyle on the edge of the area flew high past Sean McClenaghan.
Illies had another chance after Marty Coyle fed Devlin and he pulled the ball back but there were no takers.
Greencastle responded and on the stroke of half time a Matthew Henry free was well saved by Noone.
Greencastle regained the lead on 51 minutes when a Jamie McCormick corner came off a defender and into the net.
Illies hit back immediately and when Stephen Doherty found John Pio Donaghey he drove wide when well placed.
The visitors took over after this and increased their lead when Matthew Henry fed brother Michael and he beat a defender before drilling low to the corner.
The goal scorer then turned provider and good work by Michael Henry saw him pick out McCormick in the area and he slotted home.
The fifth came on 77 minutes when substitutes Eunan McDaid and Eunan Hegarty combined for the latter to slot home from close range.
They completed the scoring when Matthew Henry beat four men and set up Hegarty to slot home his second of the game.
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