THE DONEGAL SCHOOLBOYS Under-16s suffered an agonising penalty shoot-out loss to Hearts in the Under-16 final at the Hughes Insurance Foyle Cup yesterday.
Donegal Schoolboys Under-16s 0 Hearts 0
Hearts win 4-2 on penalties
The Scottish side were the better outfit for long spells, but could find no way past Donegal netminder Jamie Lee Blaney, but it was the Edinburgh side who came out on top in the spot kicks.
Harry Cochrane, Jack Gillen, Dean Richie and Conor Smith all converted. While Chris Hamilton missed for Hearts, Calum Boyle and ‘keeper Blaney missed for Donegal with Mark McDaid and Ethan Harkin converting.
[adrotate group=”46″]Hearts started well and it took a wonder save by Blaney to deny Gillen whose header looked destined for the net after connecting with a teasing cross.
Anthony McDonald came close when his shot from eight yards, after Donegal failed to deal with a cross, was blocke from a position from which he ought to have scored.
A snap-shot by Cochrane wasn’t far away and Donegal were having trouble getting numbers forward against a technically-good Hearts side.
Donegal did come to life in the second half and Anthony Gallagher wasn’t far away in the early minutes.
It took the crossbar to deny Mark McFadden, whose cracking shot beat Hearts goalkeeper Harry Stone, but the rattle of the Brandywell’s goalframe reverberated around the ground.
Donegal managed to survive when Cochrane’s free was blocked and a scramble ensued, with the Donegal side clearing their lines.
When penalties came, it was Hearts whose numbers came up in the lottery.
Donegal Schoolboys: Jamie Lee Blaney, Mark McFadden, Callum Boyle, Danny McGlynn, Ethan Harkin, Anthony Gallagher, Conor McHugh, Ryan Toye, Anthony Grant, Aaron McClafferty, Mikey Sweeney. Subs: Edward O’Reilly for Grant (64), Mark McDaid for McClafferty (65).
Hearts: Harry Stone, Jay Sandison, Chris Hamilton, David Wilson, Jack Gillen, Anthony McDonald, Dean Richie, Jack Temple, Harry Cochrane, Leeroy Makovora.
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