HERE’S TODAY’S ACTION in the Donegal League.
Rathmullan Celtic 2 Castlefin Celtic 3
There’s usually a reason why clichés are clichés and on Sunday at the Flagpole Field the soaked supporters were treated to a game of two halves.
Photo caption: William Lynch of Kildrum Tigers is congratulated by his teammates following his goal against Drumoghill FC this afternoon. Photo: Gary Foy, League PRO
The wind dictated play and it was with its’ assistance that Ryan Connolly opened the scoring on 27 minutes with a free that evaded everyone in the box and ended up in the back of the net. On 31 minutes Jude Patton opened his account for Rathmullan with a clever swivel in the box after a corner to put Rathmullan two up. Judging by his performance it should be the first of many.
[adrotate group=”38″]The match completely turned in the second half as the wind got up and Castlefin took full advantage first with a delightful finish by Matthew O’ Rourke on 55 minutes and then a quick fire double from ex Finn Harps player of the season Raymond Foy and a penalty dispatched by Emmett White after a handball from the unfortunate J P Doran. Rathmullan had a couple of chances before the final whistle but Castlefin went home with the three points.
Lagan Harps 4 Kilmacrennan Celtic 2
Lagan held on to claim the three points after Kilmacrennan staged a late fightback.
Lagan started well and should have opened the scoring in ten minutes. Gavin Mc Glanaghey beat the offside trap but keeper Jason Hegarty took the ball away from Gavin as he tried to round him.
Hegarty then produce another save to block a Michael Doherty shot from close in. Kilmacrennan went close when Christopher Dillon shot over from a free-kick. Lagan opened the scoring on twenty seven minutes when Chris Toner’s cross was volleyed home at the back post by Gavin Mc Glanaghey. Kilmacrennan responded with Jimmy Mc Elwaine heading a Michael Mc Laughlin cross just over.
[adrotate group=”53″]Lagan increased their lead on thirty five minutes when Gavin Mc Glanaghey lobbed the keeper from wide on the right. Kilmacrennan went close again with Michael Mc Laughlin shooting just over and Rab Sandilands just too high with a free. Kilmacrennan started the second half well and Christopher Dillon flashed a cross just wide of the back post.
Gavin Mc Glanaghey completed his hat-trick on 58 minutes when he seized on a ball spilled by the keeper to fire home. Kilmacrennan got back into it on seventy minutes when Michael Mc Laughlin converted a penalty. They got it back to 3-2 with the goal of the game on seventy five minutes. A long ball was chested down by Timmy Burke and Christopher Dillon volleyed home superbly from the edge of the box.
Lagan got the insurance goal on eighty eight minutes when Kenny Doran got on the end of a long ball and raced clear to tap home. A hard fought but sporting game. For Lagan Ronan Gibson and Gavin Mc Glanaghey were best while Michael Mc Laughlin and Christopher Dillon were Kilmac’s best.
St. Catherines 0 Glenea United 1
Poor conditions resulted in a rather dull affair in the first half at Emerald Park.
The Glenea keeper was the busier of the two keeping the visitors in the game with a great save down to his left from a Ryan Farrelly left foot shot . Glenea came out the stronger team for the second half and started to dominate in the middle of the field as the home side tired dramatically.
[adrotate group=”46″]Their dominance paid off on 30 minutes when Eamonn Mc Hugh lobbed the Saints’ keeper from inside the box. The home team had no answer to this score and Glenea held on for a well-deserved three points. Best for Glenea were Lee O’ Brien and Paddy Cannon. Shaun Gorrelle impressed for St. Catherines.
Temple Domestic Appliances Division One
Gweedore Celtic 0 Erne Wanderers 0
Erne started best in this game that was played in blustery conditions at An Screaban. Michael Mc Kelvey did well to thwart the Erne men on several occasions.
The Celts started better in the second half and were unlucky not to take the lead when Eamonn Mc Gee dragged his shot wide with the just the keeper to beat. In the dying moments of the game Mc Kelvey again did well when he batted away an Erne shot. A well fought game with a good effort from either team. Best players on show were Michael Mc Kelvey and Conor Duggan. Referee: Ed Moore.
Raphoe Town 1 Glenree United 0
In wet conditions the match was reversed to Glenree Park and it seemed to be in the favour of the home side as they started strong in the first half with Martin Mc Bride hitting both crossbar and upright in the opening exchanges.
A controversial moment in the game came in the 35th minute when Mc Bride again hit the crossbar but it seemed to the whole of Glenree Park it crossed the line even the away goalkeeper reacted that way but to the bemusement of the home team it was awarded as a free out.
[adrotate group=”81″]The second half was a much more incident free half with two committed teams going head to head. The only goal of the game came in the 86th minute when Chris Bogle broke free and finished well to give his side the vital three points.
Gweedore United 1 Deele Harps 1
This game was changed to Saturday night and played in good conditions under the floodlights at Carrickboyle in front of a large turnout.
The home side will feel that it was two points dropped as they were well in control of proceedings until two minutes into injury time in what was a very good game. United had the majority of possession in the opening half and saw good early chances for Gary Mc Fadden, Michael Barry, Ciaran Mc Fadden and Frank Mc Gee all excellently saved by Martin Mongan in the Deele nets. The home side took a deserved lead in the 24th minute when Michael Carroll’s kick out fell to Michael Barry who put a great pass through to Ciaran Mc Fadden who finished well past Mongan to make it 1-0.
United had a number of other opportunities before the break however it remained 1-0 until the interval. In the second half Deele began to press in search of an equaliser with Shaun Gallagher, Shaun O’ Reilly and Brian Breslin playing well. Breslin hit a good shot in the 61st minute which went just wide of Carroll’s goal.
United had a number of half chances however couldn’t find that all important second goal. Deele had a headed close range effort excellently saved in the 85th minute. Other than that chance the home defence looked comfortable and it looked like they had secured the three points.
[adrotate group=”85″]Deele got a free kick just outside the 18 yard box in the 92nd minute. Shaun Gallagher curved the free into the bottom right corner off the post to earn a good point for the visitors. It was an excellent team performance from United with Mongan and O’Reilly excelling for Deele on the night in an entertaining encounter.
Donegal Town 3 Keadue Rovers 1
Donegal got off to a flying start through Benny Byrne and found themselves a goal ahead after only ten minutes.
Byrne was quickest to react finishing from close range when Declan Browne’s header came back off the post. Byrne was involved again soon after, this time taking the ball down inside the Keadue box and setting up Stephen Curneen who made no mistake from ten yards. Keadue came at Donegal strong towards the end of the first half and were rewarded for their efforts.
Keadue’s Donal Rodgers pulled the ball back to Ryan Green who fired low past the Donegal keeper. Keadue were the better side in the second half and probably deserved something from the game. Donegal’s Declan Browne had a goal line clearance and Donegal keeper Liam O’Meara made a few fine saves. But Donegal remained resilient in defence and David Graham sealed all three points for Donegal late in the game finishing low past the Keadue keeper.
Cappry Rovers 3 Bonagee United 0
Cappry Rovers secured the points when they overcame Bonagee United by virtue of a 3-0 score-line at a wet and windy Cappry Park.
Cappry took the game to the visitors from the start and in the seventh minute they hit the post from a free kick. Cappry made the break-through in the tenth minute when Calvin Bradley scored with a shot from twenty yards. Bonagee upped their game in search of the equaliser but couldn’t find a way through a strong Cappry defence.
Cappry created a few more chances but couldn’t score. They upped their game in the second half in search of the second goal and it arrived in the 58th minute following a corner the ball fell to M.P.Mc Daid at the back post and he scored from close range.
[adrotate group=”86″]Patrick Mc Nulty sealed the points for Cappry in the 71st minute when he won the ball and shot to the top of the net past the advancing keeper Cappry could have scored again but the Bonagee keeper made a good save. Best for Cappry were M. P. Mc Daid and Patrick Mc Nulty. Graham Cullen was best for Bonagee.
CT Ball Division Two
Dunkineely Celtic 4 Cranford United 3
At a wet and blustery Darney park Dunkineely got off to a flyer when after just 2 minutes a great through ball from Paul Murrin found Andrew Mackey and he lobbed the keeper to open the scoring however it was short lived when Philip Buchanan got on the end of a good cross on the 7th minute.
Both sides had chances but it was the home side who struck again on the 35th minute through Alistair Rodgers to make it 2-1 to the home side at the break. The home side came out for the 2nd half with a good strong wind behind them and struck again in the 60th minute when Andrew Mackey made great work when he rounded the keeper to make it 3-1.Five minutes later Buchanan won a penalty and he made no mistake from the spot. Five minutes after that they were level through an own goal.
Both teams pushed for the winner and it was the home side who got it from a corner. Pauric Mc Intyre headed home a great goal in the 85th minute. Best for Dunkineely were Andrew Mackey and Alastair Rodger.
[adrotate group=”80″]Ballybofey United 4 Kerrykeel ’71 F.C. 0
Ballybofey United extended their good start to the season by another week when they defeated Kerrykeel ’71 F.C. on Sunday afternoon at the Finn Valley Complex in Stranorlar. Ballybofey led by two at the break courtesy of goals from Gary Mc Girr and Damien Glackin.
In the second half Glackin added his second before Dan O’ Brien completed the scoring from close range. Kerrykeel fought until the end but Hughie Walsh and his side will have better days at the office.
Drumkeen United 10 Curragh Athletic 3
This game was reversed to the Curragh because of a waterlogged pitch in Drumkeen but the change of venue did not seem to worry Drumkeen too much as they ended up with a comprehensive victory in Killygordon.
Four goals from Peter McNamee, two each from Niall Bonner and Aaron Doherty and a goal apiece from Eoghan Kennedy and Jason Moore ensured that Drumkeen took all three points in this Division 2 fixture. Drumkeen got off to a great start when Niall Bonner scored just after the kick off.
That lead was short lived however as Tim Callaghan equalised almost immediately for the Curragh. Drumkeen were dominating the game and while Curragh battled away they found themselves behind by 4 goals to 1 at half time. Things got even worse for them in the second half when Drumkeen added a further 6 goals.
Renato did pull a couple of goals back for the Curragh but that was as good as it got for them on a day they will want to forget as Drumkeen were just too strong for them on the day. Curragh will have better days again in the future but today it is Drumkeen who are the happier as they got back to winning ways after a few draws.
Letterbarrow Celtic 2 Eany Celtic 2
In the most local of local Derby’s the men from Letterbarrow travelled the short distance to Eany Park.
Just as expected the game was physical and energy sapping. Letterbarrow took the lead after 20 minutes when Dermot Slevin banged home a free kick however the lead didn’t last long when the home side equalised on 30 minutes with a free kick of their own.
The sides went in level at half time. The Second half saw the game settle and Letterbarrow started to get the technical side of their game flowing with a dominate display, but missing multiple chance in front of goal. Then against the run of play Eany took full advantage in the 70th minute when Pauric Mc Hugh tucked home a tidy finish to give the lead to the home side.
The visitors kept pressing and where rewarded when their keeper took a free kick from inside his own half and it deceived everyone and went straight to the net. A minute’s silence was observed for George McMullan and Tony Mc Cleary.
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