JUST THREE points separate the top five in the Jackie Crossan Premier Division after the weekend’s games.Buncrana Hearts suffered a first defeat of the season, losing 3-1 at home to Culdaff, but Clonmany Shamrocks and Greencastle capitalised with wins.
At The Crua, champions Glengad (pictured) sent out a big message as they defeated Aileach 4-1 and are just three behind with three games in hand.
Glengad United 4 Aileach FC 1
Read Charlie Collins’ match report from The Crua here
[adrotate group=”80″]Carn FC 0 Greencastle FC 2
CARN started the game well and created three good chances with firstly Gert Dzerins firing over after Shane Doherty pulled the ball back into his path.
Then the same player was denied by a good save from JP O’Doherty before Keelan Doherty saw his effort clip the outside of the post on the half hour.
Greencastle came into the game then and broke the deadlock on 41 minutes when Shaun Cavanagh flicked on a throw in for Matthew Henry to finish superbly past Daniel Houghton.
Carn tried to press the visitors back in the second half but the nearest they came was when Darragh Deery had an effort well saved by O’Doherty.
Greencastle took advantage of one of their breaks to seal the points when Henry broke and his cross was swept home first time by Christy Hegarty to seal the points.
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Clonmany Shamrocks 6 QPS 1
CLONMANY started brightly against a youthful Q.P.S. side and went close in the 11th minute when Jason Devlin and Steve Harkin combined down the left side but Harkin’s shot was off target.
Two minutes later the Shamrocks should have taken the lead when Ferghal Harkin’s corner from the right was met at the back post by the run of Paddy Doherty but his header went just past the post.
The Shamrocks scored in virtually their next attack in the 17th minute when Brendan Doherty carried the ball out of defence and cut it into midfield where Aiden Friel swept a ball forward for Jason Devlin to come on to at the left side of the box and he finished low past Oisin Burke in the Q.P.S. goals.
Clonmany made it two when after forcing a corner,the ball was cleared to halfway where Ferghal Harkin swept in a first time ball which found Mark McLaughlin’s run and he rifled into the roof of the net from 14 yards out.
Clonmany were totally on top and added a third in the 38th minute when a lofted cross from the right found Steve Harkin’s head at the back post,with Q.P.S. keeper Burke making a double save to deny Steve, but Steve held on to possession and squared for Mark McLaughlin to drive a low shot past several Q.P.S. defenders and in to the back of the net.
The Point almost pulled one back minutes later when Joe McKinney came on to a loose ball 18 yards out directly in front of goals,but Clonmany keeper Paddy Harkin dived low to his right to turn the goalbound shot around the foot of the post for a fantastic save.
Clonmany kept up the pressure at the start of the second half and made it safe in the 51st minute when Aiden Friel glided past a couple of challenges in the centre circle and lifted a left foot pass into the path of his brother Mikey and he shot low past Oisin Burke to make it four.
Mark McLaughlin completed his hat-trick in the 73rd minute when he received the ball on the right side of the box and shot high past an exposed Q.P.S ‘keeper and two minutes later he got his fourth of the afternoon when he guided the ball into the net past Burke to make it six.
[adrotate group=”38″]With both teams making substitutions the intensity of the game dropped in the last quarter but Q.P.S. forward Connor Barron was proving lively and had a couple of chances, first one he got crowded out by the Shamrocks defence but the second time he broke forward onto a forward pass down the inside left channel and Paddy Harkin had to be alert to make a good block on the edge of his box.
The ball squirted to the byline and Connor retrieved it and set up Denim McLaughlin for a shot from the edge of the box but it curled past the post.
In the 86th minute Oisin Burke made a fantasic save to prevent Paddy Doherty adding a seventh goal for Clonmany and in the final minute of normal time Connor Barron got a well deserved goal for the Point when the ball broke to him at the right side of the six yard line and he slotted home from close range .
Buncrana Hearts 1 Culdaff FC 3
THE Hearts suffered a first league defeat of the season against a Culdaff side minus two or three regulars.
Buncrana started well and both Stephen McHugh and Adam Duffy were off target with early efforts.
They took the lead when another McHugh effort was tipped onto the bar by Darragh Mclaughlin on 15 minutes but Pat Loughery reacted first to slot home.
Culdaff got back on terms when they were awarded a penalty after Michael Coyle was upended allowing Brendan McLaughlin send Corey Wilson the wrong way firing low to the corner. Buncrana started the second period well pushing the visitors back but they failed to create any clear chances.
On 66 minutes Eugene McLaughlin sent Brendan McLaughlin away on the left and when his dangerous cross was parried by Wilson the loose ball was slotted home by Brian McCandless. The home side hit back and substitute Christopher Mc Kinley fired just wide from the edge of the area.
The visitors increased their lead when Gary Collins crossed from the right for McLaughlin to slot home from close range. The home side were dealt a further blow after Brendan Halpin was shown a second yellow card for dissent and the visitors almost added a fourth but Thomas O’Brien’s late effort was superbly tipped over the bar by Wilson.
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Strand Hotel Division One
QPS Reserves 2 Redcastle United 2
IN an entertaining game Redcastle began well and on 5 minutes Paul McGowan fed Brendan Murphy but his effort was blocked by a defender.
The visitors broke the deadlock on 22 minutes after Murphy broke through the home defence before firing low past David Bell from twenty yards.
The Point responded and Josh McLaughlin turned well on the edge of the area but his effort was well saved by Michael McCole before McLaughlin fired just wide from the edge of the area.
On the stroke of half time they got back on terms after Paul Hegarty played a on two with McLaughlin and fired high past McCole from twenty two yards.
Five minutes into the second period they took the lead when Adam harkin advanced on the left before squaring for Hegarty to fire low to the corner from 15 yards.
Redcastle equalised minutes later when Shaun Curran fired a superb free kick to the top corner from 25 yards.
On the hour mark Murphy broke clear but with bell to beat dragged his effort across the face of goal and wide in a real let off for the home side.
The home side pressed and Cathal McColgan had two efforts both well saved by McCole.
Redcastle had the final chance after substitute Michael Bonner advanced on the right into the area but from a tight angle drove into the side netting as the honours ended even.
Moville Celtic 4 Carrowmena FC 1
IN the opening minute Finn McLaughlin’s cross shot was parried by Samuel Bredin who recovered to gather Conor Doherty’s follow up.
Carrowmena responded and Mark Doherty fired just over from distance. Conor Doherty then broke into the Moville area but fired weakly at Sean McGuinness.
Carrowmena were out of luck when Christy McGeoghaghan saw his effort crash back off the post after a free into the area. At the other end Bredin dived low to his left to save brilliantly. Midway through the half Doherty fed McLaughlin whose cross saw Michael McNuaght denied twice by Bredin.
The home side break the deadlock on 28 minutes when Doherty’s ball over the top released McNaught to race clear and fire past Bredin.
On 40 minutes McLaughlin evaded two tackles and rounded Bredin but saw his effort cleared off the line by Kevin McCauley.
In injury time a John Gillen free found Charlie Gill whose header clips the bar before Bredin makes a stunning save to deny Conor Doherty from point blank range.
[adrotate group=”53″]Carrowmena’s Colin Doherty had the first effort of the second period but his cross effort was well claimed by McGuinness. When Carrowmena failed to clear a corner Charlie Gill saw his shot deflected onto the pot an cleared.
McGuinness saved well low to his left after Colin Doherty’s effort took a big deflection.
Moville make it two-nil on 59 minutes when after the visitors defence headed the ball clear Conor Doherty unleashed a volley through a crowd of players to the bottom corner.
Billy McCann added another quick goal to make it three nil before the same player crossed to Gill whose mis-hit effort was grabbed by Bredin.
A quick break by the home side saw Michael McNaught have an effort well saved.
Carrowmena reduced the deficit when Colin Doherty was upended and Dean McGeoghaghan fired a powerful effort past McGuinness who got a hand to the ball.
McGuinness saved to deny Jude Harkin on 85 minutes.
On 89 minutes Bredin beat out a Conor Doherty effort but Doherty lobbed the ball over keeper and defender to complete the scoring.
Carrowmena spurned a late chance when Colin Doherty headed over when well placed.
Inishowen Engineering Division Two
Gleneely Colts 3 Aileach Youths 0
PLAYED on Saturday night the colts got an early lead on six minutes after Cory O’Brien pounced on a back pass to force the ball past Dylan Clarke from close range.
Aileach replied and when Pat Curran fed Dermot Hegarty he really should have done better than fire tamely wide from 15 yards.
At the other end Neal G Duffy had an effort well saved by Clarke before Hegarty spurned another gilt edged opportunity when he beat the offside trap but fired straight at Adrian Duffy in the home goal.Gleneely broke and increased their lead after Duffy rose highest to glance a header past Clarke and make it two-nil.
Duffy was unlucky with a quickly taken free before the break when his effort crashed back off the bar.
Chances were fewer in the second period with Eddie McNamee’s speculative effort sailing over while at the other end Hegarty fed Curran but he drove wide.
The home side sealed the points when McNamee fed O’Brien whose mazy run took him past four defenders before he shot low to the net from ten yards.
Moville Reserves 5 Dunree Reserves 0
THE home side dominated for the majority of the game but had to wait until near the break to make their superiority count. They had the first chance when both Norbert Indyka and Kevin McDermott were denied by a double save from Simon Taylor. Dunree replied midway through the half with a fine strike from Conor Doherty well saved by Ryan Coyle.
James Gillen broke the deadlock on 38 minutes when he fired a stunning effort to the top corner.
Two minutes later Indyka crossed for Gillen to volley to the roof of the net and make it two nil.
On the stroke of half time good work by Kevin McDermott saw him pick out Indyka and he slotted home the third.
Gillen was then unlucky on 52 minutes when his effort to complete a hat trick crashed off the post.
But minutes later Kevin McDermott got on the end of Indyka’s cross to slot home from close range.
Kyle Harkin completed the scoring when he cut in from the left past two defenders before drilling to the bottom corner.
The viisitors were denied a late consolation after Bryce Fullerton’ goal bound effort was cleared off the line by JP Thompson.
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