BUNCRANA Hearts enjoyed a big win on Sunday to make it two wins from two in the Clubman Shirts League Cup with games played on Friday and Sunday. Here’s what happened:
SUNDAY
Moville Celtic 0 Buncrana Hearts 8
Buncrana dominated from start to finish in this League Cup game at the Bayfield. The visitors opened their account in the 16th minute when Aaron McDaid fired low into the corner from 14 yards after Kieran McDaid had worked his way into the Moville area.
Seven minutes later it was two nil with Jerry Gill sweeping into the net at the back post after a series of blocked efforts from the Buncrana attack.
Ryan Doherty dispatched a penalty in the 27th minute after a handball in the area by a Moville defender.
Buncrana began the second half on the front foot and had their fourth within five minutes of the restart when Mikey Friel, who had spurned a series of chances in the first half, placed the ball well past Teles in the Moville goal after being set clear following a poor Moville clearance.
The home side’s only shot on target came from Michael McNaught in the 65th minute who latched onto a misplaced Rory Kelly pass only for the keeper to redeem himself with a fine save.
Substitute Darach O’Connor made it five when he nodded past Teles after a mix up in the Moville defence when defending a Buncrana throw in. Teles denied O’Connor twice after that by palming onto the crossbar and getting low to his right but the visitors made it six nil when defender Shane Dillon was blocked twice but fired home on the third attempt.
Sub Michael Coyle made it seven in the 79th minute with a well-placed shot to the far corner and the visitors wrapped it up in the 86th minute when O’Connor outstripped the Moville defence to fire home and make it eight nil to the visitors.
Aileach FC 1 Glengad United 1
The early part of this game was a very cagey affair with a lot of play condensed in the middle third and defences on top. On 15 minutes an Aileach free kick from the left just evaded Gavin Doherty at the back post.
Glengad responded and on 20 minutes a Conor Barrow snap shot from the edge of the box was easily dealt with by Darragh McLaughlin. Midway through the half, Keelan Doherty won possession thirty yards out and fired a left foot drive which clipped the outside of Kevin McLaughlin’s right hand post.
Despite having the lions share of possession Aileach struggled to create anything clear cut. On 40 minutes a long ball by Matthew Byrne found Terence Doherty but the number nine’s shot on the run flew well wide.
On the stroke of half time a good break down the right by the home side resulted in a Darren McMonagle cross finding Aaron Nash but the big forwards powerful near post header was narrowly wide. Glengad began the second half on the up and on 55 minutes created their best opportunity of the match.
Conor Barrow got to the bye line and pulled the ball across for the unmarked Terence Doherty but the centre forwards side foot effort from six yards just missed the target.
The home side took the lead in the 55th minute after the overlapping Darren Gallagher squared the ball back for Gavin Doherty who controlled before slotting past McLaughlin low to the keepers right from 12 yards.
Glengad put an extra forward on at this stage and began to press the home side back. They forced a series of corners in quick succession but the home defence stood firm.
With Glengad forcing the issue Aileach had opportunity’s on the break but a couple of last ditch tackles and some poor choices let Glengad off the hook.
This would come back to bite them when on 82minutes Glengad were awarded a hotly disputed penalty which James McKinney converted low to McLaughlin’s right.
With the home side visibly tiring after two games in three days it was the visitor’s who finished the stronger but Aileach held out for the draw and what was a fair outcome.
Illies Celtic 1 Greencastle FC 5
The visitors got off to a brilliant start when they opened the scoring on four minutes after a superb Nigel McMonagle flick released Jamie McCormick to fire high past Johnathan Noone.
On nine minutes Mc Monagle claimed another assist when he crossed for McCormick to finish with aplomb from 12 yards and double their lead. Illies replied and Adrian Donaghey-Doherty fired over when well placed. They got a goal back when Liam Doherty s excellent cross found Frankie O Connor to head past Aodh Campbell.
The visitors finished the half the better with McMonagle striking the post before firing over but on the stroke of half time raced clear and fired low past Noone.
Illies got the worst possible start to the second half when they conceded an own goal to go four one down. Illies tried to reply and when Kevin McGonigle flashed a great ball across goal there were no team mates to apply the finishing touch.
On 75 minutes a superb defence splitting James Henry pass released McMonagle who calmly slid the ball past Noone to complete the scoring.
FRIDAY
Buncrana Hearts 3 Carn FC 2
In damp conditions at Castle Park there was an explosive start to this game when Christy McLaughlin pounced on a defensive slip in the home rearguard to drill low past Rory Kelly.
Buncrana equalised almost immediately after Aaron McDaid beat a defender and squared for Jerry Gill who scored at the second attempt after his initial effort was saved by Kyle Harkin. Buncrana got on top then with Eoin Murphy and Michael Coyle just off target before a Shane Dillon free crashed off the bar.
On 21 minutes the hearts took the lead when Calvin Gallagher fed Aaron McDaid and his cross came off a defender past Harkin. A brilliant solo run from Kieran McDaid took him past four defenders before he rounded Harkin and made it three one. Carn responded and Christy Diver saw an effort saved by Kelly on the half hour.
The home side almost made it four before the break when a brilliant run and cross by John Timlin saw the ball deflect goalwards off a defender but Harkin pulled off a stunning reaction save.
Kyle Harkin in the Carn goal pulled off two superb saves to deny Aaron and Kieran McDaid in the opening quarter of the second half.
Midway through the half the young stopper made a tremendous double save to foil Kieran McDaid and substitute Mikey Friel’s follow up.
Carn battled well and go back into the game on 72 minutes when Cade Cooke took advantage of hesitancy in the Hearts defence and drilled across Kelly to the far corner. In the closing stages Gill poked just wide before Friel was denied again by Harkin .
Clonmany Shamrocks 1 Aileach FC 5
Aileach took the lead in the second minute when Caolan Doherty cut in from the right wing and drove a shot past Clonmany keeper Kieran Friel to the bottom right hand corner.
They almost doubled their lead in the 21st minute after Caolan Doherty broke clear on the right wing and crossed but both Aaron Nash and Darren McMonagle failed to connect with their attempted headers.
They did double their lead in the 37th minute when Aaron Nash crossed from the byline and Dermot Doherty arrived at the back post to send a header to the net.
Aileach added a third just before half-time when they intercepted a pass 20 yards from the Clonmany box which was fed out to Caolan Doherty on the right and he slid a low cross for Aaron Nash at the back post to fire low past Kieran Friel from ten yards.
Aaron Nash almost scored his second of the night in the 50th minute when he was picked out by Darren McMonagle’s cross from the left wing but his shot went past the Clonmany right hand post.
The conditions deteriorated with a heavy shower driving spectators to find shelter but this seemed to mark Clonmany’s best spell in the match with Dean Harkin bursting past Dermot Doherty on the right wing and he forced a save out of Aileach’s Darragh McLaughlin in the 61st minute.
Clonmany pulled a goal back in the 66th minute with Niall McLaughlin and Jason Devlin combining down the left for Jason to cross and Jake Harkin struck a shot past Darragh McLaughlin.
Aileach killed any hopes of a Clonmany comeback when in the 72nd minute Thomas McMonagle headed home at the near post from a corner from the right.
Clonmany were forced to make a change in goals on the 80th minute when Kieran Friel was stung numerous times by a wasp under his shirt and had to be replaced by Paul McLaughlin for the remaining minutes and with five minutes remaining Gavin Doherty scored Aileach’s fifth from 10 yards out when McLaughlin was unable to hold Aaron Nash’s shot from the right of the box to seal an emphatic win.
Cockhill Youths 3 Illies Celtic 1
Cockhill Celtic Youth claimed the points in this local derby to get their season off on the right track in the Clubman Shirts League Cup. In a tight opening affair, it was the visitors who settled the better of the two sides and Adrian Donaghey-Doherty shot wide from the edge of the area on 18 minutes.
Cockhill’s Adam McLaughlin then blazed a free over the bar from close range after Dominick Doherty had been adjudged too have fouled Jack McDaid on the edge of the ‘D’.C
ockhill opened the scoring on 34 minutes after Michael Noone advanced from right back to play a one-two with Ryan McDaid and as Noone continued on into the area he just got enough of the toe on the ball to slide in past the advancing Jonny Noone in the Illies goal. Cockhill added a second minutes later when a determined run by Shane Anthony Doherty got on the end of a through ball from Conor Allen for the former to strike a composed finish low into the corner of the net past Noone’s outstretched left hand.
The 2-0 lead was short lived as Illies struck back on 38 minutes when Liam Doherty advanced unmarked into the middle of the pitch to receive a pass from brother Paul before advancing to the edge of the box and shoot right footed past Daniel Houghton’s right hand as he dived low to his right.
Illies sensed another goal before the break and when Kevin McGonagle advanced into the area on the left he cut back on his right but the shot was blocked by the covering defender Odhran O’Brien-Daly
Illies again started the brighter of the two sides in the second half and the young forward Grant had a great chance on 55 minutes but he put his effort over the bar. Cockhill had joy down the flanks but where all too guilty of hitting efforts from range instead of working the opening closer to the net.
The long-distance shots where all too easy for Noone in the visitor’s net. Illies brought on John Campbell for a more physical approach with 30 minutes to go but the Cockhill defence of O’Brien-Daly and Bobby Bradley stood up to the challenge. Cockhill went 3-1 up on 75 minutes after Mark Moran picked the ball up 25 yards from goal and danced his way out of a few tackles before shooting left-footed past Noone to the right corner of the net.
Illies never stopped for the remainder of the game but Cockhill stood firm to claim the points
