THE DONEGAL SUNDAY LEAGUE resumed today following the Christmas break with some big scorelines and a couple of shocks along the way.
Picture caption: Daniel Kennedy gets his head to the ball in a crowded penalty area during the 1-1 drawn game between Cappry Rovers Reserves and Erne Wanderers Reserves on Saturday. Picture courtesy of Ciaran Foy
Brian Mc Cormick Sports Premier Division
Kilmacrennan Celtic 2 Castlefin Celtic 2
KILMACRENNAN Celtic entertained Castlefin Celtic on Sunday afternoon at the Errigal College Grounds.
Prior to the game the sides lay eight places apart in the Premier Division table. It looked likely that the visitors were going to widen that gap as they raced into a two-goal lead.
JP Malley reacted sharply when Barry Tourish’s shot came back off the post. The frontman made no mistake from six yards with goalkeeper Jason Hegarty unable to prevent the goal.
There was little Hegarty could do either fifteen minutes later when Malley swivelled and sent an inch perfect shot into the top corner from twenty yards out.
Despite falling behind Kilmacrennan didn’t give in and pulled a goal back before the interval when Kieran Gorman scored. The second half was a closely fought affair with both teams having good spells and chances. Ryan Shields levelled the scores on 75 minutes to claim a share of the spoils for the home side.
Kildrum Tigers 0 Glenea United 3
GLENEA opened the scoring on 10 minutes when Kevin Mulhern headed home from a free kick.
Kildrum tried to get back into the game for the rest of the half but couldn’t create any chances.
Glenea doubled their lead on 60 minutes through Ciaran McGeady and they wrapped the game up on 80 minutes with a great solo goal from Eamonn McHugh.
Drumoghill FC 2 Cappry Rovers 0
DRUMOGHILL FC got back to winning ways with this critical victory over Cappry Rovers thanks to early strikes from Chris Malseed and Paddy Rafferty.
It was no more than the home side deserved and was just the tonic needed before next week’s showdown with league leaders Castlefin Celtic. Cappry, to their credit, did have the better of the second half after Drumoghill were dominant during the opening half.
Darren O’Leary almost reduced the arrears on 68 minutes with an acrobatic scissors kick that came agonisingly back of the post with Paul McCauley beaten.
Drumoghill, keen to get their form going again after defeat against Milford United in their last outing, took the lead on 8 minutes with a brilliant header from Chris Malseed although credit should be given to Liam O’Donnell for his part in the goal. O’Donnell’s centre from the right was so well placed that Malseed simply had to direct the header beyond McBride to put his side ahead.
Drumoghill’s dominance continued and twelve minutes later they doubled their advantage after Gerard McGranaghan’s defence splitting pass sent Rafferty through and the striker made no mistake, driving home beyond McBride’s despairing drive.
St. Catherines 2 Gweedore Celtic 2
ST CATHERINE’S and Gweedore Celtic shared the points from this match at Emerald Park. Shane O’ Rourke and Gareth Concarr were both on target for the Killybegs men while Shane Porter, from the penalty spot, and Brendan Mc Geady got the Gweedore goals.
Temple Domestic Appliances Division One
Cranford United 1 Lagan Harps 8
Lagan got off to a great start, scoring with a fine long range effort and they doubled their lead shortly after. Cranford pushed well and we’re unlucky when Marty Mc Bride’s effort was smothered by the Lagan keeper. Lagan then got a third just before the break. They extended their lead further adding two more goals before Cranford were awarded a penalty, after good work from James Lee McBride, which Marty McBride converted. Lagan added a few more before the final whistle.
Kerrykeel ’71 1 Raphoe Town 5
RAPHOE’S first came on 35 minutes and it was the goal of the game, Seamus Bogle hit the top corner from 30 yards giving Niall Doherty no chance. Raphoe got their second on 48 minutes, this time Oliver Quinn fired home from six yards. Kerrykeel sent keeper Niall Doherty up top to try and cause Raphoe problems and he did just that, forcing the Raphoe keeper to make a string of fine saves. Raphoe took the ‘71 on the counter and scored three fine goals through James Gallagher, Donal Craig and Caolan Kelly to take all three points.
Niall Doherty got a consolation for the ‘71 on 85 minutes when he beat three men and fired a great strike into the bottom corner.
Lifford Celtic 1 Bonagee United 3
BONAGEE raced into an early advantage as Lee McMonagle fired past Lee White twice in the first ten minutes.
Both goals were quality finishes to the bottom corner with one coming from either foot. Bonagee dominated the first half and made this dominance count as Oisin Kelly grabbed a third on the half hour mark.
Lifford eventually came into the game following the re-start and had numerous chances to pull a goal back only for some fine goalkeeping.
On 70 minutes James Connolly gave Lifford a lifeline, finishing to the roof of the net from 25 yards.
Gweedore United 0 Keadue Rovers 1
THIS local derby played in cold, wet and wintry conditions in Gweedore saw Keadue get a vital three points from the League leaders in an entertaining game
Keadue had decent chances through Conor Greene and Shaun Burns however Shaun Mc Clafferty in the United nets was excellent on each occasion.
In the second half Keadue came out and began to push for the opener with Ryan Greene rattling the post and Corey Gallagher’s excellent free kick bringing the best out of McClafferty in the United nets.
The visitors got their breakthrough in the 62nd minute when an excellent corner by James Boyle was tapped in by Ryan Greene to make it 1-0.
Donegal Town 0 Convoy Arsenal 8
Donegal Town were left shell shocked after an 8-0 home defeat to Convoy Arsenal. Convoy started the game with a point to prove and found themselves four goals ahead after only 20 minutes.
Despite three first half substitutions things never got any better for Donegal as Convoy were too strong in all areas of the pitch.
Convoy went about the second half of the match in a similar fashion to the first and the game finished 8-0. Johnny Robb was outstanding for Convoy netting four goals. James Kee, Marty Vance, Ryan Carlin and Damien Harvey also getting their names on the scoresheet.
CT Ball Division Two
Deele Harps 5 Whitestrand United 0
DEELE’S breakthrough came on 20 minutes when Johnny Mahon and Paul Lynch combined well to set Brian Breslin free and no defender was catching him and Breslin fired low past the keeper.
Deele doubled their lead when a superb free kick from Paul Lynch on the right curled in off the post.
The second half saw Whitestrand come into it more and indeed they were awarded a penalty on 60 minutes but Chris Roulstone made a stunning save to his left. That was the chance for Whitestrand to get back in the game.
From that point Deele awoke again, on 65 minutes, Gary Wilson-Mc Girr made a super run from right back which took him into the box where he pulled back for Shane Gallagher to fire home.
Deele made a few changes and Gary Wilson-Mc Girr popped up the left side and his run into the box led to a penalty for Deele. Shane Gallagher fired home from the penalty spot to make it 4-0 on 77 minutes.
The game was petering out when Gavin Gallagher broke from midfield and played in Johnny Mahon and his shot was saved but Shane Gallagher was on hand to tap home the fifth
Curragh Athletic 1 Letterbarrow Celtic 1
LETTERBARROW kicked off 2016 with a trip to Killygordon to take on Curragh Athletic who just his week parted company with their manager of two years Neil Lloyd. Billy Sweeney, appointed until the end of the season, took charge and saw his team start extremely well.
That being said Letterbarrow were right in it too. There were chances at both ends and Curragh were disappointed not to be awarded either of their two penalty claims when first Dan O’Brien and later James Sweeney seemed to be brought down unfairly in the box.
Letterbarrow disagree and the referee waved play on. Curragh started the second half brightly and were rewarded on 50 minutes when Jason Sweeney found the net for the home team.
Letterbarrow got their goal with 20 minutes to go, Gerard Mc Brearty producing a good finish.
Erne Wanderers 4 Eany Celtic 0
ERNE’S first goal came on twenty minutes when Phillip Patton cut in from the right and finished neatly into the bottom corner.
It was a relief for the hosts as they missed numerous chances and hit the crossbar twice through Mulligan and Ward.
The hosts were bossing it all over the park and number two came on forty minutes when Diarmuid Spratt finished a great move, involving several one touch passes, when he burst into the box and calmly tucked the ball into the bottom corner.
Erne pressed straight from tip off at the start of the second half and Mulligan pinched the ball and he crossed to Sticky Ward who dinked it over the keeper.
Erne then kept the ball and passed it around and the fourth came when a through ball found Mark Dorrian at the corner of the box and he cooly rounded the keeper with fifteen left on the clock
Copany Rovers 1 Dunkineely Celtic 4
THE home side started the best and were rewarded with a goal on 15 minutes when Lee ‘Bruce’ Doherty scored a thumping header off the underside of the crossbar from a Roger Leonard free kick.
Dunkineely started to grow into the game and equalised on 35 minutes. Copany were unlucky not to be ahead at half time after a great free kick hit the bar.
Copany never really got going in the second half and Dunkineely took advantage by firing in two quick goals to give them a 3-1 lead. Copany pushed hard to get back in the game but missed a number of chances and couldn’t find the back of the net and Dunkineely added a fourth to give them a 4-1 win.
Ballybofey United 1 Glenree United 5
GLENREE United cemented their place at the top of the CT Ball Division Two table with a comprehensive win over Ballybofey United at the Finn Valley Complex on Sunday.
They went ahead as early as the first minute when they scored from the penalty spot through Barney Boyce. The home side never produced the form they are capable of and fell further behind before the interval.
Glenree added three further goals in the second half and a lone Shaun McGowan strike was the only reply from the Finnsiders. Damien Nelis (2), Marty Mc Laughlin and Colin Gallagher were the other Glenree scorers.
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