THERE was no shortage of goals in the Brian McCormick Cup-Area Shield fixture this weekend. Here’s how all the action went:
Donegal Area
Cappry Rovers 4 St. Catherines 1
A lively game throughout with plenty of chances for both teams. The home team took lead through a Paddy McNulty header after great work from John Lynch.
Cappry pushed on and should have been three goals to the good after Paddy McNulty first rounded the keeper only to see Shaun Kelly clear it off the line and another Paddy McNulty chance that should have hit the net.
Just before half time Dan Breslin got Killybegs back on level terms from the penalty spot after Shaun Kelly was fouled in the box. The second-half started with Killybegs putting pressure on the Cappry goal and found themselves unlucky to find Joe Boyle in the Cappry goal in outstanding form.
The turning point in the second-half was when Dan Breslin was given a second yellow card following a foul on Dean O’Donnell in the box. Aaron Kelly found the back of the net from the resultant penalty.
Daniel Marley, making his senior debut, came off the bench to score twice in the latter stages.
Curragh Athletic 0 Donegal Town 5
(No Report Submitted)
Drumkeen United 5 Ballybofey United 2
A Youthful Drumkeen United came out on top in this entertaining game reversed to Dreenan on Sunday afternoon. Drumkeen took an early lead after some good build up play.
Niall Howley’s cross into the box was cleared and the ball fell to Eoghan Kennedy who fired home.The lead was short lived however as Jude Patton headed home from a free-kick to equalise about two minutes later.
Drumkeen then had a great spell and Eoghan Kennedy headed over the bar after a great cross from Jonny Black wide on the right. Drumkeen kept the pressure on and on the half-hour Aidan Martin scored what was undoubtedly the goal of the game with an unstoppable effort from 40 yards.
They scored a third goal after another good build up as Shane Laverty found Niall Howley out on the right-wing and his cross was fired home by Conor Laverty in the middle.
Drumkeen continued to attack and Eoghan Kennedy then had a couple of unsuccessful efforts. A foul on Michael Guthrie on the edge of the box led to a free-kick which was taken by Darren Bonner but unfortunately for him it went well over the bar just on the stroke of half-time.
Drumkeen added a fourth goal early in the second half when Conor Laverty headed home from an Eoghan Kennedy corner. Ballybofey then came back into the game again and Drumkeen were forced to defend for a while and there were several good clearances and a good save by Goalkeeper Ciaran Bonner to keep the Twin Towns’ men at bay. Shane Laverty seemed to put the issue beyond doubt when he added a fifth goal with a good strike following a Michael Guthrie cross.
Drumkeen were then reduced to ten men and shortly afterwards Caolan Marley got a goal back for Ballybofey when he headed home from a free-kick.
Letterbarrow Celtic 5 Dunkineely Celtic 0
(No Report Submitted)
Gweedore Area
Cranford United 0 Kilmacrennan Celtic 3
Kilmacrennan left Cranford Park with a victory in hot conditions. The game started with both sides cancelling each other out. Dale Mc Fadden was very unlucky not to give Cranford the lead when his effort hit the bar.
Kilmacrennan then began to take over and Terence Shields gave them the lead. It was two-nil not long after. Cranford started the second-half well and we’re unlucky on a few occasions not to reduce the deficit.
Liam McBride’s left foot strike hit the top corner to seal the Kilmacrennan win with ten minutes remaining.
Gweedore United 1 Glenea United 2
(No Report Submitted)
Keadue Rovers 3 Gweedore Celtic 0
Keadue Rovers got their first win of the season at Central Park. On a perfect day for football, Keadue settled down quickly, moving the ball around. They were forced into an early change after Paddy Bonner went off injured and was replaced by Jay Doherty. The home side dictated most of the half but found a very resolute Gweedore defence able to deal with all thrown at them. On thirty-seven minutes Calum Boyle hit a great effort from long range that rebounded off the crossbar.
Keadue eventually made their pressure pay when Jay Doherty beat a few defenders, cut in on the left, and unleashed a cracking effort past the visiting keeper on forty-three minutes. Two minutes later, on the stroke of half time, Mark Forker’s low free-kick hit the net to extend Keadue’s lead.
At the start of the second half Keadue continued on top and had a chance to make it three but Chris Greene’s penalty was well saved by Ciaran Ferry.
By the hour mark chances had also fallen to Christy Connaghan, Peter McGee and Barry Curran and they should’ve been further ahead.
Gweedore came more into it for the last quarter and Ciaran Mc Hugh had a fine run and effort just wide. Keadue made a few more subs and continued to probe without forcing the keeper into any saves. In the 90th minute the home side rounded off a good days’ work when Maurice Mc Gee met a corner with a header low to the net for a third goal.
Letterkenny Area
Bonagee United 6 Whitestrand United 0
The home side took the lead on twelve minutes when a through ball from midfield by Sergy Alcorn found Aaron Wasson and he fired home from 15 yards.
Jason Ashmore, for the home team, should have scored two minutes later when he rounded the keeper but his strike hit the post and went wide.
Aaron Curran for the visitors saw his strike on sixteen minutes go just over the bar. Ashmore made it two for the home side on 18 minutes when a great through ball from midfield by Jordan Gallagher sent him clear. Ashmore got his second to make it three nil on forty minutes when he fired home from six yards from an Aaron Wasson cross from the byline. Gavin Mc Fadden, in the visitors goal, made two brilliant saves from ten yards from Coady Brogan on forty two minutes.
The fourth goal came on forty eight minutes when Daniel Stolarczyk put Coady Brogan clear and he shot home from inside the box. Duncan Patterson got number five on fifty eight minutes when a Jordan Gallagher set him up to find the net. Aaron Curran saw his strike from the edge of the box on sixty three minute go just over the Bonagee bar.
The final goal came on sixty eight minutes when a Jordan Gallagher pass from the midfield found Peter Carr and he fired home from ten yards.
The visitors came close to scoring on eight minutes when the ball fell to Jay Curran and his strike from thirty yards came off the Bonagee crossbar.
Letterkenny Rovers 3 Fanad United 2
Letterkenny Rovers and Fanad United locked horns back in the Donegal League ranks and it turned out to be a real humdinger of a group game in the Letterkenny Area of the Brian McCormick Cup on Sunday afternoon with Rovers winning 3-2 in a five goal thriller.It was the visitors who got off to the perfect start after just two minutes when Keelin McElwaine took advantage of a huge mix-up in the Rovers’ defence to gleefully roll the ball into an empty net from the edge of the box.
Letterkenny huffed and puffed to try and find an equaliser and came closest on ten minutes when Daire Morrison flashed the ball just wide of Mark McConigley’s goal after a neat flowing move involving Jack Dwyer and David O’Donnell.
The evergreen Paul Nash then saw a tame effort well held by home keeper Blake Forkan while Enda Coll also came close to extending Fanad’s lead while Rovers had a couple of efforts flash across goal towards the end of the opening half but never really troubled the Fanad netminder.
Fanad started what turned out to be a blistering second-half the better and Nash saw a great header fail to find the target on 48 minutes and that proved a pivotal moment as two goals in the space of 90 seconds saw Rovers take the lead.
Daire Morrison levelled with a looping header on 59 minutes from a well delivered Dwyer free and Rovers were cheering again on the hour mark as Leon Doherty and James Kernan combined before Kernan’s effort across the box was tapped home by Nathan Plumb. Fanad had plenty of experience in their ranks and levelled at 2-2 on 63 minutes when Colm McGonigle executed a fine finish, giving Forkan no chance. Rovers though then re-took the lead, making it 3-2 on 66 minutes.
A well weighted cross from Conor Lynch then found Plumb and his header found the net past the outstretched Fanad netminder. Rovers almost extended their lead but Plumb saw a point-blank effort well saved by Mc Conigley before Fanad really threw the kitchen sink at their hosts for the final quarter and came close through Nash while Patrick McGinley also headed just over from a corner. The Fanad boss, Arthur Lynch, introduced himself as a late substitute and was a menace for the Rovers’ defence and he also came close late on but Rovers saw the game out to remain unbeaten in the group ahead of a trip to Whitestrand on Wednesday evening while Fanad welcome Swilly Rovers to Traigh-a-Loch on the same night.
Rathmullan Celtic 2 Kerrykeel ’71 FC 3
Rathmullan Celtic welcomed local rivals Kerrykeel ‘71 to a sun-soaked Seaside on Sunday. Eamonn Sheridan’s Hoops side were missing key personnel for this much anticipated match and they struggled against a hungrier ‘71 side in the opening half, with a thunderbolt header from Paddy Herrity on the half hour from a Marty McAteer cross the only goal of the half.
The second half saw both sides jostle for dominance in the and the Hoops almost equalised on 50 minutes when Dara Patton saw his strike from outside the area go inches wide of Eoin McGonagle’s post.
Moments later a quality through ball from Niall Carruthers saw Kevin Doran hit a venomous strike which was saved superbly by Mc Gonagle.
The visitors extended their advantage on 65 minutes when Mc Ateer out Patsy Friel through and the striker calmly netted. Following that man of the match Peter Curran saw his strike from 35 yards crash off the crossbar as ‘71 aimed to put the game out of reach of Rathmullan.
Sheridan’s Hoops however dug deep and Doran had a strike come off the crossbar on 75 minutes and their efforts were rewarded on 76 minutes when Kevin O’Donnell crossed in to Hoops winger Gerard McAteer who finished from inside the area. A few minutes later a classy Mc Ateer flick sent Doran through but once again Mc Gonagle saved from the industrious midfielder.
The Hoops pressure saw them level proceedings on 78 minutes when a Patton corner was headed home by centre half Kieran Gorman, much to the joy of the Seaside faithful.
The last quarter was all set up for a flourish but it was the visitors who edged it on 85 minutes when a long clearance from ‘71 full-back Curran beat the Hoops’ defence and sharp shooter Friel was on hand to capitalise and finish low into the bottom corner and give Hughie Walsh’s Kerrykeel the bragging rights from a good local derby match.
Swilly Rovers 0 Milford United 0
(No Report Submitted)
Lifford Area
Castlefin Celtic 3 Raphoe Town 1
Castlefin got their Brian McCormick Cup campaign off to a winning start with a hard fought victory over Raphoe. The opening exchanges started with both teams cancelling each other out with no real chances at either end.
In the 25th minute the hosts went in front when Barry Tourish capitalised on a defensive mix-up to fire into the bottom corner. Castlefin doubled their lead when Ronan Tourish broke down the right and played through Ciaran Friel who took on his man and slotted home in the 37th minute.
The home side kept the pressure on and increased their lead through an Emmett White penalty after Ronan Tourish was fouled just before the break. In the second-half the home side created the majority of the chances with Jordan Mc Kinney, Reece Gallagher and Corrie Lee Bogan all being denied by the Raphoe keeper. The visitors then pulled a goal back in the closing stages when Paddy Gallagher headed home a cross from the left.
Convoy Arsenal 1 Kildrum Tigers 5
Convoy Arsenal welcomed Kildrum Tigers to Orchard Park. the first chance of the game fell to the home side, a pass down the middle to JP Malley and the Kildrum keeper coming off his line to clear the ball. Kevin McHugh found himself in space on the wing for Kildrum and whipped the ball into the six-yard box but Damian Crossan failed to connect. Kildrum kept the pressure on with Mc Hugh rounding the Convoy keeper but shooting wide of the post.
On 25 minutes Convoy found themselves down to ten men when Darren Harvey was judged to have handled the ball on the goal-line, McHugh smashed the resultant penalty home.
The lead only lasted a few minutes as Darren McElwaine found himself unmarked at the back post and slotted home to bring Convoy back into the game. There followed a few other half-chances for either side and Kildrum finished the first-half the strongest with Mc Hugh forcing a good save from Matthew Gallagher in the Convoy nets.
A heavy rain-shower at half-time made the surface slicker and Kildrum made the extra man count in the second-half, putting pressure on Convoy with Damian Crossan scoring and Mc Hugh getting his second of the match, pouncing on a defensive error and slotting home. Damian Crossan came close for Kildrum with a volley and Matty Crossan made it four for the away side with his second attempt after a fine save from Gallagher. Damian Crossan got his second of the match near the end smashing the ball into the roof of the net from close range.
Deele Harps 2 Lagan Harps 1
In this battle of the Harps, reversed to Lagan , it was the Manor men who were quickest out of the blocks.
As early as the second minute Shay Harkin had a shot saved by David Arthur. On six minutes Deele had a penalty appeal waved away when the Lagan keeper collided with Jordy Duffy.
Lagan were still dominant early on with a shot from Ryan Tyrrell on ten minutes saved by David Arthur and Taylor Cassidy going close from the resultant corner.
Deele’s best chance of the half fell to Shane Gallagher on 35 minutes following good work down the left from Jordy Duffy and Aidy Gallagher, the effort was well saved by the Lagan keeper.
The second-half saw Deele start the brighter. Shane Gallagher unselfishly squaring the ball when well placed but the chance slipped by.
Lagan took the lead on 55 minutes when a lack of communication between two Deele players left Ryan Tyrrell through on goal and he finished calmly past David Arthur.
Deele emptied the bench to find a way back into the game and it was a case of a Late-Late show. Centre back Sean McGowan went on a mazy run on 85 minutes and went all the way into the opposition box and slotted home under the keeper for a spectacular goal from the defender.
Then, not to be outdone , Aidy Gallagher picked the ball up on the right wing, cut inside, and fired home to the top corner from outside the box to win the game on 88 minutes.
