SEVENTEEN GOALS WERE scored in the opening round of games in this season’s Dick Duffy Memorial Youth League.
Letterkenny Rovers started the defence of their crown with a 4-0 home victory against Gweedore United, newcomers Drumkeen United were the big winners with a 6-1 victory over Illistrin United, Keadue Rovers recorded a 4-0 home win against Fanad United and Bonagee United and Swilly Rovers drew 1-1 at Dry Arch Park. Â
Letterkenny Rovers 4-0 Gweedore United
A new season in the Donegal Youth League saw defending champions Letterkenny Rovers get off to a winning start defeating a gallant Gweedore United 4-0 at a very blustery LeckView Park on Saturday afternoon.
Letterkenny Rovers Youths. Photos: Stephen Doherty
It was a decent start for Rovers after a summer of change but Gweedore gave them everything in what was an entertaining first half before Rovers dominated the second period.
Gweedore were a handful in the early exchanges with bustling striker Denis Coll in particular a thorn in the Rovers defence but they did not create any clear cut chances of note although did have a shout for a penalty on 11 minutes when Coll went down under a challenge from Jerome Angel-Atauhene but referee Marty Quinn was not convinced and waved away the strong appeals.
Rovers took some time to find their stride but did take the lead on 20 minutes. Tarlach O’Boyle robbed Dean McColgan of possession before finding Shane Doherty.
Doherty in turn found O’Boyle again and after his shot was initially cleared it fell to David O’Donnell and his angled shot from 16 yards found the bottom corner past visiting goalkeeper Ciaran Griffin.
United should have got level just four minutes later when they missed a glorious chance as John Brown blazed high over the bar when he ought to have hit the target.
That could have changed the course of the match but Rovers began to settle into a pretty pattern of play and tried to play football the way it should be played.
The impressive Sean Curran and Zach Gorman both came close while Gweedore had yet another shout for a penalty on 45 minutes when Angel-Atauhene again tangled with Coll but again the referee waved away the appeals.
Any hopes of Gweedore getting anything from the game evaporated on 48 minutes when a cross from O’Donnell found Eoghan Kelly at the back post and when his header was parried by Griffin in stepped Shane Doherty to fire home from just a yard out.
Gweedore United Youths
Confidence was ebbing through a Rovers team and goal number three arrived on 58 minutes. A Zach Gorman corner was met wonderfully by Tarlach O’Boyle and his powerful header found the back of the net.
From then on in it was a matter of playing out the game with a succession of substitutes limiting any free flow to proceedings and it was one of those subs Cody Brogan who put the icing on the cake for the home side when getting on the end of a super Divine Okoroji cross to slot home on 84 minutes.
Gweedore United will be pleased with their first half display and had impressive performances from the likes of Coll, Conor McMahon and young Mark McFadden while Rovers boss Anthony Gorman knows that his side are very much work in progress as he attempts to stamp his mark on a much changed team but will be happy with the way his side approached today’s game and in the manner of their final victory.
Player of the Match: Sean Curran (Letterkenny Rovers)
Letterkenny Rovers:Â Eoin McLaughlin; Calvin O’Brien, Eoghan Kelly,Rory McCrosan, Jerome Angel-Atahuene, Ruairi Friel, David O’Donnell, Sean Curran, Shane Doherty, Zach Gorman, Tarlach O’Boyle. Subs; Daire Morrison for O’Boyle, Cody Brogan for Angel-Atahuene, James Tourish for McCrossan, Divine Okoroji for O’Donnell.
Gweedore United:Â Ciaran Griffin; Jamie McGee, Conor McMahon, Dean McColgan, Conor McFadden, Odhran McFadden, Shaun McFadden, Noel Sweeney, Denis Coll, Mark McFadden, John Brown. Subs: Reece McBride for Shaun McFadden, Ultan Boyle for Brown, Aaron Bowyer for Mark McFadden, Seighean McNelis for Sweeney.
Referee:Â Marty Quinn.
Drumkeen United 6-1Â Illistrin UnitedÂ
Drumkeen Utd began life back in the Youth League with an emphatic 6-1 victory over Illistrin United, however Drumkeen did not have it all their own way throughout the game.
Drumkeen started the brighter  from the off and put the opposition under pressure.Their pressure finally told on the 15th minute when Padhraic Patton showed his leadership skills and stepped out from his centre half position to slide the ball through to Kevin Bonner and he finished well sliding the ball past the United netminder.
Drumkeen were relentless in their pressure and increased their lead in the 25th minute when a kick out from Carl Dunnion eluded the Illistrin defence and allowed Anthony Bogle to lob the keeper to make it 2-0.
Illistrin however began to come more into the game cumulating with Carl Dunnion making a great save from a Illistrin attack.
However that was as good as it got for Illistrin before the break as Drumkeen increased their lead just before the break as Kevin Bonner turned provider this time and his pass through the eye of a needle found Conor Rodgers in space 20 yards from goal, and gave the keeper no chance by curling his shot into the top corner to make it 3-0 at the interval.
Illistrin made Drumkeen pay for wasting that opportunity and scored a fine goal themselves from a corner when the ball broke out to the edge of the box and Illistrin scored from 20 yards.
The next goal was going to be important for either team and lucky for Drumkeen, Kevin Bonner made up for his earlier kiss by volleying to the net following a corner.
Bonner was deservedly giving a break from the action after his great workmanlike performance and his replacement Micheal Guthrie was soon at the heart of the action for Drumkeen. Gutre was intent on showing the management that he is capable of a starting berth and on the 79th minute scored from a great cross from Conor Rodgers who had worked hard to get into the crossing position.
However the goal of the day was left to Drumkeen captain Eoghan Kennedy who showed a matured display all day from his midfield holding position and skipped past a few challenges and with his weaker left foot put the ball beyond the despairing reach of the Illistrin keeper. Drumkeen had performers all over the pitch and Illistrin will have better days at the office.
Player of the Match: Conor Rodgers (Drumkeen United)
Keadue Rovers 4-0 Fanad UnitedÂ
Last years Youth League runners up Keadue Rovers got off to a winning start in this year quest for glory after a 4-0 home victory over Fanad United.
The Rosses men got their first goal of the game in the 17th minute when Paul Early found space inside the 18-yard box to fire home after a well worked corner kick. Early doubled his and Keadue’s tally in the 32 minute when again he found space inside the penalty area to give Fanad’s keeper no chance.
In the second half, Fanad came more into the game and created numerous chances but were unable to find the back of the net and in doing so were punished when Chris Greene helped himself to a brace of goals in quick concession to leave the final score 4-0 to Rovers.
Player of the Match: Paul Early (Keadue Rovers)
 Bonagee United 1-1 Swilly Rovers Â
In an evenly contested encounter at Dry Arch Park, in Bonagee, Swilly Rovers gained an away point against their hosts Bonagee United played in perfect conditions.
The Ramelton side took the lead in the first half through Oran Higgins but this was cancelled out by a fine strike from Conor Logue for Bonagee midway through the second half. Both sides had chances to win the game but with both defences in good form,the points were shared in their opening game of the new campaign.
Player of the Match: Conor Logue (Bonagee United)
Results
Letterkenny Rovers 4-0 Gweedore United
Drumkeen United 6-1 Illistrin United
Keadue Rovers 4-0 Fanad United
Bonagee United 1-1 Swilly Rovers
Saturday 19 September, 2pm
Gweedore Celtic v Letterkenny Rovers
Swilly Rovers v Drumkeen United
Fanad United v Bonagee United
Gweedore United v Keadue Rovers
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