THERE WAS a busy programme – and plenty of goals – across the various divisions of the Inishowen League today, including a change of leader in the Premier Division.
Jackie Crossan Premier Division
Culdaff 0 Aileach 10
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Illies Celtic 2 Carn FC 0
The first half was a dour midfield battle with both defences and few chances at either end.
Carn finished the half strongly and on 41 minutes Cade Cooke cut in from the left and unleashed a powerful right footed effort which crashed off the bar.
Then on the stroke of half time Cooke’s cross found Brandon Browne who headed straight at Noone when well placed.
Illies were rejuvenated after the break and broke the deadlock on 56 minutes after Liam Doherty fed David Doherty who crossed for Adrian Donaghy-Doherty to drill home from 12 yards past Daniel Houghton.
Carn responded midway through the half when Shane Doherty broke into the area but he fired straight at Noone in the home goal.
Illies sealed the points on 79 minutes when Paul Doherty’s deep cross saw an attempted clearance blocked by Frankie O’Connor and the ball fell for Donaghy-Doherty to slot home his second and clinch the points.
Glengad United 0 Cockhill Youths 2
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Strand Hotel First Division Division
QPS 4 Aileach Res 0
The point dominated the opening period of the game with Caolan McColgan firing just wide before John McCloskey got on the end of McColgans cross and from six yards was denied by a superb Ciaran Bradley save.
When the Aileach defence cleared a corner to Stephen McKendry he fired just wide from twenty five yards. They took the lead on 39 minutes when Caolan Harkin fed McColgan who capitalised in hesitancy in the visitors defence to slot low past Bradley from 12 yards.
Aileach came into the game then before the break and from a corner both Paddy Curran and Darren Bradley had efforts cleared off the line.
Then from a Shane McMonagle corner on the stroke of half time Ryan McElhinney headed inches over.
A long kick out in the opening minute of the second half by home keeper Lynch was collected by McColgan who rounded Bradley to slot home and give the home side a dream start to the second half.
Caolan Harkin then had an effort saved by Bradley before at the other end Stephen Doherty got his head to Chris McGarrigle’s corner but a defender cleared his goalbound effort. Two goals in a five minute spell sealed the points for the home side.
First John McCloskey advanced on the right and managed to squeeze the ball past Bradley from a tight angle.
Then they scored the goal of the game when Shay Lynch cut in from the left and unleashed a brilliant right footed effort to the roof of the net from thirty yards.
Aileach kept pressing and McMonagle saw a free well saved by Lynch who then pulled off a tremendous one handed save to deny Sean McHugh from 12 yards.
Redcastle United 2 Rasheney FC 2
The home side had the first opportunity when Darragh McConway fed Shane McColgan, who fired wide from 20 yards.
Rasheney replied on the half hour and took the lead after Shane Cregan collected a pass from John McLaughlin and fired low past McCole from twelve yards.
They increased their lead minutes before the interval when Paul McConalogue fed Charlie Doherty who fired a superb effort to the roof of the net from twenty five yards.
The home side got a goal back on the hour mark when an Evan Craig corner found Brian McColgan who fired high to the net past Paddy McGilloway with aid of a deflection.
Rasheney replied with Cregan breaking through the middle but failing to hit the target and Charlie Doherty seeing an effort crash off the post.
The home side reply and when McConway finds Brendan Murphy he is narrowly off target with a well struck shot.
Redcastle salvaged a point late on after another Craig corner is headed clear by McConalogue but McConway collects the ball and curls it into the bottom corner.
Dunree United 2 Glengad Res 2
Glengad took the lead on 16 minutes after a ball over the top found Paul McDermott to shoot high past John Lafferty in the home goal.
Defences were on top then for a long period but the home side equalised just before the interval when in a good move Caolan McBride found Peter O’Neill who in turn lays the ball off for Thomas Mulhern to fire low past Michael McLaughlin.
Glengad get a good start to the second half and regained the lead on 57 minutes when McDermott again gets in behind the home defence to lift the ball over the advancing Lafferty.
Dunree battled hard and got back on terms for the second time on 73 minutes when a corner broke for Mulhern to slam home his second goal of the game.
Both sides had chances to claim all three points. McDermott was first denied his hat trick by a superb one handed save from Lafferty while in the final piece of action Jamie Brosnan saw his close range effort blocked by the legs of McLaughlin.
Inishowen Engineering Division Two
Ilies Res 8 Carn Res 1
Illies dominated from start to finish against an under strength and very young Carn side. They got off to a flying start with two goals inside ten minutes.
Ryan McElhinney headed past Kyle Harkin from a Craig Doherty corner before Alan Fletcher sidestepped a defender and fired high to the net.
Fletcher cushioned a header down for John Pio Donaghy to fire home the third on 22 minutes. Goals from Fletcher and Ronan Hegarty in three minutes before the break left it five-nil.
McElhinney then added his second on 50 minutes with a cross-cum-shot which deceived Harkin. Carn to their credit kept playing and got a goal back when Aaron McCarron broke forward and fed Cian Diver to drill the ball low past Kevin Gallagher.
Fletcher completed his hat trick from the penalty spot after he had been fouled before Shane Devlin completed the scoring with a stunning twenty five yards effort to the top corner.
Inishowen Engineering Division Two A
Aileach Youths 0 Moville Res 1
In a tight game of few chances the home side had the first after 13 minutes when Stephen O Donnell fired straight at Ryan Coyle in the Moville goal when well placed.
The visitors then took the lead midway through the half after a Shane Canning free kick was cleared out to Finn McLaughlin who fired low through a crowd of players past Ryan Fox.
Aileach spurned a good chance before the break when Michael Morrison released Callum Porter, but he failed to hit the target from ten yards. After a tight opening to the second half Moville s Danny Murphy had an effort well saved by Fox on the hour mark.
Aileach responded on 74 minutes with a Darren Bradley effort turned round the post at full stretch by Coyle.
Aileach tried hard to salvage something from the game but the Moville defence dealt capably with everything thrown at them.
Clonmany Celtic 1 Dunree Res 0
Clonmany got it much tougher this week against a Dunree side beaten six one last week by the same opposition.
With defences on top there were few goal chances at either end. Clonmany opened the scoring late in the first half after a floated ball from Paul Mclaughlin was superbly volleyed to the top corner by Niall McDaid.
Dunree upped the tempo on the restart and midway through the half their best chance fell to Paddy Toland but he hammered over the bar from close range. Clonmany should have added a second late in the game but his glancing header drifted just over the bar.
Inishowen Engineering Division Two B
Carrowmena Res 2 Culdaff Res 1
Culdaff started the better and Paul Mills got on the end of Mark Doherty’s deep corner but his header clipped the bar on the way over.
Jack Mclaughlin beat a couple of defenders but was denied by a fine save from Brian Houghton. Mc:aughlin threaded a fine ball into the path of Sean McGrenaghan but his effort was blocked by Houghton’s legs.
Against the run of play the home side opened the scoring on 42 minutes when the visitors defence failed to clear a Gerard Gill cross and the ball broke for James McDermott to lash to the roof of the net from close range.
Culdaff upped the tempo on the restart and equalised on 54 minutes after Mills ball over the top found McLaughlin who advanced and rounded Houghton to slot home.
McLaughlin then spurned a good chance when he fired wide from a good position.
Carrowmena took the lead again on 71 minutes when Gill fed Mark Doherty and he fired low past Dermot Callaghan from inside the area.
Culdaff pressed in the latter stages but all they could muster was an effort from distance by McLaughlin which Houghton saved well.
Rasheney Res 0 Clonmany Res 0
An entertaining local derby saw the visitors start the better and on 16 minutes after good one touch play between Lee Coyle and Tiernan McDonald the ball was worked to Alex McFadden whose dipping effort dropped just over the bar.
They went close again midway through the half after a corner found Aaron Harkin whose header crashed off the bar. Rasheney responded on the half hour with a Ciaran Dillon free which was headed over by Joey Holland.
Play swung to the other end and a powerful driven effort from Conor Bradley was well saved by Roger McGilloway in the home goal.
Rasheney spurned a clear chance on 41 minutes after Ronan McConalogue ‘s low cross found the unmarked Ryan Doherty but he blazed over when well placed as the half ended scoreless.
Clonmany substitute Dean Harkin had the first effort of the second half when he despatched a low effort which McGilloway gathered at the second attempt.
Midway through the half John McDaid’s looping shot was also well saved by McGilloway.
Rasheney responded on 73 minutes with Holland’s free finding Dillon whose header just cleared the bar.
The final chance also fell to the home side when substitute Trevor Doherty broke on the left and his low cross was cleared under pressure by Bradley at the expense of a corner.
