Greencastle took their 100 per cent record to 13 games this afternoon as Nigel McMonagle’s hat-trick inspired the Greeks to a big win over Redcastle United.
The win means Greencastle extend their league at the top of the Jackie Crossan Premier Division to nine points from champions Glengad United.
Greencastle FC 6 Redcastle United 0
In the opening minute both Nigel McMonagle and Sean Doherty had efforts blocked by Redcastle defenders before Jamie McCormick fired wide.
Redcastle responded and when Alan Clarke advanced into the area his shot was well saved by Dylan Doherty.
Greencastle opened the scoring on 13 minutes after a Michael Henry flick over a defender fell to McMonagle to slot low past Joe McCauley.
Minutes later Shaun Doherty fired a superb effort to the top corner following good work by McCormick and Stephen Grant.
Grant then crossed for McMonagle to slot home from close range before Grant then had a shot which cannoned off the post.
McMonagle then completed his hat trick tapping in from close range after McCauley had parried a Matthew Henry effort.
Redcastle went close before the break when Corey Walsh fired a free kick just wide. Greencastle continued to dominate in the second half and McMonagle was denied by McCauley before henry fired over.
On 57 minutes Sean Doherty played a fine pass over the top for McCormick to control and curl a superb shot past McCauley.
Within minutes he added another when he collected McMonagle’s lay off to drill low to the corner. Redcastle kept trying and Walsh fed McConway but he fired inches wide.
McCauley in the visitors goal then made two stunning saves from McMonagle and a Michael Barr header before McMonagle was off target with the final chance.
Buncrana Hearts 2 Clonmany Shamrocks 1
Buncrana had the first chance on 9 minutes when a Mark McFadden half volley was tipped onto the post by Patrick Harkin.
Clonmany – needing a win to avoid the relegation play off – upped the tempo and took the lead on 24 minutes after Jason Devlin broke clear on the left to fire low past Eoghan O’Doherty in the home goal.
Devlin then had two good chances to increase their lead when firstly he fired across goal and then fired wide at the near post when well placed.
Against the run of play the home side equalised when Kevin O’Loughlin rose high to head home a Kieran McDaid free from close range.
The home side were better in the second half and McFadden had a shot tipped round the post by Harkin before O’Loughlin headed over from the corner.
Clonmany replied with Mark McLaughlin firing over from twenty yards. McDaid then broke clear for the home side on 85 minutes but chipped the ball over the bar.
Clonmany went on all out attack then and had two free kicks in dangerous positions crash off the wall. With the visitors pushing so many men forward they were caught in injury time when McDaid broke clear and when hauled down Ferghal Harkin was red carded.
To add salt into the wounds McDaid’s free found Gerard Boyle to head home and consign the Shamrocks to a relegation play off against Cockhill Youths.
Strand Hotel Division One
QPS 2 Cockhill Youths 1
Darragh McDermott had the opening chance but his attempted lob drifted over Aiden Lynch’s crossbar. On 21 minutes they went close again after Mark McDaid fired just wide from the edge of the area.
The Point replied and Aaron McColgan saw his well struck effort turned round the post by Kyle Dougal. At the other end a corner broke to McDermott whose effort was blocked and Adam McCarron’s header was cleared off the line by James Quigley.
Cockhill went close again when David Robb’s cross found McDermott whose volley was well saved by Lynch.
The last chance of the half fell to the home side when Stephen McHendrie had an effort saved by Dougal.
The Point took the lead minutes into the second half when Aaron McColgan collected the ball in his own half and advanced to drill low to the net from the edge of the area.
Cockhill almost replied instantly when substitute Michael Noone saw his effort gathered at the second attempt by Lynch.
But the home side doubled their lead when Sean McColgan after being forced wide by Dougal pulled the ball back for Aaron McColgan to drill the ball home.
Cockhill kept pushing and when McDermott pounced on a poor back pass Lynch was out smartly to clear.
They got a goal back on 58 minutes after Sean Donaghey got on the end of Noone’s free to head in off the underside of the bar.
The Point were always dangerous and Dougal made two smart saves to deny Sean McColgan and Sean Downey. Cockhill were then reduced to ten men after Shane Doherty picked up a second yellow card.
The visitors had a late chance but Noone’s angled effort was saved by Lynch.
Hannon Greene Fr O’Gara Cup
Aileach Youths 3 Dunree Reserves 2
​​​​​Played in perfect conditions both teams fought to the end in a game marred by three red cards.
On 10 minutes Dunree were reduced to 10 men when Conal McGrory was given two yellow cards for dissent.
Aileach took the lead on 20 minutes when Ryan Wilson’s cross was directed towards his own goal by an unfortunate defender but Ryan Fitzpatrick made a great save but could only parry the ball into the path of Liam Watson who slotted home from five yards.
On 25 minutes, Aileach were reduced to 10 men when Darren Bradley was booked twice in quick succession, firstly for a trip and the second for an alleged dive.
Dunree levelled the game five minutes before half time when Ryan O’Donnell fired a cross into the box and Ryan Doherty inadvertently directed the ball past Clarke in the home goal. Aileach regained the lead
right on the half time whistle when Wilson’s cross evaded everyone and ended up in the bottom corner.
Aileach came out quickly at the start of the second half and went 3-1 up within a minute when Willie O’Donnell released Liam Watson on the right and his cross found Wilson at the back post to fire into the net.
Dunree reduced the arrears within five minutes when a corner was only cleared to the edge of the box where Ryan O’Donnell controlled and fired into the bottom corner.
On 70 minutes, Aileach were reduced to nine when Pól McGrory tripped a Dunree player in the middle of the pitch and received a straight red card. Dunree pressed hard for an equaliser but the Aileach defence held firm and Aaron Doherty had a great chance in the last minute when he raced clear but Fitzpatrick narrowed the angle and he fired wide.
Inishowen Engineering Division 2 A
Redcastle Reserves 2 Greencastle Reserves 5
Greencastle got off to a flying start when Conor Gillen found space to drill low to the corner.
Ronan Doherty then hit the bar with one effort before the same player saw an effort saved by Ben Faulkner.
Gillen then scored his second when he headed home from a corner on 20 minutes. Five minutes later the home side got back in the game after a Brendan Murphy cross found Ronan Hoy who slotted home. But before the break a quick free released Daniel Rowan who advanced to fire low to the corner from 20 yards.
Redcastle had the first chance of the second half when Hoy unleashed an effort but Seamus Bovaird got down well to save. Greencastle increased their lead then after some good passing ended with Andrew Peoples firing past Faulkner from inside the area.
Redcastle rallied and Darragh McConway and Murphy combined for Hoy to slot home. They went close again then after Marty Byrne had a shot which crashed off the bar.
Greencastle sealed the points when Adam Harkin intercepted a defensive pass and slipped the ball to Joe Doherty who made no mistake from twelve yards.
Inishowen Engineering Division 2 B
Illies Reserves 1 Cockhill Reserves 2
In a scoreless first half the visitors had most of the play and Paddy McLaughlin, Kevin McDaid and Ryan McDaid were all off target with good efforts.
Cockhill broke the deadlock on 55 minutes after great work by Kevin McDaid saw him pick out Paddy Mclaughlin to fire low past Graham Doherty from twelve yards.
They increased their lead on 68 minutes when McDaid ‘s superb cross found McLaughlin who had the simplest of tasks to slot home from six yards.
Illies rallied and Liam O’Connor had a shot which skimmed the bar before Ronan Hegarty was denied by a good save from Declan Caldwell.
On 82 minutes the home side got a goal back after Martin Donaghey advanced into the area to fire to the roof of the net.
They had another late chance when Hegarty broke into the area but he fired narrowly wide.
Culdaff Reserves 4 Carn Reserves 1
The home side got off to a great start on 5 minutes when Jack McLaughlin pounced on a defensive error to drill the ball high to the roof of the net.
A superb Paul Mills ball over the top on 21 minutes then released McLaughlin who chipped the advancing keeper to make it two nil.
Midway through the half Dean Mason made a fine save to deny Gary Collins and Damien Duffy’s follow up was brilliantly blocked on the line by Jack Nelson.
Culdaff continued on top and before the break Mclaughlin somehow spurned his hat trick and rounding a defender and the keeper he somehow fired wide.
Culdaff continued on top after the break and Matt McDaid released Ben Curley, but his effort was saved by Mason. McLaughlin did complete his hat trick when he got on the end of a Mark Doherty free to head home in the 66th minute.
Carn then pulled a goal back when the unmarked Calvin O’Donnell headed home following a corner.
John Downes then broke clear and fired at Martin McLaughlin but the ball squirmed from his grasp and crashed off the post.
Substitute Niall McLaughlin sealed the win for the home side on 83 minutes when he expertly controlled Duffy’s cross before firing to the roof of the net.
Rasheney Reserves 3 Carrowmena FC 2
The home side had the upper hand for most of the game but a depleted visitors side mounted a strong challenge in the final half hour.
Rasheney’s Mark Kelly tried to set up an early chance when he flashed a low ball across the face of goal. It evaded keeper Brian Houghton but there were no takers at the back post. Mid way through the opening half the deadlock was broken when Kelly’s strong shot was parried away by Houghton as far as Nathan McConologue whose low ground shot from the edge of the area found the bottom corner.
Carrowmena’s first attempt on goal came via John Lynch’s lay off to Gerard Gill who drove wide of goal from just outside the box.
The visitors had a let off when Rasheney’s Conor McDaid had a shot blocked with the ball falling to Kelly but he was out of luck when his attempt came off the base of a post and off the keeper before it was hacked to safety by a defender.
Just short of the interval the home side’s lead was doubled when Kelly’s layoff to McDaid saw the latter’s shot finding its way into the net. Shortly after the resumption Tiernan McDonald had an opportunity to increase the lead but his shot flew over the top but the scoreline did move on to 3–0 when McConologue’s run carried him beyond two defenders before he drove to the net from inside the area.
Carrowmena then came into the match for the remainder of the game. They were out of luck twice in quick succession.
Gill’s looping shot from distance was grabbed under the crossbar by a back-peddling Roger McGilloway and the same player saw his high looping effort drop just over with McGilloway stranded further out.
On 74 minutes Ryan McLaughlin dispossessed a defender and bore down on goal but the advancing McGilloway made an excellent save.
A minute later Carrowmena got on the scoresheet when Gill managed to push the ball sideways past the keeper to Anthony McDermott and he had the simple task of finding the gaping net.
The home side’s best efforts of the half came from a strong shot from Paddy McGilloway and a drive from Brian Devlin after a Ciaran Dillon layoff but Houghton was equal to both. Carrowmena further reduced the deficit when Michael Doherty headed home Gill’s corner and Gill himself could have scored an equaliser right on full time when he found himself in behind the home defence and seemed certain to score but McGilloway came to the rescue.
