The Fr O’Gara Cup swung back into action today and there was no shortage of drama across the various grounds.
Hannon Greene Insurances Fr O Gara Cup
Redcastle Reserves 1 Sea Rovers 4
Rovers got a dream start when Ciaran Doherty scored with a header from a corner after only five minutes.
Redcastle tried hard to get back into the game and midway through the half Shay Davenport went close with a good effort.
Then on 38 minutes Evan Craig unleashed a shot on the run which whistled past the post. But Rovers doubled their lead on 55 minutes when Damien Harkin tapped home after the home defence failed to clear.
A long clearance form the back saw Gary Doherty race clear and he kept his composure to finish well past Terry McColgan.
Harkin made it foul on 85 minutes when he raced clear of the home defence to slot home.
McColgan in the home goal came out the field and scored a consolation when he hammered a twenty yards effort low into the bottom corner.
Carn Reserves 0 Clonmany Reserves 3
In wet conditions this was a dull enough affair with the first shot on target for the visitors on 24 minutes when a Pierce McCarron point blank range effort was superbly tipped over by Greg Doherty.
Clonmany opened the scoring when Michael Doherty fired a twenty yards effort to the top corner on 36 minutes.
Clonmany added a second on 50 minutes when Oisin Hession crossed for Ryan Doherty to head home from eight yards.
Then minutes later a good build up saw Johnny mcDaid fire low to the corner to make it three-nil.
The home side battled to the end but failed to create a chance of note as Clonmany cruise into the next round.
[adrotate group=”46″]
Rasheney Reserves 1 QPS Reserves 1 (Rasheney win 3-0 on pens)
After early pressure from the visitors it was the home side who broke the deadlock when after Jack McLaughlin was upended in the area and Johnathan Toland fired home from the spot on 21minutes.
The Point responded and Simon Wallace headed narrowly over after a corner. But the home side had another good chance on 28 minutes after a long clearance from Toland released Conor McDaid but he hooked the ball just over the crossbar.
QPS got a grip on things for a while with Wallace and Paul Hegarty firing narrowly wide before Hegarty was unlucky to see his header crash off the post.
Rasheney had another good chance on the stroke of half time after Nathan McConalogue broke clear on the right but with a two on one advantage his cross failed to pick out a team mate.
The visitors equalised on 54 minutes after a Hegarty corner was powered high past Niall Devlin from ten yards.
Devlin then did well on 63 minutes to hold a Christy Harkin effort before another Hegarty free found Kevin Wallace but he failed to hit the target. Hegarty then played a neat one two to break into the area but Devlin advanced to smother.
The Point continued to press and Devlin had to be alert to smother again at the feet of Adam Harkin to see the game go into extra time.
In the first period McConalogue crossed for Jack McLaughlin but his looping header was clawed away by Bell.
At the other end Gavin Grant broke clear but a fantastic last ditch Ryan McLaughlin tackle saved the day.
In the second period Kevin Noone had an effort blocked by the point defence.
The visitors had the last chance bu Wallace had his shot palmed away by Devlin.
The Point hit the post with one, had another wide and another penalty over the bar and Rasheney scored their first three kicks to advance.
[adrotate group=”81″]Greencastle Reserves 0 Culdaff Reserves 1
In a good even contest both sides had chances but the visitors converted the all important one to advance.
Culdaff started well and when Niall McLaughlin released Jack McLaughlin his low effort was well saved by Puaric Carey Doherty.
On 15 minutes when Jack McLaughlin was upended in the area Niall McLaughlin fired the kick low to the bottom right hand corner.
This knocked the home side back a bit and they had to wait until the 43rd minute to create a chance but Daniel Rowan fired wide from eight yards when well placed.
In the second half Eunan McDaid for the home side fired an acrobatic effort over the bar while visiting keeper Pauric O’Donnell saved well from Rowan, McDaid and Puaric Gillen.
At the other end Carey-Doherty had to be alert to foil Aiden Cunningham Niall & jack Mclaughlin as Culdaff squeezed through.
Moville Reserves 3 Glengad Reserves 2
Moville started well and Kevin McDermott had an effort saved by Ryan Lafferty while Ryan McColgan saw an attempted chip land on the roof of the net.
Glengad replied and PJ McDaid fired over from six yards when he should have hit the target.
Moville were out of luck on the half hour mark after Graeme Doherty saw his effort crash off the bar.
Glengad broke the deadlock on 42 minutes when a shoprt corner was played to Mark McKinney and his driven low cross was deflected past Ryan Coyle by an unfortunate defender.
Moville started the second period well and equalised when McDermott released McColgan to slot low past Lafferty from twelve yards.
Within minutes the visitors regained the lead after McDaid raced clear of the home defence to fire low past Coyle from 15 yards.
Moville upped the tempo and Kyle Harkin had an effort cleared off the line on the hour mark.
They did get back on terms on 70 minutes after McColgans cross was headed home by McDermott from eight yards.
Two minutes later they took the lead when McDermott scored with a sublime chip from the edge of the area.
Glengad rallied and Mark Smith saw an effort crash off the bar and into keeper Coyle’s hands. In the closing minutes Smith saw a well struck free saved by Coyle as Moville advance.
Cockhill Youths 1 Aileach Reserves 2 (after extra-time)
After fuve minutes Ruairi Bradey fired a free just over the bar while the visitors suffered a blow with Thomas McMacken retiring injured.
Cockhill replied with Kevin McDaid seeing a well struck effort saved by David Mcgeady before Tommy Doherty fired wide when well placed.
Aileach responded and Declan Caldwell saved well to deny Paul McHugh. Cockhill had another chance but Jarlith Herrity blazed over as the half ended scoreless.
Cockhill took an early lead in the second half when Sean Doherty broke clear and scored at the second attempt.
Both Kevin and Jack McDaid failed to hit the target from good positions. Aileach equalised on 65 minutes McHugh fired past Cadlwell from twenty five yards.
On 78 minutes the last chance of the game fell to the home side s McDaid but McGeady saved well.
There were few chances in the second period but on 107 minutes Caldwell parried a cross and McHugh poked home.
[adrotate group=”53″]Carrowmena FC 1 Illies Celtic2 (after extra-time)
lilies , having beaten Carrowmena eight-nil in the league last week, started well and on 15 minutes opened the scoring when William McLaughlin played a one two with Dominick Coyle before seeing his effort parried by Michael Noone but into the path of Paddy Doherty to slot home.
Midway through the half Johnny Radcliffe headed a Kevin McElhinney effort off the line to keep the home side in it. Carrowmena came more into the game and on 32 minutes Raymond Campbell, Conor Lafferty and Gerard Gill all combined to find Trevor Kane who sidestepped a defender but fired into the side netting.
The home side got back on terms on 37 minutes when Andrew McLaughlin fed Samuel Bredin and he unleashed a brilliant left footed effort which flew past Johnathan Noone and in off the underside of the bar.
This spurred the home side and on 63 minutes Lafferty raced onto a Campbell pass but fired past Noone and inches past the post.Illies responded and spurned a good chance when Liam Grants close range effort drifted wide.
Carrowmena had a great chance to win the game on 82 minutes when Mark Doherty sent Lafferty clear of the Illies defence but he fired high and over the bar from the edge of the area.
After an even opening first period of extra time Illies struck the killer blow on 106 minutes when after home keeper Noone punched a corner clear Dominick Doherty returned the ball into the area for Dominick Coyle to fire low to the corner and seal the tie.
Moville Celtic 5 Illies Reserves 1
As expected the home side dominated the opening period of this game with a weak Finn McLaughlin header saved by Graham Doherty before James Gillen’s cross deflected off a defender and onto the crossbar.
McLaughlin had another effort parried by Doherty before the keeper saved well from a Michael McNaught free on 28 minutes.
Illies then had a good chance after Adrian Donaghey-Doherty crossed for Joe McDaid to control well but fired inches wide from twelve yards. Moville increased the tempo with McNaught denied by a Stephen McGonigle tackle before the same player just failed to get on the end of a Norbert Indyka cross.
Charlie Gill then fired a free kick straight at Doherty before on the stroke of half time the visitors Dominic Doherty crossed for Caolan Whoriskey but his side footed effort was well saved by Sean McGuinness as the half ended scoreless.
Moville kept the pressure on and within two minutes of the restart had broken the deadlock when Conor Doherty controlled Gillens cross and slotted low past Doherty.
On 55 minutes it became two-nil after Doherty was upended in the area and Charlie Gill converted. After a scramble in the area on 69minutes Mclaughlin fired a first time volley to the top corner.
But the visitors reduced the deficit on 78 minutes when Liam O’Connor had a header superbly tipped round the post by McGuinness.
From the corner Donaghey Doherty had a snapshot parried and O Connor was on hand to slot home. They went close again after a McDaid cross saw Donaghey-Doherty’s glancing header drift just wide.
Moville then broke quickly and when McNaught squared to the unmarked substitute Billy McCann he fired home from six yards.
McNaught then ran onto a ball over the top and rounded a defender before making it five-one.
Illies substitute Brendan Doherty had a late chance but his effort was saved by the legs of McGuinness.
