The Inishowen League was back again this weekend in another exciting weekend of action across Donegal, with the fixture of the weekend Buncrana Hearts and Aileach ending in a draw.
Jackie Crossan Premier Division
Buncrana Hearts 2 Aileach FC 2
The home side will be the happier of the two sides in the end as they trailed by two goals to nil after 36 minutes of an action-packed first half.
An error in the home defence after 10 minutes allowed Anthony Doherty to cross to the back post for Dermot Doherty to slot past Eoghan O’Doherty.
The Hearts replied and after some good short passing, Aaron McDaid fired narrowly wide from sixteen yards. But Aileach went close again with their next attack with Dermot Doherty’s cross glancing off the face of the crossbar.
Buncrana upped the tempo and Kieran McDaid had a free deflected wide, Eoin McNamee turned sharply but failed to hit the target before Shane Dillon had an effort saved.
Then after 36 minutes, Aileach’s Gavin Doherty curled a twenty yards free to the top corner to double the visitors’ advantage.
Buncrana rallied and got a goal back four minutes after this when a diagonal Gary Duffy pass picked out McNamee and his low cross was slotted home at the back post by Kieran McDaid.
On the stroke of half-time, McDaid brilliantly controlled a Kevin O Loughlin pass before finishing superbly to make it two all at the break. As expected the second half did not contain as much action.
Kieran McDaid had a header saved by Peter Devlin while O’Doherty denied Darren McMonagle at the other end. Gavin Doherty then fired over from distance before Kieran McDaid done likewise.
In the final minute Anthony Doherty was denied by O’Doherty and when the home side broke to the other end Stephen McHugh saw his effort saved as well.
FAI Junior Cup
Glenree United 0 Illies Celtic 4
Illies started well and on 11 minutes Liam Grant played a short corner before receiving the ball back to fire a superb low effort to the corner.
Grant, Paul Doherty and Odhran McColgan all spurned good chances to extend their lead.
They almost paid the price when they conceded a penalty on 36 minutes but Johnathan Noone made an excellent save.
Illies increased their lead on 55 minutes when Adrian Donaghey, Doherty finished superbly after a superb Paul Doherty pass.
Doherty then headed over from a Grant corner before on 68 minutes Donaghey-Doherty‘s cross was superbly headed home by Paddy Doherty at the back post.
Within minutes Illies made it four nil when an excellent cross from Paddy Doherty found Donaghey – Doherty who finished superbly to the corner.
Raphoe Town 1 Carn FC 0
Failure to convert good chances at crucial moments in the game cost the visitors and they paid the price in the end.
Raphoe had the first chance on 4 minutes when David Craig fed DJ Kelly but he failed to hit the target.
Carn replied and a Cade Cooke corner found Matthew McLaughlin but his effort was tipped over by Roy Duffy. Both Darragh Deery and McLaughlin fired wide from good positions with the latter chance an especially good one.
On 35 minutes Raphoe’s Stephen Craig had a header from a corner parried away by keeper Conor Doherty.
Before the break Carn’s Gert Dzerins beat a defender to advance towards goal but failed to hit the target from ten yards.
The crucial score arrived on 52 minutes after Paddy Kelly released DJ Kelly and his cross was headed home by Ryan McCullough to the roof of the net.
Carn tried to reply and when Aaron McCarron flicked on Shane Doherty’s cross Conor O’Donnell fired high and wide. With Carn pushing the home side had the final two chances with Dylan Brophy firing wide and Reece Laird heading over.
Glengad United 8 Redcastle United 0
Glengad inflicted a second heavy defeat on the visitors in the opening month of the season. Matthew Byrne advanced on the left on 10 minutes and his powerful driven cross deflected off an unfortunate defender past Michael McCole.
After 21 minutes John G McLaughlin fed Doherty and he fired a low effort from the edge of the area past McCole.
Redcastle had a half chance midway through the half when Brendan Murphy’s snapshot flew just past the post. But the home side resumed on the front foot and Doherty cut in from the left and scored with a delightful chip over the stranded McCole.
Conor Barrow made it four when he turned well on the edge of the area and fired to the top corner before Adam Byrne fired in another goal from the edge of the area on 41minutes.
Before the interval Barrow’s free found McLaughlin and he headed home from close range.
Glengad then increased their lead two minutes into the second period when Adam Byrne got his second with a tap in from a fine cross by Barrow.
The introduction of Seamus Doherty into the Redcastle defence certainly stemmed the flow and the home side had to wait until the 88th minute to add to their tally. Good combination between Doherty and John G McLaughlin saw the former race through and slot low past McCole to complete his hat trick.
Cockhill Youths 1 Rathmullan Celtic 2
Cockhill Celtic Youth bow out of the FAI Junior Cup after a narrow defeat to visitors Rathmullan Celtic FC from the Donegal League.
Cockhills Adam McLaughlin (Wanish) had the first real chance but he lashed his shot wide from the edge of the visitors 18-yard box, he should have worked the keeper.
Rathmullan kept the ball well in the opening period and often looked to get Jay Dee Alawiye on the ball from his wide left position.
The visitors keeper Shay McFadden was called into action twice in a short period of time, on 25 minutes he saved with his legs from a Adam McLaughlin effort after McLaughlin and Jack McDaid played a neat one-two on the edge of the box.
The ball was recycled but Keegan Hegartys effort was finger tipped over the bar by McFadden to keep the score at nil nil. Cockhill opened the scoring on 30 minutes when Jack McDaid finished off a great individual goal with a neat right foot finish from the left twelve yards from goal.
Rathmullan levelled on 36 minutes when Mark Wilson found space on the left channel to advance into the area and shot low past keeper Lee McCarron at his near post. The visitors went ahead on the stroke of half time when the lively Kevin Doran found space inside the area and his deflected effort found its way past McCarron.
Cockhill bossed the play in the second period without really creating too many goal-scoring chances and when they did the impressive John Doran put his body on the line with some important blocks. On a few occasions McLaughlin & Hegarty found some space in the midfield but the final ball was letting them down.
The home side almost forced extra time in the last play of the game but after McLaughlin sent Hegarty in on the right his ball into the area was cleared by Shaun Patton with no green shirts taking a chance to get in the box.
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