It’s tight at the top of the Four Lanterns Ulster Senior League with just six points separating the top four teams.
While Cockhill Celtic remain top after brushing past Bonagee United today, Fanad United are right in the chase after an emphatic win over Derry City Reserves and Arthur Lynch’s men will have a chance to go top next week.
Also today, Finn Harps Reserves defeated Swilly Rovers in Ramelton.
Bonagee 0 Cockhill Celtic 5
Click here to read Chris McNulty’s report from this game
Swilly Rovers 2 Finn Harps Reserves 4
Finn Harps Reserves got off to a dream start with two goals in the opening ten minutes.
Niall McGinley crossed from the left and Jamie Brown shot home from six yards.
On ten minutes Dylan McGrory hammered home a thunderbolt effort to make it two.
On 41 minutes Marty McDaid gave the home team hope when he curled home a delightful effort from the edge of the box.
In the opening stages of the second half Eamon McHugh and Kennedy Ansah were both unlucky when there fine efforts struck the crossbar.
Adam Duffy, with a header following a corner, increased the Harps lead on 71 minutes.
On 82 minutes McDaid knocked the ball home on close range to make it 3-2, but Brown, with a fine drive, sealed the points in injury time to make it 4-2.
Swilly Rovers: Jamie-Lee Blaney, Matthew McLaughlin, Brad Patterson, Paul Clarke, Conor Duggan, Duncan Patterson, Ryan McDaid, Eamon McHugh, Kennedy Ansah, Marty McDaid, Adam Salhi. Subs: Jordan Nugent, Jason McDaid, Matthew De Cook.
Finn Harps Reserves: Joe Boyle, Ciaran Kelly, Darragh Ellison, Keelan McGill, Keenan Diver, Steven Doherty, Jamie Brown, Niall McGinley, Adam Duffy, Dylan McGroy, Luke Nelis. Subs: Kyle McGinley, Liam Doherty, Paul Ferry, Dean O’Donnell
Derry City Reserves 1 Fanad United 6
Fanad fully deserved their victory in Derry that keeps them on Cockhill’s coat tails. Right from the start of game they pressed a young Derry team into mistakes giving the ball away in bad areas of the pitch.
With five minutes of the game and pressing high they stole the ball in the middle of park and punished Derry with Daragh black scoring his first of three.
They second was a carbon copy as Derry played the ball into a dangerous part of pitch and again Black was onto it to score his second .
Derry started to play with a tempo after that and scored a great goal. Good movement from McBride got him behind the Fanad backline and he squared for Adrian Delap to score.
Fanad scored again through Oisin McMenamin and Tony McNamee added another before the break as Arthur Lynch’s men led 4-1 at the interval.
Derry made four changes at the break and played a lot better in the second half with McBride and Gormley hitting the post.
But with Tony McNamee, Oisin McMenamin and Daragh Black on form, Fanad really put pressure on Derry and it was McNamee who scored Fanad’s fifth, a great finish.
They were not finished as Black scored his third and their sixth. On this performance Fanad will not be far away at end of season.
RESULTS:
Four Lanterns Ulster Senior League
Sunday
Bonagee United 0 Cockhill Celtic 5
Derry City Reserves 1 Fanad United 6
Swilly Rovers 2 Finn Harps Reserves 4
FIXTURES:
FAI Intermediate Cup
Sunday, January 21
Cherry Orchard v Letterkenny Rovers
Home Farm v Cockhill Celtic
Four Lanterns Ulster Senior League
Sunday, January 21, 2pm
Bonagee United v Finn Harps Reserves
Swilly Rovers v Fanad United
TOP GOALSCORERS
League goals only
Mark Moran (Cockhill Celtic) 8
Tony McNamee (Fanad United) 7
Oisin McMenamin (Fanad United) 6
Laurence Toland (Cockhill Celtic) 5
Garbhan Friel (Cockhill Celtic) 5
Shaun McBride (Derry City Reserves) 5
| Table | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Pts | ||
| Cockhill Celtic | 7 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 31 | 7 | 24 | 16 | ||
| Fanad United | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 26 | 11 | 15 | 15 | ||
| Letterkenny Rovers | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 12 | * | |
| Derry City Reserves | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 10 | ||
| Finn Harps Reserves | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 17 | 23 | -6 | 9 | * | |
| Swilly Rovers | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 28 | -21 | 1 | ||
| Bonagee United | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 25 | -21 | 1 | ||
| * Letterkenny Rovers awarded 3-0 win after Finn Harps didn’t field | ||||||||||
