DONEGAL JUNIOR LEAGUE REPORTS
CT Ball Division Two
Letterbarrow Celtic 0 Kerrykeel ’71 F.C. 5
An experienced Kerrykeel ‘71 proved too strong for a very young Letterbarrow side at Tymeen. The deadlock, in a tightly contested first half, was broken after 40 minutes when Johnny Friel beat the offside trap to fire low past the keeper. Shortly after the restart Letterbarrow were caught napping when Sean Gallagher scored two quick goals for the visitors. Mikey McBride made it four nil in the 60th minute, with a fine header and Sean Friel wrapped up the scoring for the visitors when his effort was deflected past the keeper on 80 minutes. Mikey McBride, Barney McBride and Conor McGowan were best for Kerrykeel.
Old Orchard Inn Saturday Division One
Ramelton Mariners 1 Fintown Harps AFC 1
NO REPORT
Glenea United Reserves 4 Erne Wanderers 0
In fine condition Glenea reserves got the better of the league leaders with this well earned victory. Glenea started strongly and took the lead on 8 minutes when Michael Mc Clafferty headed home a Martin Doohan cross. Glenea pressed hard to increase their lead but failed to take any of the chances they created. Erne tried hard to get into the game but were finding it difficult to create any chances. The home side started the 2nd half strongly and increased their lead on 60 minutes when Michael Mc Clafferty headed home a Brian Cuffe cross for his 2nd goal of the game. Glenea got their 3rd goal on 67 minutes when Joe Friel scored from close range. Erne came closest to a goal when Michael Ward saw his effort come back off the post. Glenea got the 4th goal on 83 minutes when Kevin McFadden tapped the ball home from a Brian Cuffe header.
Best for Glenea were Tommy Rodgers, Michael Mc Clafferty & Sean Sweeney, while it was team effort from Erne
Micky Mulhern was the referee.
Glencar Inn Saturday Division Two
Gweedore United Reserves 3 Milford United Reserves 1
This game played on a nice afternoon at Carrickboyle saw the home side take all three points following what could only be described as a good end to end match. Gweedore started the strongest with good possession and they saw Ciaran Gillespie’s good effort come off the post in the 17th minute. The home side saw good efforts from Stephen O’ Donnell and Sean Paul Mc Mahon well saved by Mc Ginley in the Milford nets. The Carrickboyle men broke the deadlock in the 39th minute when a good pass from Ciaran Cannon fell to Stephen O’ Donnell who rounded a defender to drive into the bottom corner of Mc Ginley’s net to make it 1-0. The second half started with Milford going all out in attack and in the 47th minute they got their equaliser when a defensive error was capitalised on by Hugh Mc Menamin to make it 1-1. The game opened up following that equaliser and it was end to end stuff from then on. Milford had good chances through Ciaran Gibbons and Ciaran Blaney however the Gweedore defence marshalled by Patrick Mc Fadden stood firm. It was the home side that regained the lead in the 62nd minute when an excellent pass from Sean Paul Mc Mahon was lobbed over Mc Ginley by Stephen O’ Donnell to make it 2-1. Milford went in search of an equaliser, opening up their defence, and they were caught on the break in the 89th minute when Niall Friel ran from half way to finish well making it 3-1 ensuring the points remained with Gweedore United. Aidan O’ Donnell and Ciaran Gibbons played well for Milford while it was a good team effort from the home side.
Referee: Ed Moore.
Keadue Rovers Reserves 1 Donegal Town Reserves 1
Keadue and Donegal Town shared the spoils in this Division 2 game at Central Park on Saturday. The home team were the better starters and in the sixth minute, following good work by Adrian Hanlon, the ball went through to Darragh Hanlon and his shot was well parried. The same player was again to the fore midway through the first half when his strike was once again well saved. In between this though Donegal Town started to get a lot of possession and had some good passing moves but didn’t make any chances of note. By the half hour Adrian Hanlon had a good strike from long range saved by the keeper and at the break it was 0-0. At the start of the second half Keadue again created an early opportunity, Donal Rodgers shooting wide after a good solo run. However Donegal Town had a good effort go just wide on fifty five minutes and for most of the second half forced territory and possession. It was no surprise when in the seventieth minute they went one up. From a good free kick David Bustard rose well to head home from close range. A few minutes later it could’ve been two when a long range effort struck the crossbar with the keeper beaten. On seventy eight minutes however Keadue were level, against the run of play, when Luke Neely’s shot from the edge of the area was fumbled by the keeper and Donal Rodgers nipped in to poke the rebound home from close range. In the final ten minutes both sides tried to win it, the closest either team came was a shot by Keadue’s Adrian Hanlon on eighty five minutes. A fair result overall with good team performances from both sides.
Referee: James Malseed
Watson Hire Division One
Drumoghill F.C. 4 Ballybofey United 0
Drumoghill wrapped up the year of 2012 with their most impressive performance during those 12 months, easily despatching what was a very strong Ballybofey United side. The result was never really in doubt after quick goals from Shane McIntyre and Liam O’Donnell put the home side two goals ahead inside the first quarter, although it could’ve been all so different had Ballybofey not spurned a glorious chance from the penalty spot on 7 minutes. Referee Mc Loughlin had no option but to award the penalty after David Gordon diverted Duffy’s cross away from goal with his arm, but goalkeeper Eamon Mc Auley blasted the resulting kick high and wide before facing the long trek back to goal.
Mc Auley’s day was to get worse 3 minutes later as he failed to hold McIntyre’s well struck 20 yard free kick after Maurice Lafferty was adjudged to have fouled Karlos Rodgers before being helpless as Liam O’Donnell stroked home after good work from Richard Moore.
Drumoghill were now free flowing and confident and killed the game as a contest on the half hour with the goal of the game. McIntyre turned creator after collecting Christy Martin’s pass and his first time cross was met perfectly by Richard Moore at the near post.
With the game as good as over, the game fizzled out as a contest in the 2nd half, during which Liam O’Donnell grabbed his 2nd goal after exchanging passes with Richard Moore. Ballybofey though will feel unlucky not to have grabbed a consolation through full back Duffy as his superb strike from 30 yards rebounded back of the frame of the goal. O’Donnell should’ve completed his hat-trick near the end after being sent clear by Crossan before McCauley redeemed himself by pulling off a miraculous save when Rodgers seemed certain to score from point blank range.
Good team efforts from both sides with Chris Breen impressing for the visitors along with John Madigan, Christy Martin and Greg Regan for the reds.
CT Ball Division Two
Bonagee United 2 Gweedore United 1
Bonagee took the lead on three minutes when Darren Coyle headed home a Kevin Doran free kick from ten yards out. Matthew Byrne came close for the visitors on ten minutes when his shot from the edge of the box went just wide of the post. Gweedore were well on top at this stage and a Shane O’ Donnell cross from the left was met by Ciaran Mc Fadden but his shot went wide from ten yards. Gweedore had three great chances in the next ten minutes but John Carr in the Bonagee goal was in excellent form and Glen Rainey and Seamus Mc Ginty had goal line clearances to deny the away team. Gweedore did level the match on forty four minutes when a cross in from the right from Matthew Byrne fell to Stephen Cassidy and he made no mistake from twelve yards. Bonagee started the better team in the second half and had chances through Darren Coyle and Kevin Doran on fifty and fifty five minutes but their strikes on goal were well saved by Liam Mc Fadden in the Gweedore goal. Frank Mc Gee for the visitors came close on the hour when his header went just over the bar from a Byrne corner. Glen Rainey came close on seventy three minutes when his header from a Shane Kelly corner went just wide of the Gweedore upright. John Carr in the Bonagee goal made a great save from Byrne when he beat the offside trap on eighty minutes. Bonagee got the winner on eighty six minutes when Kevin Doran won the ball on the halfway line and he put Darren Coyle through and the Bonagee striker hammered home from twenty yards. Gweedore had a great chance to level the match on eighty nine minutes but great defending by Glen Rainey made sure the home team got all three points. Team effort by both sides. Referee: Paddy Martin.
Oscar Traynor Trophy
Donegal Junior League 2 Sligo / Leitrim League 2
The Donegal League’s interest in the Oscar Traynor Trophy is over for yet another year as Steven Corcoran’s men could only manage a draw in their final group game against the Sligo/Leitrim League. Having lost their opening two matches, against Mayo and Inishowen, there was still a mathematical chance that the Donegal lads could progress to the next round of this prestigious competition however for that to become a reality in would have meant gaining victory over the visitors by three clear goals and Inishowen defeating Mayo. While the men from the north of the county duly delivered on the second part of the equation the Donegal League side were unable to complete the conundrum. For a while mid-way through the second half it did however look like they were on course to defy the odds but ultimately it wasn’t to be.
Mayo took an early lead in the game when they profited from an unfortunate own goal when the Donegal keeper was deceived by a seemingly harmless back pass that bobbled off the surface at the worst possible time giving the custodian no time to recover his positioning. Only two minutes were played at this stage and neither side could add to the score-line prior to the half time interval. The game took a change of direction after twenty five minutes of the second half when Heraughty in the Sligo nets had to leave the field injured. Having travelled with the bare eleven players the visitors were forced to deploy an out-field player in goals and complete the game with ten men. Almost immediately Donegal drew level when Shane Barclay scored. Mark Carlin who had come on as a second half substitute then put Donegal into the lead. Knowing that they needed to secure a greater margin of victory the hosts pressed forward in numbers and were caught short at the back as Christopher Kelly equalised for the Sligo/Leitrim men. This goal killed the Donegal challenge and with the visitors unable to find the net again the game ended in a draw. Neither side will have any further involvement in the latter stages of this tournament in the current season so both can now only look forward to next year.
Referee: Joe Mc Hugh, Assistants: Kevin Logue and Mick Lagan
RESULTS:
DONEGAL JUNIOR LEAGUE
RESULTS
CT Ball Division Two
Letterbarrow Celtic 0 v 5 Kerrykeel ’71 F.C.
Old Orchard Inn Saturday Division One
Ramelton Mariners 1 v 1 Fintown Harps AFC
Glenea United Reserves 4 v 0 Erne Wanderers
Glencar Inn Saturday Division Two
Gweedore United Reserves 3 v 1 Milford United Reserves
Keadue Rovers Reserves 1 v 1 Donegal Town Reserves
Deele Harps P v P Tullyvinney Rovers
Watson Hire Division One
Drumoghill F.C. 4 v 0 Ballybofey United
CT Ball Division Two
Bonagee United 2 v 1 Gweedore United
Oscar Traynor Trophy
Donegal Junior League 2 v 2 Sligo / Leitrim League