Results
D News League Cup
Group A
Drumkeen Utd. 2 0 Kildrum Tigers
Fanad Utd v Bonagee Utd. (Tuesday, April 16th at 7:30pm)
Group B
Cockhill Celtic 2 0 Swilly Rovers
Letterkenny Rovers 1 0 Derry City Reserves
Reports
Cockhill Celtic FC – 2 (P McKinney 38’ & G Friel 63’)
Swilly Rovers FC – 0
In the season opener to the 2013 Ulster Senior League it was Cockhill who bounced back from last weeks disappointing Knockalla Cup defeat to record a 2-0 home victory over Swilly Rovers in the Donegal News League Cup. A goal in each half from strikers Paul McKinney & Garbhain Friel was enough to see them past a gallant Rovers side at the Charlie O’Donnell Sports Grounds.
Cockhill had the games first chance on 12 minutes when McKinney & Friel combined, after a mistake in the Swilly rearguard, only for Friel’s effort to be easily saved by keeper Gareth Wade. Swilly suffered a blow on 15 minutes when the experienced Marty McDaid had to be replaced, after injury, by Ryan McDaid. The game was far from pretty in the opening period but on 21 minutes Wade produced a great save, full stretch to his left, after a direct free by Cockhills Christy McLaughlin just outside the box. Swilly responded only minutes later but Cockhills Gavin Cullen gathered well after a 25 yard free from fullback Laurence Toland. Swilly had a scare on 28 minutes when a quick free by Garbhain Friel left Jimmy Bradley free in the box, 12 yards out, but the midfielder scuffed his shot wide off the unguarded net. The home side struck the opener on 38minutes when, after the Rovers defence failed to clear a Friel cross from the right, Paul McKinney pounced on the loose ball to smash it high into the net from 8yards giving Wade no chance. Swilly never really had any controlled possession in the opening period; however they had shouts for a penalty on 41 minutes when the lively Ronan Curtis cut in from the right but the ball bobbled up on him in the box hitting a defenders hand but the referee waved play on. A similar incident happened in the Swilly box on the stroke off half time when a cross by Cockhills Derek Doherty was deflected up onto a defender’s hand but again the referee waved play on a correct call on both occasions
The second half was only five minutes old when Cockhill’s Friel clipped a neat cross to the back post but Doherty’s header was over the bar. Swilly again struggled to get going in the second period and their only outlet was long ball to Curtis in attack. The experienced Michael McHugh was their also and he did his best when in possession to hold play up and look for support. On 53 minutes Cockhills Liam O’Donnell let fly with a shot from 25yards but with Wade beat the ball crashed off the crossbar, McKinney was ruled offside when he headed the loose ball into the unguarded net. The home side scored the second goal on 63minutes when Jimmy Bradley played the ball to Friel inside the area but as the defenders pushed him away from goal the big striker found space on the edge of the ‘D’ to drill a powerful effort to the net past Wade. Swilly had a few late corners in the game but both on 73 & 79 minutes Tolands delivery was well cleared by Malachy McDermott in the home defence. In the final action of note, on 81 minutes, Cockhill’s McKinney again had a goal ruled out for offside when he pounced on a Wade save from a McDermott strike from distance.
Letterkenny Rovers 1 (J. Minnock. 68 mins)
Derry City Reserves 0
A spectacular winner from Jonathan Minnock gave Letterkenny Rovers the perfect start to the defence of their Donegal News Ulster Senior League Cup with victory over Derry City at Leckview Park on Sunday. With just over twenty minutes remaining, the former Finn Harps and Shelbourne defender cracked home a wonderful left footed strike from 20 yards to edge the clash for the cup holders against the reigning league champions.
Indeed, only for an inspired performance from the former Manchester United Academy goalkeeper Joe Coll – making his debut for the Candystripes – the home could easily have won by a more comfortable margin. The only blemish on an otherwise good afternoon for new manager Trevor Scanlon was the late dismissal of striker Davitt Walsh for an act of petulance inside the Derry half.
The home side started with real purpose and the lively Steve Okakpu was twice put through on goal only to be denied by the alert Coll while Odhran McMacken was also posing a threat with his runs down the right flank and saw one effort go narrowly over the crossbar. City were restricted to a number of long range efforts from Conal Kelly and Paul Ramsey which Rovers goalkeeper Shane O’Gara dealt comfortably with but overall his back four looked particularly solid.
In the second half, Keith Malseed came closest with a diving header which just flew narrowly past Coll’s right hand post before the only goal of the game arrived on 69 minutes. The blustery conditions caught hold of McMacken’s corner but Minnock picked the ball up from a wide position skipped past two Derry defenders before unleashing an unstoppable drive beyond the reach of Coll.
It proved to be the decisive goal of the game but he tested Coll again with a tricky in-swinging corner which the ‘keeper clawed away with one hand from underneath the crossbar. Rovers played out the final ten minutes with ten men after Walsh received a red card for an off the ball incident which rules him out of next week’s fixture away to Swilly Rovers.
Letterkenny Rovers – Shane O’Gara, Oisin Grant, Aaron Scanlon, Kieran Gorman, Jonathan Minnock, Glenn Gallagher, Odhran McMacken, Chris Malseed, Steve Okakpu (Jason Doherty 75 mins), Davitt Walsh, Keith Malseed.
Derry City – Joe Coll, Collie McGeehan, Shaun Curran, Caolan McLaughlin, Gary Barrett, Conal Kelly, Conor Harkin, Paul Ramsey, Kyle Curran, Tony McNamee, Josh Tracey.
Referee – Packie Coll
Drumkeen Utd 2 (Eunan Kelly 9 mins, Jamie Gallagher 56 mins)
Kildrum Tigers 0
This game was played at a very windy & wet St. Patricks Park, on Sunday afternoon. After a good win in the Knockalla Cup last week last season’s beaten Donegal News Cup finalists were determined to continue their good start to the season. They got off to a good start when a corner kick by David Craig was misjudged the Kildrum keeper, the ball fell to Eunan Kelly who made no mistake with just 10 minutes on the clock, both teams tried to play football but it was almost impossible in the weather conditions. Half time 1 -0. A Brendan Bonner free kick early in the second half was easily delt with by the Kildrum keeper before Drumkeen lost the services of influential midfielder Chris Kyle injured. 10 minutes into the second half a great ball into the box by Richard Moore found Jimmy Gallagher who scored Drumkeen’s second. Kildrum tried hard to get back into the game but found the home team’s defence well on top. A run by Eunan Kelly beat threedefenders but his shot went narrowly wide. Drumkeen held on in the difficult conditions winning by 2 goals to nil. Ref. Vincent Mc Laughlin.
Fixtures
Donegal News League Cup
Group A
Sunday, April 21st at 2pm
Bonagee Utd. v Drumkeen Utd. P. Duddy (Ref.)
Kildrum Tigers v Finn Harps Res. T. McAree (Ref.)
Group B
Sunday, April 21st at 2pm
Derry City Res. v Cockhill Celtic C. McLaughlin (Ref.)
Monday, April 22nd at 6:45pm
Swilly Rovers v Letterkenny Rovers S. Toner (Ref.)