INISHOWEN LEAGUE IN FOCUS
Fr O’ Gara Cup Reports
Glengad Res 0 Carn Res 2
Carn had the upper hand in the early stages with their first chance falling to Brandon Brown who had been played through by Matthew Doherty only for his effort to go wide of target. On 18 minutes they moved in front when Doherty was taken down in the area and Niall Mc Guinness scored the resulting penalty. Mid way through the half the home side fashioned a good opening but Niall Mc Laughlin could only fire over from 12 yards after latching onto a Ronald Mc Daid pass. On the stroke of half time Carn doubled their lead when Mc Guinness’s free kick from outside the area on the right found the net. Glengad came more into the game in the second half and had the chance to reduce the deficit on 55 minutes when they were awarded a penalty but J.J. Doherty reacted well to save Stephen Mc Laughlin’s kick. Shortly afterwards Mc Daid surged down the right flank and deliverd into Niall Mc Laughlin but his touch let him down. When play moved to the other end Brown, after being set up by Rory Brady, found himself one on one with Michael Mc Laughlin but the keeper saved with his legs. The home team kept up the pressure to the end. The best chance fell to Gary Kelly following a corner but Doherty got down to push the ball away for a corner.
Buncrana Hearts Res 5
Illies Res 1
It was Illies Res who showed first in this Fr. O’ Gara Cup match played at Castle Park on Sunday morning when Kevin Mc Gonagle in the first minute seen his snap shot from the edge of the penalty box go wide. Then in the ninth minute debutante Ferdia O’ Flaherty was tumbled in the penalty box as he challenged for the ball and Dale Kerr converted the subsequent penalty to give Buncrana the lead. Illies came close to equalizing in the fifteenth minute when Liam Doherty’s long range effort required Buncrana keeper O’ Doherty to produce a good save. Neat interplay between O’ Flaherty and Peter Gallagher seen Gallagher cheekily chip Illies keeper Grant but unfortunately the ball also cleared the bar. After this Illies had a period of domination and on 37 minutes Buncrana keeper O’ Doherty had to be alert to smother a close range effort from Paddy O’ Connor. Following this O’Doherty, Johnny Eccles and Dale Kerr all had to make significant defensive contributions as the Illies forced a series of corners allowing Buncrana to reach half time in the lead.
The result of this match was settled for all intents and purposes in the first ten minutes of the second half. Hearts second goal came in the 48th minute when Hearts right back Brian Doherty picked up the ball fifteen yards inside his own half. He spotted Paddy Fletcher on the edge of the Illies penalty box and he delivered a pinpoint fifty yard pass which allowed Fletcher to control and drift through the heart of the Illies defense and cooly slot the ball under the advancing Grant giving the keeper no chance. On 52 mins Fletcher’s snap shot drew Grant into a good finger tip save and it was from the resultant corner that Decky O’ Donnell forced the ball over the Illies goal line to give Hearts a three goal lead. Illies responded immediately and must have wondered how they didn’t reduce the deficit when Charlie Mc Laughlin’s back post header was goalward bound to the bottom right hand corner only to see O’ Doherty at full stretch tip the ball round the post. In their next attack Hearts got their fourth goal. O’ Flaherty picked the ball up some 30 yards out and slipped a neat pass out to Friel on the right. He advanced and cut into the box and unleashed an unstoppable shot past Grant from an oblique angle. Illies did not throw in the towel but continued to battle and on 77 minutes got a deserved goal when Cathal Roe headed home from close range. Hearts continued to live dangerously and Mc Gonagle had to make a last ditch goal line clearance from Charles Mc Laughlin and on 90 minutes Marty Coyle came close to reducing the deficit. Then right at the death Paul Mc Daid won the ball in midfield, fed O’ Donnell out on the right, his deep cross found Friel on the back post and he headed the ball back across keeper Grant to give Buncrana a fifth goal and see them advance into the next round.
Moville Celtic Res 1
Rasheney Res 0
The home team secured their passage to the next round but were made to fight all the way by a committed Rasheney side. They threatened early on when the two Lafferty brothers interchanged passes with Josh’s shot saved by Shaun Friel. In another attack the same player shot wide of the target. In Rasheney’s first attack of note Ryan Doherty (J) had an overhead attempt saved by Mc Geady. At the other end, Christy Mc Geoghan found himself with two chances the first of which he miscued following a cross from Conor Lafferty and he followed this up by shooting wide of goal minutes later. On the half hour mark the visitors John Doherty drove a 25 yard free over the bar and the half ended with Shaun Doherty heading over Mc Geady’s crossbar. On 52 minutes Friel was called into action to deal with Mickey Craig’s effort from outside the box. Moville had the opportunity to move in front minutes later when Friel brought down Josh Lafferty but the keeper made amends when he saved Conor Lafferty’s spot kick. However, Josh Lafferty made the breakthrough for Moville when he ran through and lobbed the keeper from a wide position. The visitors piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser and were denied close to the end when Mc Geady made a one handed save from Shaun Doherty.
Dunree Res 0
Greencastle Res 3
Dunree opened brightly with visiting keeper Tom Houston saving a 35 yard drive from Paddy Mc Gilloway. In the next attack Thomas Doherty’s attempted chip of Houston landed just wide. Greencastle responded and Liam Kelly’s shot from inside the area was just wide while a Banica strike was off target at the other end following a corner. Against the run of play the visitors moved in front after 20 minutes when Kelly netted from the spot after a player was adjudged to have been impeded inside the box. And Kelly scored his second minutes later when he capitalised on a defensive mistake in the Dunree rearguard. The home side had an opportunity to reduce the deficit later in the half when they were awarded a penalty for a hand ball but the unfortunate Doherty saw his spot kick hit the post before being cleared. Another lapse of concentration in the Dunree defence allowed Kevin Mc Laughlin to fire home from close in for Greencastle’s third goal after 52 minutes. Despite this reversal, the home team kept plugging away and John Doherty moved down the left but his effort from distance was wide. Their attempt at a comeback was made greater midway through the second half when they were reduced to ten players due to injury. However, they almost got on the scoresheet but were out of luck when Emmet Dunphy rattled the crossbar from 20 yards. The final chance of the game fell to Greencastle’s Mc Laughlin who got onto the end of an over the top ball and raced clear only for Philip Doherty to make a good save.
Oscar Traynor Trophy Report
Doherty header seals deserved win for Inishowen
Inishowen League 2 -1 Leinster Senior League
Inishowen made hard work of it, but deservedly booked their place in the quarter finals of the Oscar Traynor Interleague tournament at Maginn Park on Sunday as a stunning header from Aileach’s Anthony Doherty edged out the Leinster Senior League after Extra Time.Diarmuid O’Brien’s well drilled outfit edged the first half at League HQ in Buncrana against a Leinster side sourced from a pool of over 160 clubs and the hosts upped their tempo to boss the second half and deservedly take the lead from the familiar source of Moville hit man Nigel McMonagle. A long delay towards the end of the game due to a four legged pitch invasion from a Golden Labrador seemed to upset Inishowen’s concentration however and when play resumed the visitors snatched a 97 th minute equaliser through striker Darren Goode to force the game to extra time. Buoyed by their late equaliser, the Leinster men came back into the game and Inishowen substitute ‘keeper Johnny Noone had to be at his best to deny midfielder David Ryan from close range in the first half of extra time. Early in the second half however, Doherty saved the home side the lottery of penalties by hanging in the air to nod home substitute Terence Doherty cross after the Glengad striker did well to make space for himself down the right side. In a first half low on clearcut chances, Inishowen’s most noteworthy opening came in the opening minute when a booming clearance from Martin McLaughlin sent McMonagle in one one one with Doherty in the Leinster goal but his curling effort from the edge of the box was wide of the right post. Leisnter responded with a spell that showed the quality their front pair of Goode and Daniel Geraghty possessed going forward and they combined to force a full stretch save from Martin McLaughlin in the Inishowen goal to deny Geraghty. Unfortunately for the Glengad ‘keeper that dive was to put an end to his afternoon as he aggravated an existing rib injury in landing and shortly after Goode came close with a chipped effort that dropped right of the post he was forced to make way for Rasheney’s Johnny Noone. As the half developed Inishowen began to press higher up the pitch as left back Matty Bynre sent an outswinging left foot effort wide of the right post from 25 yards and Paddy McDermott also saw a long range effort sail wide. The home side were getting closer as, on 24 minutes, Byrne pushed forward again and crossed for Conor O’Brien who just failed to get the crucial touch to the ball to guide it home and moments later O’Brien turned provider to play in his strike partner McMonagle whose shot flashed across the face of goal. Late in the half both sides had chances to take a lead into the break as Shivey broke down the left and squared for Paddy McDermott but his shot was too close to the Leinster ‘keeper while at the other end Michael Quigley came close with a volleyed effort. Inishowen started the second half with a renewed impetus and began to inflict their high tempo short passing game on the visitors who were being forced to retreat deeper and deeper into their own half. Against the run of play, Leinster created the first noteworthy chance of the half however when Darren Goode’s shot was turned around the post expertly by Noone and when the resultant corner worked it’s way out to David Ryan at the edge of the box the Inishowen ‘keeper did well to parry his shot at full stretch. On 63 minutes, Inishowen’s patience paid off however when Gerard McEleney’s clearance was flicked off a Leinster defender’s head an McMonagle took the ball brilliantly in his stride before tucking the ball into the bottom right corner of the net to give his side the lead. Inishowen continued to probe and came close again just 3 minutes later when Anthony Doherty played a ball over the top to Paddy McDermott who cooly took a touch to control inside the box but his subsequent shot, with the goal at his mercy was wide of the target. Former Derry City midfielder James Henry came into the right side of the Inishowen midfield in place of John G McLaughlin and the Greencastle man came close to adding the all important second goal when McMonagle crossed from the left and McDermott unselfishly laid of to Henry whose shot from 10 yards flew over the bar. With Inishowen firmly in control the long stoppage seemed to halt their momentum and when play resumed they were dealt a sucker punch when Leinster’s most impressive player on the day Darren Goode rose to head home a Michael Quigley corner and earn his side extra time. Perhaps still shell shocked by the smash and grab equaliser, Inishowen struggled to get their momentum back in the first half as David Ryan nipped in behind McEleney before forcing a neat save from Noone but Inishowen finished that first period well as Stephen Fildara fed Henry down the right and his shot from an acute angle missed the left post by a matter of inches. The all important goal came 3 minutes into the second half of extra time when Terence Doherty burst into the Leinster box and kept his feet under a late challenge before chipping the ball to Doherty at the back post whose looping header found the top right corner to secure a deserved win.
INISHOWEN: Martin McLaughlin, Stephen Fildara, Matthew Byrne, Michael Byrne, Gerard McEleney, Shane Canning, Paddy McDermott, John Gerard McLaughlin, Anthony Doherty, Nigel McMonagle, Conor O’Brien SUBS: Johnny Noone, James Henry, Terence Doherty
LEINSTER:Karl Doherty, Dominic Clerkin, Keith Reilly, Damien Dunne, Anthony Norman, David Ryan, Michael Quigley, Mark Gibson, Darren Goode, Daniel Geraghty, Jack Morley SUBS: Audry Sondi, Gary Humphries
ALL REPORTS COURTESY OF THE INISHOWEN LEAGUE – SEE www.inishowenfl.ie