Inishowen Football League Weekly Match Reports Sunday 25th October 2026
Inishowen Football League Reports
Jackie Crossan Premier Division 
Buncrana Hearts 10
Greencastle FC 0
The home side dominated from start to finish in difficult conditions at Castle Park this afternoon. The first chance arrived on 5 minutes Shaun Curran’s corner met with a powerful header from Michael Barr only for Frizzel to tip over. Hugh Aaron McGonagle was next to threaten his shot just going the wrong side of Frizzel’s post.
The visitors had an opportunity on 15 minutes his shot saved by Eoghan O’Doherty. Three minutes later and the Hearts did take the lead Gavin Harkin got down the left and picked out Adam Curran at the back post to tap home. It was two nil three minutes later Kevin Jordan played the ball off to Curran and he placed a lovely shot beyond Frizzel. On 28 minutes Harkin once again got in down the left and his cross deceived everyone and ended up in net. McGonagle had two great chances to increase the Hearts lead but was thwarted on both occasions by good saves from Frizzel. McGonagle did get on the scoresheet just before the break controlling Harkin”s cross on his chest before swivelling and firing to top corner beyond Frizzel.The second half followed a similar pattern with the Hearts dominant and on 53 minutes Calvin Gallagher let fly from 30yrd his shot finding the top corner beyond Frizzel. McGonagle headed a Liam Jordan cross just wide three minutes later. McFadden had another chance for the visitors his shot turned behind by O’Doherty for a corner. On 60 minutes James Adair found Matty Brown on the left and he cut inside his marker and fired past Frizzel. On 65 minutes Brown crossed for Liam Jordan to head home. Sean Mullan got on the scoresheet on 76 minutes firing past Frizzel from 12 yrds. Shaun Curran the picked out Liam Jordan to tap home and Curran completed the scoring collecting a short corner and firing past Frizzel for a comprehensive victory.
Ulster Junior Cup
Rathmullan Celtic 1
Illies Celtic 3
In an evenly contested opening period, with both midfields on top. Illies Celtic created the first opportunity after ten minutes. Shane Doherty played a pass to Jamie McDaid, but his effort from inside the box went wide. Rathmullan took the lead on 24 minutes following a defensive mistake by Illies. Jay Curran seized on a poor pass inside and produced a wonderful finish from 25 yards, finding the top corner. Illies responded just before half-time, equalising on 44 minutes when Jamie McDaid confidently converted a penalty after Paul Duffy had been fouled inside the box.
Illies started the second half brightly and took the lead following an excellent three-man move. Jamie McDaid played Liam Grant through, and Grant delivered a cross for Paul Doherty, who calmly side-footed home from 12 yards. Rathmullan continued to threaten, and on 23 minutes, Jay Curran saw his effort brilliantly headed off the line by Frankie O’Connor, denying the home side an equaliser. Illies extended their advantage on 30 minutes following a free-kick from Aidan Donaghey Doherty. Jamie controlled the ball and laid it wide to Paul, who then played it back across to Jamie, allowing him to finish and make it 3–1. Rathmullan were awarded a penalty on 78 minutes, but Jay Curran’s effort was superbly saved by Conor Doherty, preserving Illies’ two-goal advantage. Conor Doherty was called into action again in the 90th minute, producing another excellent save from Curran to ensure Illies held on for a valuable victory.
Ballybofey United 4
QPS 1 (A.E.T.)
QPS travelled to Ballybofey for this Ulster Junior Cup match which was played in stormy conditions. Ballybofey took the lead in the 25th minute when Daithi McMahon’s shot from 15yds was pushed away by Cain Breslin in the Point goals but the ball came back out to McMahon who found the bottom left hand corner of the net. QPS almost hit back straight away when a Ross Nicholas cross from the left was struck goalwards by Jack McConnellogue but Odhran Patton in the Ballybofey goals was able to deal with it. QPS keeper Cain Breslin made a superb save in the 30th minute to deny Kieran Thompson when the Ballybofey player should really have scored. Moments later it was the Ballybofey keeper Patton who pulled off a fingertip save to deny QPS forward Lee Barr. Good play by Lee Barr on the right wing in the 36th minute led to the Point equaliser when his hanging cross from the right was deflected into his own net by a Ballybofey defender to leave the score 1-1 at half-time.
The second half saw few real chances as the weather dominated play but Ballybofey went close to clinching the result in the last minute when Daithi McMahon’s shot from the edge of the box saw Cain Breslin scrambling to pull off a save which forced the match into extra time. Ballybofey scored two goals in the first period of extra time , with McMahon grabbing the goal to make it 2-1 in the 95th minute before setting up Joshua McMenamin for Ballybofey’s third in the 97th minute. McMahon completed his hat-trick in the 103rd minute to see them edge past QPS and through to the next round.
Cockhill Youths 5
Donegal Town 4
Cockhill Youths edged a nine-goal thriller against Donegal Town in an entertaining encounter. Joe Lavery gave Cockhill a flying start, completing a remarkable 13-minute hat-trick. Darragh McDermott slipped him through for the opener before Lavery capitalised on a goalkeeper spill for his second. He completed his hat-trick with a superb finish into the top corner. Donegal pulled one back through Leape before Cockhill were reduced to ten men when Cahir McDaid received a second yellow card with the score at 3–1. Despite this, McDermott added a fourth for Cockhill, before O’Brien replied to leave it 4–2 at half-time. Cockhill goalkeeper Darragh O’Donnell also produced some important saves.
Early in the second half, PJ Doherty combined well with McDermott but fired straight at the keeper. Sustained pressure from Donegal town pinned Cockhill in their own half for most of the second period. Following a break, McDermott then grabbed Cockhill’s fifth, latching onto a fine cross and poking the ball over the advancing goalkeeper. Donegal continued to press and pulled another goal back through Leape. The visitors created plenty of chances against the ten men, but Cockhill defended resolutely. A late back-post header from a Donegal cross reduced the deficit to 5–4, but Cockhill held firm to secure the win.
HML Plant Hire Division One 
Aileach Res 5
Carn Youths 2
Aileach started the game well and took the lead in the 14th minute with a chip ball over the top from Odhran Hillen for Ciaran Bradley to race clear and slot home. Aileach got a second when Bradley again powered his way into the box to slot home under the keeper Kyle Harkin . Aileach grabbed a third before halftime after a short corner from Conor McCahill to Dermot Doherty allowed Doherty to cut in and shoot into the top corner from just outside the box. Carn started the second half well with Oliver Doherty forcing Dylan Porter into a great save to keep Aileach three ahead. Aileach then got a fourth when a corner from Dermot Doherty fell to Leon Doherty who finished well at the back post. Carn got a goal back midway through the half after Dion Diver converted a penalty he had won himself. But Aileach responded soon after and got a fifth when Conor McCahill drove through the defence and finished well. In the last minute Carn got a consolation second when a great ball over the top by Michael McDermott found Dion Diver who acrobatically volleyed it home for a superb finish to leave the final score five two in Aileach’s favour
Inishowen Grass Shield 
Culdaff Rovers 5
Carn Res 4
Played under the lights at Caratra Park on Friday night the home side started well with Conor Doherty prominent on the left and after he combined with John G McLaughlin before crossing to Gary Smyth who headed narrowly wide. At the other end Matthew Doherty dispossessed a home defender and pulled the ball back but home keeper Darragh Mclaughlin smothered. Midway through the half Rovers opened the scoring when after an excellent Gary Farren run and cross Mclaughlin headed past Jack O’Brien at the back post. Culdaff increased their lead on the stroke of half time with Eugene McLaughlin’s long ball over the top sending Smyth clear and he lifted the ball over O’Brien to the net. Nine minutes after the restart Rovers made it three nil with a low driven cross from Doherty seeing Smyth sidefoot home from eight yards for his second goal of the game. Within minutes the visitors got a goal back after Mark Kelly slipped a nice pass through the home defence for Darragh McCormick to coolly finish low past McLaughlin. But the home side restored their three goal cushion when Eugene McLaughlin’s superb cross found the inrushing John G Mclaughlin to finish well from six yards. Again the visitors responded and got another goal after the home defence failed to clear and Mark Kelly fired low to the corner from twelve yards out. Culdaff then made it five two after a deep cross from John G McDermott found Gary Farren to score with a looping header to the roof of the net. But on 80 minutes the visitors scored their third goal of the game when McCormick despatched a twenty five yards free to the top corner to keep them in contention. Carn then got what proved to be a consolation in injury time after substitute Billy Dempsey latched onto a ball over the top and finished well but the home side held on to claim the points.
Dunree Res 1
Clonmany Res 6
In wet and stormy conditions at St Egney’s. Clonmany started the better and on the first minute Tiernan McDonald put in a cross and Mark McLaughlin headed it past Philip Doherty high to the corner to make it 1-0. Straight from the centre the same two players combined but this time passed the ball low across the box and Mark McLaughlin side footed it home to make it 2-0 . Dunree tried to settle after this and on 7 minutes a long range effort fell to Arron Harkin and his shot high was pulled wide with the wind.On 18 minutes Clonmany were unlucky not to make it 3-0 when a ball broke to Tiernan McDonald and his long range effort was tipped over the bar by Philip Doherty for a corner. Clonmany eventually got their third, when Mark Doherty broke into the box and his well drilled shot was parried by Philip Doherty but the ball rebounded back to him and he finished it low past the keeper on the 2nd attempt. On 34 minutes Clonmany got a corner and the ball fell to DJ McGeoghegan who drilled it low to the bottom corner to make it 4-0. On 35 minutes Clonmany made it 5 nil when a cross from the right by Ryan Doherty was headed home low to the corner by Mark Doherty. On 36 minutes Dunree made it 5-1 when brillant work down the right by Darryl Moran laid the ball off to John Moran at the edge of the box who rifled it into the top corner giving the Kyrin Doherty no chance. Half time 5-1.
Clonmany started the second half were they left off and on 50mins made it 6-1 , a cross from the right by Jack Doherty which was punched away by Philip Doherty in the Dunree goal and Ryan Doherty was on hand to head home. Dunree had a chance on 60mins Darryl Moran crossed from the right and when the ball broke to Arron Harkin he blazed over from 8yards when well placed. Dunree were unlucky again on 70mins when a Paul Jackson effort from 20yards grazed the outside of the post. There was very little action by the way of chances after that with both defences on top and Clonmany finishing out 6-1 winners.