Match Reports Sunday 7th May
Saturday 6th May
Donegal Signs Challenge Cup Final
Carn FC 0
Illies Celtic 3
Illies Celtic claimed the inaugaural Donegal Signs Challenge Cup at a rain soaked Maginn Park before a big crowd on Saturday evening.
A torrential downpour from just before kick off which prevailed for most of the first half ensured a slick surface at HQ. Illies started well forcing the first division side on the back foot but there first real attempt on goal
arrived in the 22nd minute after a powerful Brendan Doherty snapshot from twenty five yards cannoned off the post. Carn replied and from a corner kick on the right Kyran Cantwells goal bound header was cleared off the line by Frankie O Connor. Illies then broke the deadlock in fortuitous fashion on the half hour. Man of the Match Kevin McGonagle collected possession twenty five yards from goal and although his effort was very well hit it took a huge deflection on its way past Kyle Harkin to the bottom right hand corner. Illies then forced a corner which was played short to O Connor whose cross from the left was headed over by Patrick Curran under pressure from a defender. The premier division side then doubled their lead before the interval after the Carn defence cleared a cross to the edge of the area where Dominic Coyle hammered the ball to the top right hand corner for a superb goal. Illies had the first chance of the second half also when Liam Doherty cut the ball back to McGonagle on the edge of the area but he fired wide . At the other end Cade Cooke found space but could not keep his effort on target. In the 57th minute Illies effectively sealed the tie when they added a third goal. After good build up the ball fell to captain Paul Doherty on the edge of the area and he scored with a sublime chip over the back tracking Harkin. Captain Doherty then crossed for brother Liam whose close range header was superbly parried away by Harkin before Dohertys corner was headed wide at the back post by Brendan Doherty. Carn kept pressing to the end and after a free was punched clear by Noone the ball fell to Ross Farren who could not keep his effort down.
Peter Mc Laughlin of Donegal Signs Presents Illies Captain Paul Doherty with the Cup
Illies Celtic
Man of the Match
Carn manager Gerard Crossan knows his young side are better than they showed on the day and Ross Farren, Cian Burke and Kyran Cantwell showed glimpses throughout. For the winners Adrian Donaghey-Doherty, Dominic Coyle and Paul Doherty were excellent but the award goes to Kevin McGonagle who constantly drove Illies forward, scored the crucial opening goal and was excellent in breaking down Carn attacks as Illies claimed their first top flight trophy since 2004.
Sunday 7th May
Hannon Greene Insurances Fr O Gara Cup Final
Carn FC Res 1
Dunree United 0
Carn Res caused an upset when they defeated division One Dunree United in excellent conditions before a big crowd in Maginn Park. Dunree made all the early running with Mark Moran firing one effort over before seeing another deflected wide. Carn responded and Dylan Cooke saw his well struck effort from the edge of the area
also deflected wide. Dunree regained control and Jamie Brosnan s long range effort dipped over before Moran fired an effort just past Daniel McDaids right hand post. On the stroke of half time Liam Baldrick evaded a challenge on the edge of the box but leaning back his effort flew over the bar.Carn came more into the game on the restart and Ciaran O Kane saw a header from a corner stopped on the line by Adam Harrigan who also comfortably held a Mark Scott free. At the other end Bernie Doherty cut in from the left and saw his left footed effort tipped over by the back tracking McDaid. The division two side broke the deadlock in the 70th minute when Scott fired a superb twenty yards free to the top left hand corner from twenty yards for a superb goal.Dunree had a chance minutes later when Sean McColgan intercepted on half way charged forward and released Moran on the right whose shot from a tight angle rolled agonisingly past the far post. A minute later at the other end a long ball broke off a Dunree defender to Scott whose effort beat Harrigan but was brilliantly cleared off the line by Brosnan. Harrigan then saved well from point blank range after a corenr fell to Christy Doherty at the back post. Dunree threw everything forward in the final stages and had a chance when Berne Doherty found space inside the area on the right and his shot was parried away at full stretch by McDaid.
Ryan Greene of Hannon Greene presents the Fr O’ Gara Cup to Carn Reserves Captain Dylan Cooke
Carn Reserves
Dunree Utd
Man Of The Match
Dunree will be disappointed with their performance on the day but Adam Harrigan, Sean McColgan and Neil
Moran stood out for them. For the winners Daniel McDaid, Ciaran O Kane and Tiernan Doherty were very good but the award goes to centre half Billy Dempsey who was a tower of strength at the back constantly thwarting Dunree attacks and making numerous tackles and aerial interventions.
Inish Engineering Division Two B
Glengad Res 0
QPS 2
QPS clinched the division Two B title with this hard earned win at the Crua on Sunday morning. Despite starting well and bossing possession they failed to trouble Michael McLaughlin in the opening quarter. Midway through
the half they broke the deadlock when Josh McLaughlin sent John McCloskey away on the right and he advanced to drill low past the advancing McLaughlin. Glengad replied and both PJ McDaid and Caolan McColgan had half chances but failed to hit the target. On the stroke of half time the visitors doubled their lead when Cillian McEleney fed Josh McLaughlin who controlled well and unleashed an unstoppable effort which went in off the post. The second half saw the home side try to force the visitors back but the point were content to absorb the pressure and hit them on the break. The visitors went close midway through the half after McEleneys snapshot was turned round the post by McLaughlin. The remainder of the game saw the home side press but the visitors defence stood firm to claim the victory they needed.
Vice Chairperson of the Inishowen League Gerard Davenport Presents the Division Two “B” shield to Brian Mc Colgan QPS Youth Captain
QPS Youths
Ulster Senior Cup Semi-Final
Cockhill Celtic FC 2
Buncrana Hearts FC 0
Cockhill Celtic FC claimed their place in the final off the Ulster Senior Cup thanks to a 2-0 victory over neighbours Buncrana Hearts FC at the Charlie O’Donnell Sports Grounds . The match, played in front of a large crowd, was frantic in the opening exchanges with no team able to get time on the ball. Unfortunately after only 6 minutes of play the match was stopped after an aerial collision between Ryan Doherty of Buncrana and Cockhills Garbhan Friel with the former having to be replaced by Caomhan Doherty while Friel returned to the field of play after getting patched up on the sideline. The first notable chance fell to the home side on 14 minutes when Luke Rudden got the better of his marker after a ball in behind by Fionn McClure only for Rudden to rush his shot from the edge of the area and Rory Kelly in the visitors goal gathered with ease. On 20 minutes Cockhills Peter Doherty had a shot blocked by Hearts defender Paul McDermott after a Corey McBride corner from the left fell nicely in the box. Cockhills Friel then had a header over the bar on 24 minutes after a Fionn McClure free from the right. Buncrana didn’t offer much of a threat in the opening 30 minutes but they almost got in on 33 minutes when the lively Aaron McDaid went on a mazy run down the left channel but as he advanced into the area he was crowded out as he was about to cross for Matty Brown. Cockhills Adam McCarron should have done better with a header on 37minutes when he rose unchallanged in the box to meet a cross from the right by James Bradley but the header went well over Kellys crossbar. On the stroke off halftime Cockhills substitute Stephen Duffy, who replaced the injured Garbhan Friel, then had a snap shot wide from 20 yards just past Kellys right hand post. The second half started much the same as the first with both sets of players cancelling each other out and the final pass not at the levels that they would be normally. The opening goal arrived on 67 minutes after a free from McBride was delivered into a dangerous area eight yards from goal and a defender was unfortunate to get his clearance all wrong and his header went into the back off his own net giving Kelly no chance as he dived helplessly to his left. Cockhill then seemed to get more control off the game and on 75 minutes a neat interchange down the left between McBride and McClure allowed the latter to advance into the area and bring a smart save from Kelly as he dived to his right pushing the ball away for a corner. The home side made the resulting corner count after a delightful delivery from McBride on the left allowed Peter Doherty to rise highest in the box to bullet a header past Kelly from eight yards out giving the net minder no chance. Buncrana huffed and puffed in the closing stages to salvage some consolation from the game but they lacked that quality in the final third. Cockhill seen out the closing stages of the game to book a place in the final against Greencastle FC.