Quigley’s Point Swifts 2-2 Carndonagh
Brandon Brown’s last-gasp equalizer earned ten-man Carndonagh a hard-earned point and denied Quigley’s Point Swifts a second straight league victory in Muff on Sunday. The home side started the match well. Colm Deery, who was making his debut for the Muff side, shot just over after three minutes from a Chris Montieth cross. On fifteen minutes Deery shot wide from sixteen yards after good home pressure in the Carn half.The Swifts went in front on eighteen minutes. A lovely weighted ball from Joe McKinney on the left found Deery at the back post, and the debutant bundled the ball home from six yards.
Quigley’s Point continued to press the visitors, although a defensive mix-up almost gifted Carn an equalizer on twenty minutes. But Matthew McLaughlin shot well wide when one-on-one with Point keeper Oisin Burke. At the other end, Mickey Nicholas had two half-chances dealt with by Carn goalkeeper Daniel Houghton. The home side made it 2-0 three minutes before the break. Nicholas’s well-struck free kick was pushed away low by Houghton. Odhran McColgan picked the ball up on the right byline and squared a low pass to an oncoming DJ Canavan, who shot into the roof of the net at the near post. The visitors started the second half more positively, but their task was made harder on fifty-two minutes when Darragh Brown was sent-off for a second bookable offence. This seemed to galvanize the visitors, however, and they were back in the game on sixty minutes. Ronan Doherty’s thunderbolt free-kick from twenty yards found the top left corner, giving Oisin Burke no chance. The home side tried to slow the pace of the game with the extra man advantage. On sixty-seven minutes, Jordan McLaughlin went close with a twenty-five yard effort after a neat lay-off from Colm Deery. Carn continued to work hard, with Ryan Kelly shooting wide from outside the box. Carn’s resilient second-half performance would pay dividends right at the death. In the fourth minute of injury time, a long goal kick from Houghton was well controlled by substitute Declan McGonagle. His cross from the right flank seemed to heading goal-wards but was tipped onto the bar by Oisin Burke. Brandon Brown pounced on the loose ball, heading into the net to secure a 2-2 draw and leave Quigley’s Point to rue a wasteful second-half performance.
QPS Res 1
Rasheney FC 3
Defences were on top in the opening twenty minutes but on 24 minutes Sam McCorkell saw his effort well blocked by Tiernan Devine in the Rasheney goal. Minutes later the same player found Joe Johnstone whose effort was blocked by a defender and looped onto the bar before being cleared. Rasheney came well into the game then and broke the deadlock when David McLaughlin pounced on defensive hesitancy to advance into the area and fire low past Paul Grant. They added a second on the stroke of half time after McLaughlin fired a powerful twenty five yards effort in off the under side of the bar. On 71 minutes the home sides Aaron Barr found himself in space but his cross shot found no takers. Rasheney replied on 77 minutes when McLaughlin saw a shot charged away by Kevin Wallace before the same player fired just wide from the edge of the area. Rasheney pressed again with Jack Mclaughlin firing over the bar when well placed. The point then saw Paul Hegarty release Simon Wallace but his effort was saved by Tiernan Devine. The home side got a lifeline on 86 minutes when Hegarty burst through and fired low past Devine from fifteen yards.A minute later substitute James McCready fired just over for the home side. But Rasheney sealed the points in the final minute when Matthew Mclaughlin headed home from a corner .They had a final chance when a booming clearance from Paddy McGilloway crashed off the bar
QPS Res 0
Aileach Res 1
Aileach claimed a well-deserved three points with a good win on a windy Sunday morning in Muff against a subdued Quigley’s Point Swifts side. They started well and three times in the opening quarter Ruairi Bradley came close firing wide from ten yards before seeing a header saved by David Bell and finally lobbing over the bar when well placed. The point replied and Joe Johnstone pounced on a loose pass to create space but he fired just wide before Reece Rutherford had an effort saved by David McGeady. Before the break Aileach replied and when Conor McMacken released Bradley his low cross evaded all and the ball was cleared. Aileach started the second period well and McMacken fired wide from twenty yards. They broke the deadlock on 48 minutes when Paul Mchugh intercepted a defensive pass and squared for Bradley to slot home from six yards. On 64 minutes, Aileach defender Adam Barr lifted a high cross in to the Point box from deep on the left, but midfielder Jordan McGeady, who had a good game, blasted over from six yards. Quigley’s Point were presented with their best chance of the game on 69 minutes. Defender Declan Bown, a bright spark going forward, made a great run down the right hand side. He drilled a low cross to striker Josh McLaughlin who perhaps should have scored, but his scuffed shot from six yards was cleared off the line by David McGeady. The resulting Quigley’s Point corner was cleared by Aileach, who drove up field and Jordan McGeady was unlucky not to double his side’s lead when his shot from sixteen yards went inches wide. Aileach continued to press and were again unlucky not to score on 71 minutes. A corner from Ruairi Bradley caused confusion in the Quigley’s Point penalty box before landing to Aileach defender Anthony Rabbitte, whose lobbed shot was well cleared off the line by Swifts’s Aaron Barr. Aileach had two more chances to secure the game. With seven minutes left, Caomhin McFeely headed straight at David Bell from eight yards after a good ball in from the left from Conor McMacken. Two minutes later, another quality corner from Bradley was well met by the head of Adam Barr, who put it just over the bar. With three minutes left, the Swifts almost snatched a point from the game. Paul Hegarty lumped a high cross from the left hand side into the Aileach box from a cleared free-kick, and Declan Bown’s header forced David McGeady into a good low save.
The home side had the first chance when Caolan Dohery’s corner to the back post was headed wide by Paul Grant when well placed, Buncrana replied with Alan Friel’s half volley justwide, the Swift’s Caolan Doherty brought a fine save fron Buncrana’s keeper Eoghan Doherty on 15 min, then \buncrana’s Donal Doherty failed to connect with John O’ Loughlin’s free from the left, and Decky Fullerton’s curling 20 yard shot was just off target, Buncrana took the lead on 26 min after a good period of pressure Robbie Fullerton’s ball in from the left for Stephen Mc Hugh to tap in from 6 yards, the home side responded and Chris O’ Donnell picked out Joe Mc Kinney but he shot over when well placed, then Chris Monteith had an effort from 20 yards held by O’ Doherty in the visitors net, then it was the turn of Caolan Doherty to fire over for the home side, and Joe Mc Kinney pounced on a mistake in the Buncrana defence but the keeper saved well, Buncrana had a good chance at the start of the second half but Mc Hugh dragged his shot wide, the home side had opportunities to equalise firstly Doherty held of two defenders but shot wide, then Raymond Buchanan shot wide when well placed, Buncrana then missed a great chance Fullerton’s corner found Alan Friel he heads back across box to Donal O’ Doherty who blazes over from 6 yards, and they spurned another good chance moments a poor throw in back to the home keeper was intercepted and pulled back to Kieran Mc Daid who shot wide with just keeper to beat, Buncrana increased their lead on 64 min when Mc Hugh and Alan Friel combined to set uo Adam Duffy to knock the ball in at the far post from eight yards, QPS’s Monteith had a header saved from a Buchanan cross on 84 min Alan Friel broke on the right and set up Fullerton who brought a fine save from Oisin Burke in the home net.
In a surprising result the point started the season in fine style and started well with Josh McLaughlin being denied by a good save from Johnathan Noone after good work by Jack McConalogue .Illies replied with Dominic Doherty seeing a twenty five yards free well saved by David Bell.The home side took the lead midway through the half when good work by Joe Johnstone on the right saw his cross slotted home by McLaughlin from close range. It got better after the restart when they added a second goal on 52 minutes when McLaughlin converted another good cross from Johnstone.
Number three came on 57 minutes when a McConalogue effort came off the bar to Gavin Grant to slot home. Minutes later they made it four when McConalogue raced clear and fired low past Johnathan Noone from the edge of the area.Illies tried to respond and had a few late chances with Martin Coyle firing just wide before Charlie McLaughlin was denied by a fine save from Bell after an excellent Stephen Doherty cross.The last chance fell to the home side but McConalogue had an attempted lob come back off the bar.