Moville Youths 1-2 Redcastle Res
In the early exchanges Derek McGeoghaghan for the youths burst into the area but keeper Michael McCole advanced to clear the danger.Redcastle replied and successive inswinging corners saw Michael O Doherty head at keeper Lee McElroy before McElroy punched the second one clear with O Doherty ready to pounce.Aiden Cunningham then had a long range effort crash off the bar to Greg Breslin who somehow fired wide before Cunningham cut in from the right but saw his low effort saved by McElroy.Moville responded with Kevin McDermott feeding Colin Doherty but McCole saved well and minutes later McCole advance to clear the danger after a scramble in the area.Redcastle broke the deadlock on the stroke of half time when Breslin pounced on a square pass top round McElroy and slot home.The home side got back on terms within minutes of the restart after Oran McDermott converted a penalty low past McCole after Doherty had been upended.But Redcastle regained the lead within a few minutes when Antonio Rea advance up the left and squared the ball for Mervyn Gourley whose first time effort flew high past McElroy.Redcastle were on top at this stage and when Michael Bonner rounded McElroy he somehow blazed wide before O Doherty headed wide with the goal at his mercy.Movilel responded and Gearoid McQuillan fried wide froma good position before Mcdermott just failed to get on the end of a Robert Kane cross.Redcastle ended the game strongly with Bonner firing wide when clear before an inswinging Cunningham corner came off the bar before the home defence cleared.
Rasheney Rovers 1-4 Rasheney Res
In an earlier league meeting these two teams served up an entertaining seven goal encounter with the Reserves just shading it by a single goal. However, this game did not live up to prior billing and John Duffy’s men won it at a canter. They were on top from the start. Rovers keeper Declan Grant tipped over a Charlie Doherty (JE) effort early on and then John Davey managed to head over from just 8 yards out after John Doherty (JE) headed on Gary Doherty’s free. The early pressure paid off short of the quarter hour mark when Charlie Doherty got in behind the Rovers defence and fired Jonathan Toland’s over the top ball to the net. That lead was doubled on 27 minutes when the ball was cleared out as far as John Davey in the D and his low ground shot beat Grant for 2 – 0. The Rovers were having difficulty posing any meaningful threat to Kieran Friel’s goal and it was half an hour into the match before they mounted an attack. Then Mark Gilmore fired a free well over but they were unlucky not to reduce the deficit when both George Doherty (A) and Gilmore failed to force the ball over the line in a goalmouth scrimmage close in. When play moved to the other end the Reserves struck for their third goal when full back Darren Doherty’s attempt from 25 yards beat Grant to put the Reserves firmly in control. Brian Doherty for the Reserves had two further efforts to increase his side’s lead before half time. First his looping shot from distance brought an excellent tip over save from Grant and then he drove low past the base of a post after a lay off from Davey who had gone on a mazy run through the Rovers defence. To their credit the Rovers got back into the game shortly after the interval. Brendan Grant got in on the left side of the area and when he forced the ball across into the six yard box George Doherty (A) fired it high into the net. However, that was as good as it got for the Rovers as the Reserves dominated and created a succession of chances. Kevin Noone and Brian Doherty combined to set up Davey but his shot was off target. Noone then ran clear but his low shot beat the advancing Grant but also the post and Toland couldn’t get on the end of a delightful cross to the back post as the pressure increased. However, that pressure brought reward mid way through the second half. Brian Doherty was played through into the area only to collide with Grant who had raced off his line. Doherty was up first and drove low into an unguarded net for the fourth goal. Further brilliant saves from Grant when he denied Brian Doherty and Charlie Doherty in quick succession and a number of misses from their fellow forwards saw the Reserves run out deserving winners.
Inishowen Engineering Reserve First Division
P | Pts | |
Redcastle | 8 | 22 |
Rasheney Res | 8 | 19 |
Moville Youths | 8 | 10 |
Rasheney Rovers | 8 | 9 |
Cockhill Colts | 7 | 9 |
Illies | 6 | 7 |
Dunree | 6 | 6 |
Greencastle | 7 | 3 |