There was plenty of action in the Strand Hotel First Division and league’s below as games throughout the county produced some excellent contests.
For Premier Division round-up click here
Sea Rovers 3 QPS 3
After an even opening period, the home side created the first opening after a long ball from Damien Ward released Darragh O’Connor but his effort was well saved by Aiden Lynch.
The visitors responded and John McCluskey fired a good effort narrowly over the bar. Rovers shocked the visitors on 29 minutes after superb interplay involving Ward, O’Connor and Keelan Doherty created a chance for Oisin McGonigle and he fired to the roof of the net from fifteen yards.
The point tried to hit back but were finding the home defence difficult to penetrate but Josh Boyle went close with a rising shot on 33 minutes.
But Rovers went two up when McGonigle broke clear on the right and into the area to drill low to the far corner. They then made it 3-0 on the stroke of half time after Ward fired a superb free to the roof of the net to leave the point shell shocked at the break.
The point started rapidly at the start of the second half and Brian McColgan, Josh Boyle and McCluskey all took excellent saves from Glen Watson in the home goal.
Rovers responded and a good surge up the left by Conor McGeoghaghan saw him fire just over. The point reduced the deficit on 64 minutes after McColgan fed Boyle to slot low past Watson from fifteen yards.
They kept the pressure on and McCluskey headed wide before they got another goal back after a goalmouth scramble saw Boyle perfectly placed to fire home.
Rovers were hanging on at this stage and Watson produced another fine save to turn away Shaun Downeys close-range header on 83 minutes.
The visitors salvaged a share of the spoils in the final minute when in a scramble in the home area the ball deflected off a defender past Watson .
Aileach Res 1 Dunree United 2
After a slow start to this game the first real effort on goal came on 15 minutes when Dunree’s Matthew Doherty shot was well saved by David McGeady in the home goal.
Play moved up the other end and Stephen O’Donnell’s cross eluded Sean Parker in the away goals but came back off the crossbar.
Dunree took the lead on the half-hour when Philip Mc Guinness robbed a defender and squared the ball for Doherty to sidefoot the ball into the empty net.
Aileach had the next effort but Stephen Doherty headed over from a Shane Mc Monagle corner. Aileach started the second half brightly and equalised on 50 minutes when good work by Doherty and McGlynn set up Sean Mc Hugh to score from the edge of the box.
Aileach were now well on top but couldn’t get that vital second goal.
O Donnell fired wide when well placed, then Parker in the away goals pull of two great saves first from Doherty then tipping Seamus O Donnells low drive around the post.
Aileach were left to rue these misses as on 75mins as Bernie Doherty latched onto a misplaced pass in the Aileach midfield and unleashed a ferocious shot to the top corner.
After that Aileach pushed and pushed but couldn’t break down Dunree’s stubborn defence.
Moville Celtic 7 Rasheney FC 0
Leaders Moville showed no mercy as they continue their title chase and promotion back to the premier division. They started well and Finn McLaughlin headed an early chance over before Nathan Harkin drew a good blocking save from Roger McGilloway.
They opened the scoring on 14 minutes after Lee McColgan fed Michael McNaught and he picked out Caolan Doherty to sidefoot home.
From the kick off John McLaughlin tried an audacious effort which Ryan Coyle had to tip over the bar. McGilloway then made good saves to deny Doherty and then McNaught with the loose ball falling to Conor Lafferty but John Grant made a timely block.
It became 2-0 after a McColgan cross was parried by McGilloway only for McLaughlin to slot home from close range. Rasheney tried to hit back and a quickly taken free from McLaughlin was well dealt with by Coyle.
On 37 minutes Moville made it three nil when Lafferty threaded a ball through for Doherty to just beat the advancing McGilloway and poke the ball home.
On the stroke of half time, Antonio Rea’s cross was headed home by Michael McNaught to make it four nil. Two quick goals from the penalty spot by Doherty to complete his hat trick and Lafferty saw the remainder of the half fizzle out.
Moville completed the scoring when substitute Conor Doherty crossed for Lafferty to control on his chest and fire to the top corner for a superb finish.
Gleneely Colts 0 Cockhill Youths 3
Cockhill bounced back from their defeat last week for a hard-fought win over the home side. In the first half of few chances, Cockhill’s Conor Allen fired in a cross which Darragh McDermott fired wide from eight yards.
They took the lead in similar fashion on 25 minutes when McDermott converted Allen’s cross at the second attempt after his initial effort was blocked by Ben Miller in the Colts goal. Gleneely’s first attempt came on 55 minutes but JJ Doherty’s twenty-five yards effort flew over the crossbar.
Cockhill replied and on 65 minutes Mark McDaid went close with a free kick from twenty yards. Two goals in a three-minute spell then ended the game as a contest.
Firstly McDaid’s cross found Adam McLaughlin just inside the area and he drilled low to the bottom corner. Then an error in the home defence gave Shay McLaughlin the simplest of tasks to slot into the unguarded net.
Gleneely had the chance of consolation on 85 minutes when Paul Gamble raced clear but was denied by an excellent save from Kyle Dougal.
Glengad Res 2 Buncrana Res 0
A lot of the opening half saw the play congested in the midfield area with few clear chances at either end. Buncrana had an early chance after Kyle Bradley broke well on the right and saw his effort safely gathered by Michael McLaughlin.
Glengad grew into the game and PJ McDaid saw an effort saved by the legs of Paul McDaid in the Buncrana goal. On the stroke of half time Joe Doherty’s cross found John G McDermott but his header flew over the bar.
Buncrana again had the first chance in the second period but Bradley fired wide from twelve yards. Glengad upped the pressure and Christopher Doherty had one effort saved by McDaid before McDaid again denied PJ McDaid with his outstretched leg.
On 78 minutes McDaid again kept his side in it when he tipped over a twenty-five yards effort from Joe Doherty.
Glengads pressure told in the 85th minute after McDermott laid the ball wide to Gary Kelly whose first-time cross was slotted home by PJ McDaid.
Minutes later they made it two when Joe Doherty found Kelly who sidestepped a defender and slotted low past McDaid.
From the centre, Buncrana’s Dale Kerr unleashed a superb effort which substitutes Oran Raymond tipped onto the bar.
Division Two
Dunree Res 2 Cockhill Res 5
Cockhill took an early lead after Gary Breslin fired home from twenty-five yards before they doubled their lead on 5 minutes after Bernard Gubbins headed home from a corner.
Cockhill continued to press and only two superb saves from Ryan Fitzpatrick kept it at two nil at half time.
Cockhill started the second period well and increased their lead when Mark Gillespie found himself in space inside the area to fire low past Fitzpatrick. Dunree rallied and reduced the deficit when Jamie Brosnan converted a penalty after Eamon Fullerton was upended.
But Dunree’s failure to deal with corners came back to haunt them and both Damien Friel and Ryan McDaid converted to make it five one. The home side scored a late consolation when David Eccles headed home a Ryan Toland free kick.
Rasheney Res 1 Carrowmena FC 1
In an entertaining but scoreless first half, Rasheney had the first effort on goal after good play between Ciaran Dillon and Brian Devlin released Nathan McConalogue but he was denied by a superb last-ditch tackle from Raymond Campbell. The visitors replied and Declan McDermott unleashed a powerful effort which Declan Grant held well.
The best chance of the half fell to the home side on 28 minutes after a Tiernan McDonald cross fell at the feet of Dillon unmarked on the penalty spot but he failed to hit the target.
McConalogue then fired another effort just wide before an error in the visitor’s defence presented McConalogue with a sight of goal but he fired straight at Brian Houten.
Carrowmena responded on the stroke of half time and a long-range Samuel Bredin free was held by Grant. Rasheney started the second half the better and when Nathan McConaloge was forced wide he fired across goal and just past the left-hand post.
Brian Devlin then saw a dangerous diagonal ball well cleared by Brian Houten in the visitor’s goal.
Rasheney broke the deadlock on 62 minutes when Corny McCole fed Conor McDaid who laid the ball off for Ciaran Dillon to slot low into the corner from twelve yards for his first senior goal for the club.
But four minutes later Carrowmena levelled after a Sean McGrenaghan free was blocked an fell to substitute Evan McDermott on the edge of the area and he drilled low into the bottom corner.
Neither side created a clear chance and the spoils were shared.
Inishowen Engineering Division 2A
QPS Res 1 Clonmany Res 5
Clonmany started much the better and opened the scoring on 7 minutes when Nathan McKinney whipped a 25-yard free-kick over the wall and past keeper Bell in the QPS goal. Pearse McCarron for Clonmany went close with a 30-yard shot which whistled past the post.
On 20 minutes, in QPS’s first real attack, Jack McConnellogue’s pass found Oisin Burke, whose low cross was turned home by Joe Johnstone.
On 22 minutes, a long clearance by Clonmany keeper McGonagle went over everyone and Pearse McCarran ran through and blasted into the net from 20 yards. On 37 minutes, a Paul McLaughlin free was flicked home from close range by Pearse McCarron.
Just on half time, Pearse McCarron turned and smashed a 20 yard shot from a narrow-angle over keeper Bell into the net to complete his hat trick.
QPS played much better in the second half, but the next chance fell to Clonmany when from a long ball, Pearse McCarron was through on goal but keeper Bell saved well with his feet.
Clonmany completed the scoring on 59 minutes, when they carved open the QPS defence and Daire McGonagle chip was headed home by McCarron. QPS huffed and puffed but didn’t really threaten the Clonmany goal for the rest of the game.
Greencastle Res 3 Redcastle Res 3
In an entertaining game Andrew Peoples headed over, David Walker had an effort blocked and Adam Harkin fired over after good build up play for the home side.
In the same half-hour period, Fergus Kerr in the home goal twice make good saves from Ronan Hoy before producing a superb save from a deflected Terry McColgan effort. Redcastle opened the scoring on 42 minutes when McColgans cross was deflected into the path of Brendan Murphy to hit a half volley past Kerr from eight yards.
But the home side equalised immediately when a corner broke to Harkin on the edge of the area to fire a superb effort into the top corner. Conor Gillen had an early chance for the home side but fired wide while at the other end Ronan Cassidy was again denied by Kerr.
Redcastle then struck twice in a five minute spell to go three one up. Murphy raced onto a ball over the top to slot home before McColgan then ran onto a through ball to hold off a defender and slot home from sixteen yards. Greencastle tried to reply with Joe Doherty heading wide before seeing Ryan McCole making a superb save minutes later.
Redcastle’s Christy Smith then had a shot tipped round the post by Kerr before McColgan had a header cleared off the line by Darragh Gillen. Greencastle then got a goal back on 75 minutes after Gillen drove past a defender and crossed for Harkin to score with an acrobatic volley to the top corner from twelve yards.
Substitute Tom Heuston was then denied by McCole before they equalised on 86 minutes when Sean Cavanagh bundled the ball home from close range after a scramble.
Heuston then fired a late half chance wide before the home side were reduced to ten men when Walker was red carded after an altercation.
Moville Res 0 Aileach Youth 1
In a close contest with not a lot of goalmouth incident Graeme Doherty had an early header from Joshua Gillen’s cross well gathered by Ryan Fox. Midway through the half Doherty then released Matthew McLaughlin but he failed to hit the target from the edge of the area. Aileach replied but Aaron Doherty’s free was well saved by Sean McGuinness before the break.
It was a similar story in the second half but Fox made a stunning save from Mclaughlin’s header to keep the game scoreless. The defining moment came on 65 minutes when Liam Watson latched onto a long ball to out[ace the home defence and slide the ball past the advancing McGuinness. Moville tried hard and in a late half chance Danny Murphy fired wide at the back post.
Inishowen Engineering Division 2 B
llies Res 2 Culdaff Res 1
The first half was a scrappy affair but the homeside took the lead on 20 minutes when Ronan Hegarty fired high past Callum Doherty from the edge of the area.
They increased their lead after a superb Liam O’ Connor cross found Ethan Doherty to head high to the net. Culdaff started the second well and ben Curley was denied by a superb save from Kevin Gallagher to his right. Matt McDaid then flicked a close range effort over the bar.
Illies broke midway through the half but Hegarty had an effort well saved by Doherty.
A deep corner from Niall Gordon was headed into his own net by an unfortunate defender but it was a case of too little too late and Illies join the visitors at the top of Division 2B.
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