Diarmuid O’Brien content with Inishowen League Oscar Traynor efforts

Diarmuid O’Brien was in a philosophical enough mood following his Inishowen League side’s opening leg draw with the Donegal League in the Oscar Traynor Cup. 

In an evenly contested opening period, both sides had their moments but goals from Luke Rudden and Eddie O’Reilly saw both sides exit at the break on level pegging.

BJ Banda and a Lee McColgan penalty in the second-half meant both teams couldn’t be split and O’Brien had no complaints when speaking after at Maginn Park. 

“I felt our shape and even our effort was very good,” he said. “I’d be very happy with our discipline and the way we played.

“We might have shaded it on chances but it was evenly enough contested over the course of the 90 minutes. 

“We were speaking after there and we wouldn’t be happy with the goals we conceded. But overall, as expected, it was a really tough encounter. 

“At the same stage last year we were 3-2 down so that just shows the quality that the Donegal League has. 

“But we’ll regroup now over Christmas and go again in January. On that evidence it’ll be another really close encounter”. 

In dreadful conditions, both sides still conjured up some real moments of quality on Saturday. 

And O’Brien admits that with both he and opposite number Eamonn Sheridan not having all that much time at all to work with their squads, it had an ‘off-the-cuff’ sort of feel to matters tactically. 

“Yeah - and sometimes that’s a breath of fresh air,” he said. “If the weather was a little kinder we might have had even more goals. 

“It’s a local derby with two committed sides. From our perspective, all the players that played today came through our youth academy system. 

“And looking at the Donegal League, the likes of Adrian Delap and BJ Banda for example are the exact same. It’s lovely to see that. 

“It’s still all to play for so we’ll have to wait until January 12 now for it to be decided”.