Inishowen League reports: Glengad hit six to advance in Ulster Shield

Ulster Shield 

Kildrum Tigers 0

Moville Celtic 1

Played in good weather, the first half was a tight affair with both teams battling well. Both teams had chances, but it wasn't until the 42nd minute that Lee McColgan’s free kick deceived the home keeper Sean Friel to give the Inishowen side the lead and ultimately the crucial score of the game.

Kildrum came out strong in the second half with a great effort by Aaron O Donnell, which produced a stunning save by Jordan McLaughlin in the Moville goal. Moville threatened again and created chances for Michael McNaught, Jay Gillen and Norbert Indyka, but a combination of Friel and poor finishing meant Kildrum were always in the game.

The home side pushed hard in the closing stages, but Moville, with Josh Lafferty and Sean McDermott prominent, saw out the game to advance.

Glengad United 6

Oldtown Celtic 1

Played with the aid of a strong breeze in the first half, Glengad started brightly by moving the ball about well with some good linkup play between Owen Doherty, Caolan McColgan and Stephen Doherty however, the Oldtown defence stood firm. Midway through the half, Glengad broke down the resolute Oldtown defence when Ryan McLaughlin managed to intercept a pass and his effort found its way into the bottom corner. 

Glengad doubled their advantage ten minutes later when Brendan Doherty laid the ball off for Joe Doherty to fire past Michael Gibson in the Oldtown goal. Glengad finished the half strongly and managed to score another goal before half-time when Owen Doherty whipped in an exquisite cross for Joe Doherty, who made no mistake with his finish. Oldtown started the second half well and had Glengad pushed back but the defence of Owen Doherty, Lee Kelly, Jamie Toland and Cian Doherty stood firm. 

Glengad got their fourth of the game when Jamie Toland managed to score after a scramble in the box after a ball in from Ryan McLaughlin following a corner. Oldtown to their credit didn't let heads drop and with 15 minutes remaining, Kevin McGrath unleashed a rocket into the top corner, giving Ronan Lafferty no chance. 

After this goal, Glengad managed some good passes in midfield with Fergal Doherty being instrumental. Joe Doherty completed his hat-trick with 10 minutes remaining when Ryan McLaughlin played a defence splitting pass into him. The final action of the half saw Jayden McDaid score from an Oran Owens pass to finish off a strong team performance to get Glengad through to the next round.

Gleneely Colts 0

Letterkenny Reserves 4

Played in wet and windy conditions, Gleneely were first to show when Nathan Doherty had a shot from 40yards which was well held by Joshua Wade in the away goal on 15 minutes. Minutes later Codi Forbes had a shot from 15 yards which just went wide. 

The visitors responded midway through the half with Kealan Dunleavy going close when his shot from the edge of the box just went past the post. On the half hour, Oran Winston got free from a corner but headed just wide from eight yards. 

The same player had a free from 20 yards that flew over the bar just after the restart. Rovers took the lead on 70 minutes when Oisin McMenamin went on a good run to slot low into the bottom corner again from ten yards. They increased their lead minutes later when good play down the right flank from McMenamin to Igor Arriel and he slotted low to the bottom corner. On 85 minutes, they went three nil up when Volodymyr Kovalchuk converted a penalty for a foul. They scored their fourth on 88 minutes after  Jack Duff broke into the box and shot low to the right hand corner to seal their passage to the next round.

Aileach Res 3

Deele Harps 1

After a quiet opening, the game burst into life in the 10th minute when Dillon McGrory collected a Dermot Doherty throw-in on the left and played the ball inside to Sean McHugh to hit high to the top corner from 30 yards past David Arthur in the away goal.

Minutes later, play moved up the other end when Dean McCullagh sent Thomas Mullan through but he dragged his shot wide of the far post. Aileach doubled their lead on 15 minutes  after Conor McCahill raced passed the defender and squared the ball for Dermot Doherty to score at the back post. 

The second half started with Deele on the front foot when Scott McBeth fed Dean McCullagh but he shot straight at Dylan Porter in the home goal. Then a corner from the right was headed back across goal by Thomas Mullan for Cameron Mahon but his volley rebounded of the crossbar and cleared to safety. 

Aileach took control again when  Stephen O’Donnell advanced down the left and pulled the ball back for the in-rushing Dillon McGrory but his first time shot flew narrowly wide. Shortly afterwards, Sean McHugh whipped in a free but James Wallace headed wide at the back post. Harps then had a chance after  Declan Lafferty floated in a free from the right but McCullagh's effort sailed over the bar. 

Aileach went three up on 70 minutes when O’Donnell played a one two with Doherty on the edge of the area and fired home from fifteen yards. Minutes later McCahill beat two defenders and squared but this time Doherty's effort went wide of the back post. Harps did pull a goal back for a consolation in the 85th minute when a Declan Lafferty free slipped passed Porter at the near post. Aileach comfortably seen out the remainder of the game. To advance to an away tie at Drumoghill.

Redcastle Res 3

Rashenny FC 4

Rashenny had the first chance after five minutes when a cross from Ryan Doherty was headed wide by Shea Grant, who was unmarked six yards out. Redcastle went ahead after a mix-up in the Rasheney defence allowed Gordon Steele to score from ten yards. Rasheney responded and came close when a cross from Conor McDaid was headed just over by Jake O’Donnell.

Redcastle almost added a second when Shay Sweeney’s pass put Gordon Steele through, but his shot from twelve yards was well saved by Sam Coyle. Rashenny got their equaliser after 40 minutes when a Ryan Doherty corner was headed home from ten yards by Patrick Doherty. Rashenny then took the lead on the stroke of half-time with a Ryan Doherty free kick from 20 yards that found the top corner.

Rashenny made it 3–1 after 50 minutes when a cross from Patrick Doherty was met with a fine strike from O’Donnell. Redcastle reduced the deficit when Darren Harkin’s cross from the right was volleyed into the net by Darragh Leech. They then made it 3–3 after a short back pass allowed Leech to go around the keeper and score.

With the match heading towards extra time, it was Rashenny who found the winner when a bad mix-up in the home defence allowed Patrick Doherty to tap the ball into an empty net from ten yards.

HML Plant Hire Division One 

Buncrana Res 0

Cockhill Youths 3

Played in miserable conditions, it was the visitors who started the brighter, but the home defence stood firm. The visitors thought they had taken the lead on 24 minutes, but the goal was disallowed with the referee spotting a handball from Darragh McDermott. Three minutes later they did take the lead in fortuitous circumstances, a Hearts defender diverting the ball past Nicholas Bryg in the home goal. On 34 minutes, Conor McDaid’s free-kick was tipped over by Bryg. The Hearts had their first attempt on 40 minutes when a Michael Grant shot was saved by Darragh O’Donnell.

The visitors doubled their lead on 52 minutes, a corner falling to Conor McDaid and he fired past Bryg. At the other end, Thomas Adair fired a free-kick just over before Cockhill’s PJ Doherty received the ball from a short corner and fired just wide of the far post. Buncrana pressed again, with an Ethan Soal free-kick saved by O’Donnell in the 70th minute. The visitors then sealed the points when Darragh McDermott flicked a Lavery cross past Bryg to put them three up. The home side’s Jack Soal had a great opportunity for a consolation but blazed over from eight yards.

Cockhill Res 2

Sea Rovers 2

This proved to be a very competitive and tight affair with few clear-cut chances for either side, not helped by the brutal conditions. There was little between the teams, with Cockhill slightly edging the early play before Sea Rovers gained a foothold. But it was the young Cockhill side who took the lead midway through the first half when Christy Doyle flashed in a low drive at the near post past keeper Seamus Houghton.

Just as it looked like Cockhill would be ahead at the break, Christy O’Brien showed great strength to burst through the middle and slot past Eoin Colhoun to level the match. Sea Rovers then took the lead minutes into the second half. Colhoun made a good save from a long-range effort, but Keelan Doherty reacted quickest to the loose ball to put Sea Rovers ahead.

Cockhill responded well and had Sea Rovers on the back foot, and deservedly equalised ten minutes later. Nial Breslin did well to flick on a cross, and Ethan O’Toole volleyed home from 12 yards over Houghton. The rest of the game was scrappy, with neither keeper forced into further saves as it ended all square.

Inishowen Engineering Division Two

Culdaff Rovers 3

Culdaff Res 3

Before a big crowd under the Caratra lights on Friday evening, the honours ended even between the experienced Rovers and the youthful Reserves. The Reserves made the brighter start and took a deserved lead on five minutes as a wind-assisted long-range effort from Jack O’Brien flew into the top corner past Gavin McLaughlin.

Rovers tried to use their experience by keeping possession but failed to trouble Patrick McLaughlin. The Reserves had another chance when O’Brien released Stephen Farren, who shot inches over, and then spurned another golden opportunity when O’Brien squared to Noel McLaughlin, who missed the target. At the other end, a Michael Coyle snapshot was turned around the post before an Eugene McLaughlin effort sailed over.

The Reserves struck again, Tiernan McGeoghaghan keeping his nerve to convert a twice-taken penalty to make it 2–0. But Rovers hit back before the interval when Stephen McLaughlin weaved into the area and drilled low past McLaughlin. A number of halftime substitutions gave Rovers more intensity, and they levelled on 55 minutes through John G. McLaughlin’s superb 20-yard strike into the top corner.

Rovers took the lead on 72 minutes when Michael Coyle was upended in the area, allowing Dermot Diver to coolly score from the spot. But the Reserves equalised from the penalty spot again, McGeoghaghan converting his second of the night to secure a share of the spoils.

Carn Res 3

Illies Res 0

In very wet and windy conditions at Paddy’s Park, the home side started strongly but were initially kept out by a stubborn Illies defence. Carn eventually broke the deadlock when a Kyrin Doherty corner was headed into his own net by an unfortunate Illies defender. Carn doubled their lead soon after when another Doherty cross was met by captain Ryan Diver, who rose highest to head home.

Illies came out fighting in the second half and both sides had chances, but midway through the half Doherty played in Dion Diver, who calmly slotted home. Carn saw it out, with Doherty recording a hat-trick of assists in a man-of-the-match performance.

Aileach Youth 0

Clonmany Res 4

Aileach started well, creating two good chances in the first 15 minutes, but the keeper made fine saves from Conor Tierney and Darren Bradley. Clonmany went close themselves, the bar and later the post denying them after good work from Mark McLaughlin and Alex McFadden, as the half ended scoreless.

A five-minute spell early in the second half saw Clonmany race into a 3–0 lead with goals from Alex McFadden, Jamie Coyle, and Mark McFadden. Aileach battled to stem the flow, but Clonmany added a fourth on 85 minutes when Brendan Doherty headed home from a corner.

Moville Res 1

QPS Youth 9

A tough morning for Moville at the Bayfield as QPS dominated from the start. They took the lead after three minutes when Sean Og Gallagher fired low past Rhys Kerr after being played through by Michael McCarron. Mark Wallace made it 2–0 when his brilliantly whipped corner went straight in at the near post. Kerr then saved well from Adam Harkin before McCarron saw a shot deflected wide.

QPS’s third came after the half-hour mark when Moville were dispossessed too easily and Wallace cut inside to finish into the bottom corner. It was 4–0 before the break as Gallagher struck high past Kerr for his second.

Five minutes into the second half, Wallace completed his hat-trick from close range after good work by Gallagher. Gallagher then completed his own hat-trick, tapping in after his first effort rebounded off the bar, following superb play from Kevin McLaughlin. With 20 minutes left, QPS were awarded a penalty after John McCloskey was fouled; he converted confidently into the bottom right. McCloskey soon added an eighth with a 25-yard free-kick that Kerr got a hand to but couldn’t keep out.

Gallagher scored his fourth and QPS’s ninth when he finished from close range after McCloskey worked well down the right. Moville grabbed a consolation late on when a long free-kick from Daniel McFadden, helped by the wind, found its way past Cain Breslin.

Greencastle Youths 7

Dunree Res 3

Both sides produced a very entertaining game in windy conditions at Chapel Lane. Early on, Luke McFadden found space repeatedly and went close on a couple of occasions. The deadlock was broken on 20 minutes when a poor clearance by the Dunree keeper was punished by Cian Sharkey, who lobbed him from 25 yards.

Dunree equalised almost immediately when Paul Jackson turned home after Paul Doherty parried a long-range shot. On 30 minutes, Greencastle regained the lead with the goal of the game — a stunning 30-yard strike from Ryan Sharkey into the top corner. Greencastle were on top and extended their lead when Ryan Sharkey found Ronan Doherty, who beat his marker and finished low across goal for his first senior goal.

Luke McFadden made it 4–1 just before the break, beating three defenders before slotting home. Dunree responded on the stroke of half-time with a tidy finish from Daryl Moran.

In the second half, Greencastle controlled possession, with Kelly and the Sharkey brothers supplying quality balls forward. McFadden completed a superb hat-trick with goals on 58, 65, and 74 minutes, slaloming through defenders each time. Dunree completed the scoring on 85 minutes with a well-taken free-kick from substitute David O’Hagan.