Michael Devine and Darren McElwaine netted the goals as Fanad United claimed the Donegal Youth League title this afternoon.
Keadue Rovers 1 Fanad United 2
By Charlie Collins, Donegal Sport Hub, at Central Park
The second-half strikes secured the win Fanad needed to take the title at Central Park, though they couldn’t celebrate here until the last shrill of Marty Quinn’s whistle as Keadue, another of the title hopefuls, stayed in touch right to the finish.
But the side managed by Niall Doherty and Oran Blaney did enough to secure the silverware and maintain the feeling that Fanad are most definitely on the move again – titles talk and, once again, those familiar red and black stripes are posing for celebratory pictures.
The champions-in-waiting netted their goals in the second half, having been held by a gritty Keadue in the opening period.
Fanad threatened in the sixth minute. After a breakaway down the left, Devine was denied by Keadue ‘keeper Ben Boyle and McElwaine managed to fire wide with the goal yawning before him.
Devine went close after being fed by a McElwaine cross, but Boyle saved the day with his feet.
Another fine Fanad move opened the Keadue rearguard again in the 38th minute as Devine’s flicked pass sent McElwaine away, but his low, dangerous, sweeping cross was cut out by Brian Proctor.
On the stroke of half-time, Devine should have put Fanad in front, but he blazed over the top from a promising position.
Devine, having seconds earlier riffled over crossbar, finally broke the deadlock in the 58th minute. Bernard McGettigan and Paul Bradley were involved in the build-up and Devine hammered past Boyle for the lead goal.
The minutes from time, Fanad doubled the lead as McElwaine’s low drive found the bottom corner after Bradley and Sean little combined on the edge of the box.
Paul Early’s header, just as the clocked moved into added-on time, redcued the arrears, but it wasn’t enough to deny Fanad the win as the Triagh-A-Locha men held on to claim the silverware.
Keadue Rovers: Ben Boyle, Eugene Byrne, Aidan McHugh, Malachy Boule, Brian Proctor, Aaron McCafferty, Declan McCready, Jordan Doogan, Paul Early, Noah Boyle, Jack Doherty. Sub: Jay Doherty for N.Boyle (66).
Fanad United: Dane Dunworth, Bernard McGettigan, James Kerr, Peter Curran, Ryan Taylor, Jamie McKinney, Darren McElwaine, Sean Little, Michael Devine, Brad Patterson, Paul Bradley. Subs: Ronan Gallagher for Patterson (78), John Heraghty for McGettigan (85), Gerard McAteer for Devine (85), Aaron Coyle for Bradley (85)
Referee: Marty Quinn.
