THE INISHOWEN LEAGUE defeated their Donegal League counterparts in the Oscar Traynor Cup first leg tonight at Caratra Park in Culdaff, as Charlie Collins reports.
Inishowen League 2
Donegal League 0
Kieran McDaid and Benny McLaughlin were the goalscorers.
The home side got off to a flying start and had the visitors under pressure right away with a series of quick-fire attacks with Kieran Mc Daid, Benny Mc Laughlin and Mattie Henry causing all sorts of problems.
After Mc Laughlin had headed Matthew Byrne’s cross over and Adam Byrne had blasted over from the edge box Inishowen took the lead with a super solo goal. Picking up possession in his own the Buncrana Hearts man raced forward and after beating several defenders cut into the box and from an acute angle hammered the ball past Micheal Mullin in the 5th minute.
The Donegal League were struggling to get a foothold in the game as they were forced to defend in numbers. In the 20th minute Conor Doherty did well out wide on the right and his cross found Gareth Colhoun but the Kildrum Tigers man shot over from just outside the box.
At the other end Mc Daid set up Terence Doherty but he was off target and when Ciaran Mc Geady slotted the ball past Dillon Doherty the offside flag ruled out the ‘goal’.
In the 27th minute Kieran Mc Daid almost repeated his first goal with another super bit of skill, Dylan Hegarty came to the recuse for Donegal. Two minutes later it was 2-0, Mc Daid and Mattie Henry combined well in the box and when the ball broke to him Benny McLaughlin curled a beauty over keeper Mullin into the top corner.
The last chance of the first-half also fell to the Culdaff FC man but he somehow headed Mc Daid’s pin Point cross wide when it appeared easier to score and left the home side 2-0 up at the break but probably feeling it should have been more.
The introduction of Caolan Mc Daid had a positive effect on the Donegal League in the second-half and they produced a much better performance , Daniel Mc Hugh’s cracking shot in the 60th minute forcing an excellent save from Dillon Doherty. Both sets of defences were solid in that second-half with Kieran Gorman and Dylan Hegarty commanding for Donegal and John G Mc Laughlin and Thomas Mc Momnagle likewise for Inishowen. The home side will be happy enough with a 2-0 lead to the 2nd leg but likewise having weathered that first-half plummeting and improve as they did after the break Donegal will feel they still have can have a say in this tie, with that 2nd leg due to be played in January. INISHOWEN LEAGUE: Dillon Doherty, Michael Byrne, Matthew Byrne, John McLaughlin, Thomas McMonagle, Dillon Ruddy, Mattie Henry, Adam Byrne, Terence Doherty , Kieran McDaid, Benny Mc Laughlin. SUBS ; Seamus Doherty, Conor Barron and D J Canavan. ( all second-half ).
DONEGAL LEAGUE : Michael Mullin, Conor Doherty, Paddy Cannon, Ryan Shields, Kieran Gorman, Dylan Hegarty, Daniel Mc Hugh , Gareth Colhoun , JP Malley, Philip Whyte, Ciaran Mc Geady. SUBS ; Caolan Mc Daid , Aiden Mc Laughlin, Gavin Mc Glanaghy , Ryan Farrelly and Benny Bonner.
REFEREE: Danny Mc Laughlin
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