In another action-packed weekend of football in the Donegal League as Kildrum Tigers went top of the Premier Division with a hard-earned victory at home against Kilmacrennan Celtic.
Milford also earned themselves a victory away against Glenea United to go second, while Donegal Town held Keadue Rovers, who slipped to third place following an entertaining game in South Donegal.
Donegal Town 3 Keadue Rovers 3
Donegal Town staged a dramatic comeback, scoring three times in the last fifteen minutes to earn themselves a draw with Keadue Rovers. Keadue took the lead very early when a mistake in the Donegal defence was punished by Danny McGlynn who fired a superb effort into the far corner. Keadue doubled their lead on the half hour when a Town defender was very unlucky to see their clearance slide of his shin and loop back in over John Leonard in the Donegal net.
Donegal were creating plenty of chances but failed to get on the scoresheet, Ben Sweeney going closest as he had an effort cleared off the line by a Keadue defender.
Keadue went further in front straight after the restart when Aidan McHugh ran through the Donegal defence to fire home to the bottom corner for a fine individual goal.
Donegal tried hard to get back into things with Barry Mulligan seeing his effort from a free kick coming back off the crossbar. Donegal started the comeback when Philip Patton scored with an excellent strike from the edge of the area which went in off the post.
Barry Mulligan then struck twice in as many minutes to level the game up at three each. His first goal was an excellent volley at the back post from a wide cross. He levelled things a minute later when he fired home again from inside the area. Donegal pressed hard for the winner but it didn’t come with the Keadue ‘keeper making a superb point-blank save from Bryton Maf-Tranz.
Referee: Paddy Duffy
Kildrum Tigers 3 Kilmacrennan Celtic 0
Kildrum hit the front when Seamie Nanny Friel was penalised for a handball and McHugh stepped up to slot home a penalty. Friel, booked for that handball infringement, was sent off after picking up a second yellow card for a foul on Gareth Colhoun.
Kildrum doubled their lead when William Lynch tapped home on the half-hour after a free by McHugh. Damian Crossan could have added a third but saw a superb effort cleared off the line.
They did add a third when Ethan Coll’s cross was turned in by a Kilmacrennan defender. Coll was subsequently sent off in the latter stages as both sides finished with 10 men.
Glenea Utd 1 Milford Utd 4
On wet windy conditions in Glasserchoo, it was Glenea who started brightly with a couple of half chances in the first 20 mins.
As the game progressed Milford settled into the game and on the 33rd minute a Gary Merritt cross found Kyle Black at the back post to slot past Joe Coll. Milford struck again for minutes later when Gary Merritt let go from 30-yards to the top corner.
Milford went three ahead on the 60th minute with Terence Shields getting on the end of a goalmouth scramble. Two minutes later Milford added another, a long ball from Terence Shields was inch perfect for Adam Serrinha who calmly shot low to the corner.
Glenea got a consolation goal on the 70th minute when Michael Barry turned and shot from the edge of the box.
Referee: Joe Mc Hugh
Rathmullan Celtic 0 Castlefin Celtic 3
Finn-siders win Battle of the Hoops on Super Derby Sunday. With Super Derby, Sunday well and truly off and running across the channel, the Hoops of Castlefin took the plaudits at a rain-soaked Seaside as Rathmullan Celtic succumbed to yet another defeat as they face a battle to keep their top-flight status alive after the Yuletide festivities roll into the new year.
With no ice cream van in attendance due to the dismal weather, the Seasiders tried in vain to break down a resilient Finn defence with their talismanic forward Eamonn Sheridan leading the line but to no avail.
It was the visitors who went ahead at the break when on 40 minutes a well-taken corner from Barry Tourish caused the Hoops defence all sorts of danger and Ronan Tourish was on hand to tap in inside the area in what was a scrappy affair in the Hoops attempts to clear.
Both sides were relieved to have Seamus Gavaghan’s exquisitely peppered soup accompanied with Anne Sheridan’s triangular sandwiches on a cold wet winter’s day at the Seaside but it was the Finn men who seemed to kick on better in the second period.
The visitors extended their advantage on the hour mark with a quality pass and move football exchange on the left side between Ronan and Barry Tourish before a perfectly squared pass to JP Malley on the edge of the area was dispatched into the bottom corner with class that simply merited a goal from the build up.
The Hoops struggled to get to grips with the conditions and the contest was over on 80 minutes the Finn left-back Barry Tourish made a scintillating run from his own half beating players at ease before whipping in a cross to the unmarked Raymond Foy, who tucked away a clinical strike low beyond an outstretched Sean Gallagher in the Hoops goal.
Owen Rafferty impressed for the Seasiders with the Tourish brothers Barry and Ronan producing a match-winning performance for Castlefin.
The Finn men move into the top three of the Premier League while the Hoops linger in the relegation zone looking for that one win to kick start their season and now face an arduous trip to Glasheroo to face Glenea United next week.
Referee: Mick Lagan
