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McIntyre fires Inishowen to
win over Donegal League
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Inishowen League... 2 McIntyre 39, 81 Donegal League... 0 By Simon McGeady, Inishowen Independent After drawing 2-2 away with the Roscommon League last month, the Inishowen League’s future in this year’s Oscar Traynor competition was given a boost after Brian Bell’s men won 2-0 against the Donegal League in Redcastle on Sunday afternoon. The last time these sides met, the match was shifted from Ramelton to Rathmullan because of a waterlogged pitch. After heavy rainfall on Friday night there was a pitch inspection prior to Sunday’s game at Foyle Park, but the game was given the all clear. The visitors had to do without the services of their captain, Milford’s Peter Doherty, as well as another midfield body Dan Breslin of Killybegs side St Catherines. A brace of goals from Inishowen wing-back Eddie McIntyre secured the points for the home side, but that doesn’t tell the whole story of a match that the Donegal League dominated for long stretches. Indeed the visitors were unlucky not to have earned a share of the spoils, having forced a large number of corners and created numerous chances in both halves. |
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The visitors should have
opened the scoring in the seventh minute. Former Fanad
United forward PJ Hagan split the Inishowen defence with
an incisive through ball that found Paddy McDaid on the
left of the Inishowen box and his chipped centre hung in
the air for Jason Armstrong who powered a header that
fell just outside Gerard Crossan’s left hand post. The movement of the visiting forwards caused continual problems for the Inishowen rearguard and Hagan would have been in on goal in the 16th minute but he was taken down just outside the Inishowen area by Culdaff’s Dermot Diver. Gradually Inishowen, whose passing had been off for most of the opening half, began to click. Nevertheless, it came as something of a shock in the 39th minute when they took the lead, the ball played out to the left side of the Donegal 18 yard box to Eddie McIntyre who thumped a dipping volley into the far corner. Inishowen could have gone into the break two up when |
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Moville’s Nigel McMonagle
fired in a low cross that Owen Sheridan almost put into
his own net, and would have done but for the quick
reflexes of St Catherine’s stopper Andrew Mullan. Inishowen had the ball in the Donegal net again on the stroke of halftime when Charlie McCormack slid home Philip McGuinness’ low cross but the linesman’s flag was raised to erase the strike from the score-sheet. The second half began with Moville pushing for a second goal, and it almost came in the 48th minute when, after good approach play by the impressive McGuinness and McCormack along the left wing, the ball was cut back to McMonagle but his shot deflected wide for a corner. |
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Kilmacrennan Celtic’s Michael Emmet McDaid fashioned a
chance for the Donegal League collective five minutes
later when he dashed down the left wing and cut the ball
back to the edge of the Inishowen area to Paddy McDaid,
whose looping shot beat Crossan but crashed down off the
Inishowen crossbar on the wrong side of the goal-line
from McDaid’s perspective. The Donegal League then enjoyed their best period of play in the match with Hagan and Jason Noctor going close before Armstrong missed a gilt-edged opportunity to level in the 65th minute, pulling his left footed shot wide after bursting into the Inishowen area with the ball at his feet. Gweedore Celtic’s Frank McGee then entered the fray, adding height and physical presence to the Donegal League’s attack. In the 68th minute he held the ball up well and played in his right back David Conell whose shot would have tested Crossan were it not for a superb block by Martin Farren. |
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The Ballyare boys continued
to enjoy success coming down the right flank and in the
79th minute they again took that route, substitute Conor
McNulty releasing Chris Toner and the Lagan Harps man
slipped a neat through ball into the area for Conell
whose shot from the angle beat the keeper but was
cleared off the line by the excellent Dermot Diver. Donegal were made to rue those misses in the 81st minute when the unfortunate McNulty’s undercooked back pass allowed McIntyre to steal in and with Mullan in no man’s, and no hand’s land the Redcastle man stroked home his second to seal the victory. Inishowen will go into their remaining fixtures against the Mayo and Galway Leagues with a real chance of progressing from the group stage. For their fellow countymen it looks like mission impossible. Inishowen League Gerard Crossan, Martin McNutt, Eddie McIntyre, Dermot Diver, Martin Farren, Jimmy Gallagher, Malachy McDermott, Steve Harkin, Charlie McCormack, Nigel McMonagle, Philip McGuinness. Subs: Eamon Reddin for Jimmy Gallagher (42), Brian Treacy for Martin McNutt, Mickey Feeney for Nigel McMonagle (78). Donegal League Andrew Mullan, David Conell, Paddy Peoples, Jason Noctor, Michael Emmet McDaid, Jason Armstrong, Kevin Kelly, Owen Sheridan, Paddy McDaid, PJ Hagan, Niall Doherty. Subs: Frank McGee for Niall Doherty (60), Conor McNulty for Kevin Kelly (65), Chris Toner for Michael Emmet McDaid (76). For full coverage of all your weekend sport, read the Inishowen Independent. |
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