Donegal Town have too much firepower for Letterbarrow

Donegal Town completed the double over their country neighbours, Letterbarrow Celtic, with a comfortable 4-1 victory at the Hospital Field in Division 1 of the Donegal League.

Donegal Town 4
Letterbarrow Celtic 1

On a day borrowed from summer, Donegal Town always looked the more likely despite being pedestrian enough in the opening half. The win puts them right in the mi for Division 1 honours

Indeed, they should have been a goal behind inside 10 minutes when 'keeper Paddy Kelly made a poor clearance to Christy 'Winkers' McLaughlin, but his blushes were saved when McLaughlin missed the target with the goal gaping.

Glenn Harron and Joe McIntyre were causing the Letterbarrow defence plenty of problems but it took 32 minutes before Donegal opened their account. It came, as did all their scores, from a set play. A corner was cleared but when it was played back in Glenn Harron was one-on-one with 'keeper Cathal Charlton. The Letterbarrow 'keeper stopped his first effort but he squared the rebound for Robbie Murphy to slide home.

The second arrived nine minutes later when a Letterbarrow free kick was cleared long and Declan Duignan, who only recently transferred from Letterbarrow to Donegal Town, put Joe McIntyre through. Again Charlton denied McIntyre at the expense of a corner, from which Eoin Slevin combined with Joe McIntyre to sneak home a second goal at the post.

Glenn Harron had claims for a penalty turned away as the home side led 2-0 at the break.

The 'Town side got the perfect start to the second half when Stephen Graham rose highest in front of goal to head home a corner.

Letterbarrow Celtic were given a slimmer of hope on 59 minutes when Christy McLaughlin put Lorcan O'Donnell through with a slide rule pass. O'Donnell was very cool as he almost walked the ball into the empty net.

Letterbarrow Celtic had their best period around this time as they made a host of changes , which gave them a lift. A Barry Burke cross created a good chance for Cathal Lowther, but his effort went wide of the post.

But as the game wore on it was Donegal Town who took control again with Killian Faulkner giving the Letterbarrow defence some anxious moments. The fourth goal for the home side came on 80 minutes when a cross was deflected into his own net by Michael Coughlan.

There was almost a repeat of an earlier incident when Paddy Kelly again had a poor clearance and Gerard McBrearty almost made him pay from just inside the half-way line.

Donegal Town: Paddy Kelly; Ryan Hegarty, Ryan Hegarty (Joe Stitt 82),  Joe Campbell, Ryan O'Brien, Tom Cutts, Eoin Slevin, Declan Duignan (Killian Faulkner 55), Stephen Graham, Robbie Murphy (Ruairi McLaughlin 77), Glenn Harron (Ronan McHugh 68), Joe McIntyre (Graeme Harron 55).

Letterbarrow Celtic: Cathal Charlton, Barry Burke, Michael Coughlan, Evan Campbell, Kevin McBrearty, Des McGroarty, Martin Breslin (Nathan Maxwell ht), James McGroary (Cathal Lowther 65), Gerard McBrearty (Lee Armstrong 86), Christy McLaughlin, Ian Campbell (Lorcan O'Donnell ht).

Referee: Diego Rainey