Donegal League: Kildrum march on in the Brian McCormick Cup with win over Lifford

Brian McCormick Cup 

Lifford Area 

Kildrum Tigers 4-0 Lifford Celtic 

Kildrum welcomed neighbours and newly promoted Lifford Celtic to Station Road for their Cup semi-final encounter. The home side progressed to this year’s Area Final thanks to first-half goals from William Lynch, Keelan Gillen and Brian Breslin while Gillen got the game’s only second-half strike. 

Drumoghill F.C 3-0 Lagan Harps 

The reds march on in the Brian Mc Cormick Cup with this comfortable victory over Lagan Harps.  Second half strikes from Lee Smyth, Gareth Hamilton and Liam O’Donnell ensured the home side’s passage to the next round of the competition after an uneventful first half. 

The game began with both sides appearing to place an emphasis on avoiding defeat, which is never a surprise in any derby encounter, particularly one in a knockout competition.  Neither side committed too many attacks and any efforts on goal were limited to strikes from distance that offered no threat to either Roy Duffy or Michael Toner who were in goals at each end.  

In truth, the game was crying out for a goal, and it arrived early in the second half.  There appeared little danger when Colm Gardiner won possession from Eamon Cannon before releasing Niall Mc Crossan whose neat centre was latched onto by Lee Smyth at the near post to put the home side into the lead on 51 minutes.  

Before Lagan had any chance to respond they found themselves two goals behind from a strike that was created in similar circumstances. This time it was Stephen Craig who turned creator when his first time cross was hammered home at the far post by Gareth Hamilton on 54 minutes.  

Drumoghill were now in control and were happy to contain Lagan as part of seeing the game out. Lagan enjoyed large spells of dominating the ball with Glenn Gallagher notable throughout, but they lacked any kind of killer instinct to trouble Dylan Mc Elhinney and Rory Mc Crossan at the back for Drumoghill. 

Drumoghill were content to soak up the attacks and hit the opposition on the counter and it was from one such attack that they put the game beyond doubt through Liam O’Donnell on 88 minutes. This time it was Seamus Bogle who helped set up the attack as he won possession from Taylor Cassidy before releasing Lee Smyth on the right wing.  

Smyth evaded the challenge of Josh Hay before placing a superb cross into the path of O’Donnell who tapped beyond Toner to end any hopes Lagan Harps might have had of getting back into the contest.    

Donegal Area 

Drumkeen United 1-3 St Catherine’s 

Drumkeen brought the curtain down on their season with the visit of St Catherine’s for this Donegal Area semi-final of the Brian Mc Cormack Cup.  

Drumkeen have struggled for form in the league this season but they gave a good enough account of themselves for a large part of this game against their Premier Division visitors.  

St Catherine’s took the lead in this game after 10 minutes when a Darragh Murrin effort squeezed in between the keeper and post. Drumkeen got back on level terms quickly when a Michael Patton shot came back off a St Catherine's defender and fell to Shaun Doherty who fired it home.   

The visitors got back in front again after 25 minutes with a great left footed strike from Kyle McGeoghan which went across the goal and nestled in the right-hand corner of the Drumkeen net.  

Drumkeen were still very much in this game and were defending fairly well but it was hard to see where the goal they needed was going to come from as they were struggling to create goal scoring opportunities for themselves. Midway through the second half Dean Breslin added a third goal for St Catherine's to give them a two-goal cushion and it was hard to see a way back for Drumkeen at that stage.  

The home team battled on and they did manage to earn a couple of free kicks on the edge of the box but they never unduly worried the Killybegs keeper. 

Glencar Inn Saturday Division One 

Arranmore United 3-0 Glenea United Reserves 

On a bright but breezy day at Rannagh Park, Arranmore got back to winning ways with a comprehensive win over the visitors.  

The front four of Finnian O'Donnell, Paul Early, Damian Weber and John Roper all caused problems early on and it was Damian who opened the scoring when Glenn O'Donnell whipped a free kick into the box and Weber was at the back post to finish.  

Not long after the second goal came direct from a corner kick which was taken by Roper and flew straight in past Shaun McClafferty in the Glenea goal. Arranmore went into the break 2-0 up and shortly after half time they got their third. John Roper was played in, but his shot was saved and Finnian O'Donnell was on hand to score a well-deserved goal.  

Old Orchard Saturday Division Two 

Cranford United Reserves 1-1 Copany Rovers 

A share of the spoils in Cranford Park with both sides failing to find a winner.  

Cranford started the strongest and were creating most of the chances and went one up after 35 minutes when Domhnaill Sweeney finished well into the bottom corner. Copany almost equalised before half time but were denied by a good save from Dean Fleming.  

It was even in the second half with both sides creating chances and Copany levelled with twenty minutes to go. Cranford pushed hard for the winner and had most of the possession and chances but couldn't find the net.