Donegal and Inishowen Leagues can't be separated after Oscar Traynor first leg

The Inishowen and Donegal League’s Oscar Traynor tie will go right to the wire in the second leg as matters ended deadlocked at 2-2 on Saturday at a rain-soaked Maginn Park. 

In an evenly contested opening period, both sides had their moments but goals from Luke Rudden and Eddie O’Reilly saw both sides exit at the break on level pegging.

Diarmuid O’Brien’s hosts had the better of the second-half exchanges but again, a goal apiece at either end meant it eventually ended all square. 

On 13 minutes, O’Reilly teed up Jonny Robb but his effort was tame and didn’t trouble Harry Doherty. 

A well-worked Gareth Harkin corner then fell to Joel Bradley Walsh on the edge of the box but again the connection was poor. 

On 24 minutes the hosts made the breakthrough when Peter Doherty’s ball over the top was brilliantly headed over the advancing Shane O’Gara by Rudden. 

However, just five minutes later the sides were level once more when an uncharacteristic Doherty mistake, where he parried a weak enough Jack Parke effort from distance, allowed O’Reilly to easily nod home for Eamonn Sheridan's charges from close range. 

On 32 minutes, the Donegal League outfit made good yards down the left-hand side but even though O’Reilly delivered an inviting cross, no one was there to meet it. 

The Donegal League side that drew with the Inishowen League 

Soon after an attempted cross by Rudden up the other side skidded wickedly on the wet turf and needed the intervention of O’Gara to push it away to safety. 

Eight minutes out from the break that Doherty/Rudden hook-up again almost bore fruit as the latter just arrowed wide of the foot of the post. 

And at the break, in an evenly matched contest, the sides were deadlocked. 

The second-half didn’t get off to that good a start for the visitors as they lost Bradley Walsh and Robb to injury in quick succession. 

But on 54 minutes the Donegal League found themselves in front as Banda was put through  by O’Reilly and with his driven low effort taking a nick off Doherty, the ball flew to the back of the home net. 

Still - less than two minutes later and Inishowen were awarded a penalty when Bart Wesolewski was taken down inside the area by Keith Cowan. 

Lee McColgan took on the responsibility and made no mistake as he slammed the 

ball straight down the middle as O’Gara went to his right. 

With their tails up, Inishowen should have regained the lead on the hour mark but Rudden could only smack a post when he really should have found the back of the net.

With conditions continuing to deteriorate both sides struggled to make any real inroads but as matters entered the last ten minutes a low driven effort from the edge of the area by Darren McMonagle was brilliantly pushed behind by O’Gara. 

Sparking some life back into the game, Banda let fly from distance for the Donegal League and Harry Doherty was also equal to the task there. 

However, neither side was able to grab a crucial winner between then and the end meaning the tie remains on a knife edge ahead of the second leg, scheduled for January 12 back in Ballyare. 

Inishowen League: Harry Doherty; Adam Curran, Peter Doherty, Thomas McMonagle, Lee McColgan; Darren McMonagle, Jack Doherty (Paul Doherty, 80), Calvin Gallagher (Shane McCaul 87), Luke Rudden (Jamie McKinney, 70); Shane McMonagle, Bart Wesolewski (Corey McBride, 70).

Donegal Junior League: Shane O’Gara; Jack Parke, Joel Bradley Walsh (Stephen Black, 48), Keith Cowan, Ethan Harkin (Seimi Friel, 64); Eddie O’Reilly, Gareth Harkin, Paddy Carr, Eoin Logue, Aidan Brennan, 68) BJ Banda, Jonny Robb (Aidy Delap, 56).

Referee: Terence Moyne.