Oldtown Celtic make it four-in-a-row in Saturday League Division 1

Oldtown Celtic claimed the Donegal League Saturday Division 1 title for a fourth successive time at Central Park on Saturday in a tight tussle that was in doubt right up until the final whistle.

On a good day for football, the away side had the benefit of the breeze in the opening half but had to work very hard against a determined Keadue side who needed a result. 

It was a feisty opening to the game, with tackles flying in from both sides, and the referee had to be sharp - which he was.

Twenty minutes in, Oldtown went ahead with the first real chance of the game, when a ball was played down the left flank and John McFadden nipped in at the end line and clipped in a cross over the keeper, which went to the back of the net before the backpedalling Paddy Bonner could get a touch to it.

Keadue were under pressure as Oldtown got on top, but on 34 minutes they broke out and Peter McGee was one-on-one with the Oldtown keeper but the keeper won the battle. The game remained fairly scrappy up until half-time, and the away side went in a goal up.

In the first five minutes of the second half, Oldtown stepped it up again and created a few half-chances, but the Keadue rearguard kept them at bay. 

A few subs by the home side added more energy, and both Chris Breen and Aaron Brennan were good outlets. The home side forced more possession and territory as the half went on but couldn’t make any real impact on the Oldtown goal.

On 65 minutes, Keadue thought they had a penalty when Peter McGee looked to have been taken down, but the referee waved away the appeals. 

John McFadden and Luke Nelis were proving strong for the visitors with their experience, and they came close to getting a second on a few occasions.

The home side piled on the pressure, winning lots of set pieces, well delivered by both Adam McCaffrey and Matthew Comiskey. 

They came close in the last ten minutes when midfielder Paddy Bonner got on the end of a cross, but his header was cleared off the line. 

Further chances fell to both Peter McGee and Matthew Smith, but despite a brave second-half performance, which on another day would’ve earned a draw, it was Oldtown’s day, and they saw out the remaining minutes to claim the title.

Best for Oldtown were John McFadden, Luke Nelis, and Zak Breen, while best for Keadue were Adam McCaffrey, Paddy Bonner, and Matthew Comiskey.

Referee: Sean Ferry.