In pictures: Success for the Donegal Underage League Under-13s in Foyle Cup

There was success for the Donegal Underage League Under-13 side in the Foyle Cup final at the weekend.

Paddy McNulty's side ran out 3-0 winners over Newell FC in the final, with goals from Zac O'Carroll, Darragh O'Sullivan and Oisin McGee.

The Donegal Under-13s were emphatic on their way to the final game, also coming through their group of Irvinestown, Strabane and Oliver Plunkett’s unbeaten and without conceding a goal to send them into the first knock-out game against Derry side Tristar, a game they won 1-0. From there they went on to comfortably beat Inishowen Youth 3-0 in the last eight, before they really put the hammer down in the semi-finals, dominating Dungannon Youth 7-2.

A close contest in the early stages, two goals in the space of just three minutes changed this game completely. Donegal struck first on 12 minutes when Daithi McHugh’s deep cross found teammate Garbhan O’Donnell at the back post, and he controlled the ball before laying it off neatly for Zac O’Carroll, who lashed the ball high into the net to make it 1-0.

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Newell were still reeling from that when Donegal struck again on 15 minutes. This time it was goal scorer O’Carroll who went charging down the left, and his cross came to O’Donnell, who again turned provider, setting up teammate Darragh O’Sullivan. O’Sullivan’s first effort from the edge of the area was blocked, but the ball broke right back to him, and he expertly curled it low past Harry McSwiney and into the net to give Newell a long way back in this cup final. 

Donegal were efficient and excellent in that first half and Newell heads were down as they went into the half-time break knowing that they needed to dig deep. 

Try as they did, Newell just could not get a grip on the game in the second half as Donegal opted to go for the kill rather than hold onto what they had. They remained the more dangerous team and they came close to a third goal on a number of occasions, particularly when O’Donnell again set up Tiarnan Caterson, who had a goal-bound effort turned away with a strong save from McSwiney. 

There was then almost a repeat of the first goal as O’Donnell set up O’Carroll, but again young Newell goalkeeper McSwiney was there to keep his team in the game with another fine stop. 

Time ran out quickly for Newell, who just could not get beyond a very strong Donegal defence, and in added time at the end of the game, they got the third goal to begin the celebrations, Oisin McGee reacting quickest with the goalkeeper out of his area to send the ball into the net to secure the Foyle Cup for his team.

Donegal: Harry McBride, Eoghan O’Neill, Daithi McHugh, Patrick Caldwell, Garbhan O’Donnell, Zac O’Carroll, Oisin McGee, Ryan McNulty, Charlie Carr, Conor Dorrian, Martin Og Coll.

Subs: Tiarnan Catterson, Logan Morrow, Darragh O’Sullivan, James McCormack, Sam Tourish. 

Click through to see pictures from the final.