Donegal make home advantage count with win over Inishowen in Youth Inter-League

Donegal took a two-goal win in the first of their two legs in the Youth Inter-League against Inishowen at Leckview Park on Friday night.

Defences were on top for the majority of the first half, with plenty of good slide tackles put in on the wet surface, but the threats came from Joey Coll and Cormac Dunleavy for the hosts, and Billy Hume and Shay McDaid for the visitors. 

But Johnny McAteer’s opener near the end of the first half opened the game up a bit more for an entertaining second half to come.

Donegal then went three up, a brace from Cormac Dunleavy, one after a good set piece move as he volleyed in and the second a superb bit of skill to lob Inishowen stopper Stephen McNulty from the tightest of angles.

Inishowen got one back with 20 to play through a well-worked move finished by Olly Coyle, but that would be the last of the goals.

Both sides had chances for further goals, but didn’t take them, as the hosts took a two-goal lead into the second leg that will be played in Inishowen in mid-December.

The first couple of chances fell for the Inishowen men, Hume playing a 1-2 with Lavery, but Daniel McClafferty saved, as he did with a long-range effort from Shea Grant.

Donegal then tried their luck as Alex McDevitt’s free was headed by Coll, while a dangerous Dunleavy cross was palmed away from danger by Stephen McNulty.

Hume threatened again with a free at a tight angle that McNulty parried, and his inswinging corner was headed by Shay Gibbons towards his own net, but McAteer stopped it on the line.

Dunleavy had a strike on the volley held, while Hume was unlucky to be called offside from a brilliant Mark McLaughlin pass as he went 1-on-1.

But the opener came on the 40th minute as Fionn Chernick sped down the left and crossed low to the back post for McAteer, who had his first effort blocked by Grant, but he chipped the ball in from the rebound. 

Inishowen’s best chance of the half was the last chance, a great reverse pass from Gavin Bradley to Joel Lavery on the left of the box, but he couldn’t find the far corner.

It took nearly fifteen minutes after the restart for a first chance, which saw Eamon McConigley’s men double their lead.

It came from a McDevitt free from near the halfway line, which found sub Ciaran Connaghan, who headed across for Dunleavy to volley in at close range.

Coll had a header go over the bar, while McClafferty saved from Hume and a Coyle at the other end, but Donegal soon got a third. 

It came from a bit of luck, as Michael Borden slipped on the wet surface under pressure from Dunleavy, and as the forward took a touch at a very tight angle on the left of the box, he somehow chipped it over McNulty and in off the far post for a superb goal. 

But Inishowen got one back nearly instantly as Joel Lavery played a quick free to Grant, who quickly passed off to Coyle, and he placed it into the bottom corner.

Dunleavy almost slid in for his hat-trick as Connaghan shot wide and he almost connected, while a Tiernan Diver cross was met by an unmarked McLaughlin at the back post, but he somehow headed over.

Donegal almost extended their lead as Coll played a through ball to Dunleavy, but McNulty made a good save, while Coll hit the post with the rebound.

And into added time, the visitors put the pressure on to get a goal back, Diver getting on to a flick on after a Lavery corner, but McClafferty gratefully held as the Donegal side take a two-goal advantage into the second leg next month.

Donegal League:  Daniel McClafferty; Oisin Feeney, Shay Gibbons, Harry Doherty, Alex McDevitt; (Fintan Loughran 86), Johnny McAteer (Aaron Kerr 68), Tiarnan French (Ciaran Connaghan 55), Joey Coll, Fionn Chernick; Shea Cannon, Cormac Dunleavy.

Inishowen League: Stephen McNulty; Cahir O’Donnell, Michael Borden, Gavin Farren, Shea Grant; Gavin Bradley (Joe McCallion 68); Mark McLaughlin, Joel Lavery, Billy Hume (Tiernan Diver 68); Olly Coyle, Shay McDaid.

Referee: Paddy Doherty.