Donegal League Reports: Letterkenny Rovers overcome Glenea United in Leckview

Kilmacrennan Celtic 2 Donegal Town 2

All square at Letterkenny Community Centre.  Donegal town took the lead on seven minutes through a great strike from the edge of the box from Ben Sweeney.  Kilmacrennan equalised on 30 minutes through Conor Temple after great work on the right wing from Conor Black.

Both teams had a few chances in second half and both teams played some great stuff. On 85 minutes, Kilmacrennan took the lead from a corner as the Donegal Town ‘keeper flicked the corner into his own net.

On 90 minutes, Ronan McHugh scored the equaliser from a header to share the points.  Team effort from both teams.

Referee Patrick Martin

Kildrum Tigers 1 Keadue Rovers 1

Played in wintery conditions, it was Kildrum who started brightest, aided by the breeze.  They forced Keadue back and had a lot of corners and free kicks without creating any clear-cut chances. This continued throughout the first half, but they couldn’t find the net.

Kildrum started the second half on top and had a few half-chances to take the lead but couldn’t convert. On the hour mark, Keadue counter-attacked and won a free kick on the edge of the box. Aidan McHugh stepped up and buried it in the top corner, giving the keeper no chance.  Keelan Gillen was sprung from the bench on 63 mins, and in his first involvement, he won a penalty. Jonny Robb calmly dispatched the penalty to the side netting, giving the keeper no chance.

Kildrum tried hard to get the winner and created a few good chances but Keadue stood firm.  Battling performances from both teams

Glenea United 1 Letterkenny Rovers 2

Letterkenny Rovers secured a 2-1 victory over Glenea United in the Premier Division at Leckview Park on Sunday after the fixture was reversed due to weather. Played in miserable wet conditions, Rovers dominated much of the game but had to withstand late pressure.

Rovers controlled possession early, creating chances from corners by Joel Gorman, with Dean McCarry and Keith Cowan going close but unable to convert. Shane McNamee opened the scoring on 45 minutes, striking low from the edge of the box after a pass from Ryan Lonergan, giving Rovers a deserved 1-0 lead at the break. Glenea had a few counters but struggled to threaten Mark McGinley in goal.

Rovers extended their lead soon after the restart when substitute Lee McMonagle finished neatly following nice combination with Adrian Delap. Simon McGlynn and others spurned further opportunities, including crosses from Rory Gallagher and Joel free-kicks. Glenea pushed to try get on the scoresheet, creating chances that tested Rovers' defense, but Keith Cowan made key blocks.

Glenea pulled one back in the 94th minute when their Blake McGarvey converted after McGinley parried a shot, turning the final play into a tense moment. Rovers will rue their lack of clinical finishing and conceding late, but take three vital points in their title defence.

Rathmullan Celtic 2 Convoy Arsenal 2

It was honours even at the Flagpole Field as Rathmullan and Convoy shared four goals in an entertaining contest on a damp and chilly winter's afternoon.  The hosts were in front after just 90 seconds but Convoy turned it around to lead at the break before Rathmullan responded in kind and, after being reduced to 10 men, the visiting side gladly hung on for a point that looked fair on both sides.

Barry Eldad gave the home following some early cheer, slotting home right-footed from 16 yards before two minutes had elapsed.  The lead wasn't long-lasting as Jamie Spratt headed home unchallenged from a corner on nine minutes to level matters.

The first half was littered with superb set-pieces from Oran Paterson for Convoy, his wicked left-footed deliveries causing lots of worry for the home side.  Daniel Wojciun was just off target for Rathmullan midway through the half and, moments later, Ryan McGroarty was presented with a great chance after the hosts were caught playing out from the back but his shot went beyond the post.

It was from another dangerous corner from Paterson that Convoy went in front on 33 minutes, skipper John Anthony Kee this time heading home from six-yards. Rathmullan emerged with the wind at their back in the second half and Kevin Doran almost levelled on 52 minutes, coming in at the back post only to fire into the side netting. On the hour, Wojciun's arrowed free-kick did restore parity for the home side and they pressed for a winner.

Convoy netminder Luke Kelly was given his marching orders after handling outside the box on 80 minutes but his replacement, Lee Smyth, produced a superb one-handed saved to thwart Rathmullan sub Oscar Carruthers with a point-blank header in the 88th minute as the hosts came closest to finding a winner.

Ref: Seimi Ferry

Gweedore United  2 Castlefin Celtic 2

The points were shared in a very entertaining game at the Carrickboyle. A minute silence was observed before kick off for Moira Whoriskey and Bríd Heffiernan, who have both recently passed away.  Moira and Bríd's families are heavily involved with Gweedore United. 

The hosts had broken the deadlock on the 15th minute following an assist from Darren Ferry to Stephen McFadden. Stephen McFadden fired a superb pass shot past Kevin McColgan in the Castlefin goal.

The home side doubled their lead on the 28th minute, Ethan Harkin's thunderous headed effort found the back of the net from a Cathal Gillespie corner. Oran Craig was tested in the Gweedore goal by Jude, Corrie Lee Bogan and Emmet White.  Ciaran McFadden's pace was proving troublesome for the visitors throughout the game. He was thwarted by Kevin McColgan near the end of the first half. 

Castlefin Celtic reduced the deficit on the 48th minute, after a short corner from Dean Kelly found Ryan O'Hagan. Ryan O'Hagan powered in a shot from inside the box past Craig. The home side were unlucky not to have made the score line 3-1 when Ciaran McFadden was played in by Brian McFadden. McColgan produced an excellent save from close range. The visitors were gaining momentum and the game turned on it's head on the 60th minute. Corrie Lee Bogan squared the ball to the advancing Dean Kelly who levelled from close range. Both teams refused to settle for a point and created several chances to find the winner, however neither side could add to their tally.

Ethan Harkin's headed effort struck the crossbar from a Cathal Gillespie corner.  Bogan's corner was almost turned in by Jordan McKinney were the best chances for both teams to get the winner. The standout performances from the hosts came from Stephen McFadden, Ethan Harkin and Ciaran McFadden. Ryan O'Hagan, Dean Kelly and Corrie Lee Bogan produced excellent performances for the visitors. 

Referee: Diego Rainey

Drumoghill 2 Cranford United 1

Drumoghill got back to winning ways with this crucial win over fellow promotion hopefuls Cranford United. Ben Cassidy and Reuben Doherty got the goals in the first half that ensured Drumoghill remain in the promotion places, whilst extending the gap over today's opponents.

The visitors will feel that a draw would have been a fair result, having dominated the second half after pulling a goal back through James McBride shortly after half time. Drumoghill needed to rely on a bit of good fortune, as well as the brilliance of Calum Crampsie in goals in that second half, both of which were evident on 88 minutes when Crampsie tipped a point-blank header from Danny McBride onto the bar to preserve his side’s slender lead.

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Drumoghill though will reflect on a first half in which they should really have had the game out of sight. Although the game was a evenly matched, Drumoghill failed to convert all their chances and had to settle for a 2-0 lead at half time. That lead was given to them courtesy of two fine goals that really showed Drumoghill at their best.

Reuben Doherty was the player of that first half with a goal and an assist. His creativity was evident on 25 minutes when his delicate pass found Ben Cassidy to hammer home before he finished with a deadly finish on 35 minutes after being set up by Philip Doran.However, Cranford showed their own quality in the second half.

Having reduced the deficit through McBride on 47 minutes, Cranford were the better side in the second half and always looked the more likely to get the next goal.The home side had to endure several opportunities for the visitors, as well as a few goalmouth scrambles, as time wore on/ Domhnall Sweeney also forced a good save from Crampsie on 80 minutes as the visitors applied the pressure in search of an equaliser.

By this time, Cranford had introduced Philip Buchannan from the substitutes bench, and he too was a threat having created a few openings from distance, but Drumoghill held out for a crucial 3 points.Well done to both sides on an entertaining encounter 

Referee: Eamonn Sheridan 

Deele Harps 3 Curragh Athletic 2

Deele welcomed Curragh to Marty Duffy Park for the opening game of 2026. The home side settled best and had two early chances that they failed to convert. Deele were then awarded a penalty on five minutes following a handball but missed the target with the spot kick. The home side did take the lead on 10 minutes when Maddox Roberts dribbled through to score. Deele had to wait until the stroke of half-time before extending their lead when Ryan McColgan crossed well for Tom Mullan who swivelled to fire home.

The second half started with Scott Macbeth unleashing a long range effort that was tipped over by the Curragh keeper Woods. Curragh reduced the deficit on 52 minutes when Shay McMenamin scored from close range. McMenamin was having an impact in the Curragh midfield, and his effort on 68 minutes was saved by David Arthur. From the resulting corner, Galvin finished from close range to draw the sides level. Curragh were reduced to ten men on 81 minutes when goalkeeper Woods was booked for the second time. Deele rallied again and grabbed the winner on 89 minutes when Danny Lynch crossed for Corey Lindsay to head home to hand the three points to Deele. Team performances,  

Referee: Patrick McCauley 

Dunfanaghy Youths FC 1 Drumkeen United 1

Dunfanaghy Youths FC and Drumkeen Utd played out a 1-1 draw at Callum Friel Park on Sunday.  The game started brightly with both teams trying to get an early foothold in the game. Both teams traded chances with the home team putting a dominant performance in throughout the first half.

The second half picked up where the first half left off with both teams competing well. Dunfanaghy were to switch off for a second 10 minutes into the half, which gifted Drumkeen a soft goal. The home team were not in the mood to lose points today and from there were to take the game to Drumkeen. They pushed hard for an equaliser with chances coming thick and fast but were to be denied by fine saves from the Drumkeen keeper, shots off the post and near goalmouth misses. However, they were finally rewarded with a late penalty into stoppage time which was emphatically dispatched home by front man Andrew Kelly. Dunfanaghy weren’t looking to settle for a draw and threw everything at Drumkeen who would be the first to admit they were lucky to leave with a draw.

A highly entertaining, clean game of football played in great footballing spirit. A credit to both the Donegal Junior League and their clubs.  Big thank you to the huge crowd who came out to give their support to the team, great to see and greatly appreciated as always.

Saturday

Drumbar United 4 Kildrum Tigers  1

Drumbar welcomed league leaders Kildrum Tigers to Brookfield in the first fixture of the New Year. Kildrum started brightest and Keelan Gillan nodded them into a deserved early lead on 11 minutes. 

Drumbar began to find their feet and Oisin Ebbs had them level midway through the first half with a fine solo run and finish off the left wing. Five minutes before the break, Adam Gillespie reacted quickest in the box after great build-up play from Vincent Breslin to slide home a low cross and fire Drumbar into a 2-1 half-time lead. 

Drumbar maintained control in the second half and midway through it they extended their lead when captain Daniel Bennett fired an unstoppable free kick into the top corner from all of 30 yards. Drumbar put the game beyond any doubt on 75 minutes when Oisin Ebbs fired in his second goal of the day after another superb solo run. Kildrum pushed for a way back in the game in the final 10 minutes, but were unable to make headway and ended the game with 10 men after a red card in the closing stages. A fine team performance from Drumbar to claim all 3 points.

Keadue Rovers 1 Fanad United 4

Fanad Utd claimed all three points at Central Park on Saturday to move up to joint 3rd in the Division 2 table with a deserved victory over Keadue Rovers. Played in decent conditions for the time of year, Fanad were straight out of the blocks, getting on top in possession and forcing some set pieces. It was from one of these after two minutes, that they took the lead, when Eddie O’Reilly’s in-swinging cross found the head of Daibhead Lynch, who directed his header well into the corner of the net. 

Keadue were finding it hard to get a grip on proceedings as Fanad enjoyed most territory and possession and in Dylan McGlone and Peter Carr, they had 2 players that proved a threat on their left wing. By twenty minutes, the home side began to get more around midfield but as an attacking force, were left to rely on little in the way of solid efforts. Dylan McGlone came very close on twenty one minutes with a left footed effort as Caelan Bonner saved superbly in the Keadue goals. 

Eddie O’Reilly was close to adding to the Fanad lead after twenty five minutes, but the home side did start to get more joy by the half hour, breaking up the Fanad play in midfield and getting the ball forward with more purpose. After thirty four minutes, Oran Fallon cracked a fine effort, which Fanad keeper Ryan Moffitt tipped on to the crossbar. It proved a vital stop as one minute later, Fanad broke up the field and good play on their right wing, fed the onrushing Adam Carr, who bear a few defenders and slotted home well for a two goal lead. Adam Carr should’ve made it 3 on forty minutes, but again Caelan Bonner was alert with a fine stop and it remained a two goal deficit at the break. 

At the start of the second half, Keadue came out with good intent, pushing more players forward, playing with a lot more urgency. Chances though, were still hard to come by as the visitors were content to hit on the break. The home side got a respite when, after fifty nine minutes, a fine delivery from a corner by Liam Ferry was headed home through a bunch of bodies from close range by Pauric Neely. 

This should’ve given Keadue more impetus, but within five minutes, Fanad had again taken the initiative and on sixty seven minutes, Eddie O’Reilly was on hand to fire home with a left footed strike from close in to seal the game. Fanad looked like they had another goal on seventy one minutes, but Odhran Boyle cleared off the line and from the clearance, Oran Fallon had a chance on a solo run to narrow the gap but Moffitt in the Fanad goals was equal to the shot. Keadue introduced a few subs after the hour and they brought a bit more energy and attacking moves, but other than a shot from Oran Gallagher, the Fanad defence wasn’t tested. 

Niall Toland wrapped up the scoring with a header on eighty one minutes to make the final score 4-1 win, a deserved victory for the better team on the day. 

Best for Fanad were Eddie O’Reilly, Daibhid Lynch, Dlyan McGlone and Adam Carr, while best for Keadue were Pauric Neely, Caelan Bonner and Oran Fallon.

Referee: George Clinton.

Donegal Town FC 0 2 St Catherine's

The Killybegs side came out on top in a competitive encounter at the Hospital Field. Catherine's took the lead when Town didn't fully clear from a corner kick and Josh Cunningham struck home. Both sides had chances with Town having the better of the second half. They were caught on the break on the 89th minute and Catherine's wrapped up the win with a Dean Breslin strike. Niko Dominik and Sean Meehan top performers for Town, Brandon McBrearty and Barry Cannon stood out for away side

Fintown Harps 0 Gweedore Celtic 1

In great conditions at Páirc Acla, Harps started the brighter with a few chances from Jamie McMonagle from distance.  On ten minutes Gweedore had a chance but headed wide.  Logan Quinn had a chance from distance but just wide of the post.

Jamie Mc Monagle came close again on 25 minutes.  On 35 minutes Gweedore had a great chance with some great work but the final shot hit the bottom post and wide. Gweedore getting more into the game now and had another great chance just going wide with half time.

Gweedore started the second half brighter.  Harps had a chance but to no avail from Michael Doherty on 50 mins.  Pretty even second half, with time running out, Gweedore hit the back of the net on 85 minutes to take the lead.

Fintown pushed everything at them but to no avail.Referee: Seamus McGoary