Captains Eoin Slevin and Christy Burke with referee Mick Lagan
Donegal Town have the bragging rights after a convincing win in a first ever league local derby against Letterbarrow at Tymeen.
Letterbarrow 1
Donegal Town 3
The Town were worthy winners, doing the damage in the first half when they had the diagonal wind at their backs.
The local derby aspect was there to be seen from the first tackle when Donegal Town man Kevin McBrearty in the Letterbarrow colours was given a stern warning by Mick Lagan after a tackle on Letterbarrow man Joe Campbell in the Donegal Town colours.
There was plenty of niggle, especially in the second half but as a contest the superior big-time experience of Donegal Town allied to Letterbarrow being missing some of their better players was a big factor in the final result.
Donegal Town were 3-0 up at half-time and were full value for the lead. But Letterbarrow, and especially Lorcan O’Donnell, had chances. Ryan Haughey made a great stop to deny O’Donnell on 10 minutes.
The Letterbarrow Celtic panel Pic: Brian Ward
Glen Harron and Mark Jordan had half-chances while Robbie Murphy fired one well over. But the inevitable first goal arrived on 21 minutes when an Eoin Slevin corner was only half cleared and Slevin sent it back for Killian Faulkner to bundle to the net from close range.
Glen Harron had another effort saved while Lorcan O’Donnell hit an upright but was called back for a marginal offside.
But disaster struck for Letterbarrow in the final minutes of the half when two dead ball situations were not dealt with, the first a free and then a corner and they fell to Mark Jordan and Glenn Harron to almost decide the game.
Letterbarrow introduced Gerard McBrearty and Daniel Meehan in the second half and as a result got more into the game, but they found it hard to create any clear cut chances. Stephen Graham had the ball in the Letterbarrow net but it was ruled out for offside.
Letterbarrow got the goal they needed with 10 minutes left, Christy Winkers McLaughlin the scorer, his effort taking a huge deflection which looped over Ryan Haughey in the Donegal Town goal.
Letterbarrow tried hard to get a second but couldn’t penetrate a very solid Town defence and just before the final whistle substitute Ciaran Barry should have made it four, having two chances, the first one saved and his second went wide of the post.
Donegal Town pictured before the game Pic: Brian Ward
Letterbarrow Celtic: Peadar Shallow, Barry Burke, Cathal Lowther, Martin Breslin (Declan Duignan 75), Christy Burke, Aidan Meehan Gerard McBrearty 55), Eoin McHugh, Kevin McBrearty, Lorcan O’Donnell (Daniel Meehan 49), Christy McLaughlin, Ian Campbell.
Donegal Town: Ryan Haughey, Ben Sweeney, Joe Campbell, Ryan O’Brien, Tom Cutts, Eoin Slevin, Killian Faulkner (Kieran Barry 81), Stephen Graham, Robbie Murphy (Graham Harron 81), Harron (Ryan Hegarty 88), Mark Jordan (Ruairi McLaughlin (86).
Referee: Mick Lagan.
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