News Articles

Mayo                   5-3              Inishowen

This was an action packed encounter with eight goals three penalties and numerous talking points.Mayo started stronger and had Inishowen under pressure in the opening quarter. A cross from Michael Duffy found Brendan Nallen who headed narrowly wide.Before on 15 minutes a good run by O’Malley down the wing saw his cross find Duffy but he should have done better when well placed.Good work by Burke then put O’Malley through  but Crossan saved well. Midway through the half  Nallen crossed and found Duffy who gave Crossan no chance from six yards to give the home side a deserved lead.On the half hour  Duffy, who was having a good game, had a shot saved by Crossan. Inishowen were having some good possession with James Henry, Paddy Doherty and Jimmy Gallagher putting Mayo under pressure and on 35 mins Paddy Doherty had a shot just wide after good approach play. Minutes later a Paul Mclaughlin cross was  handled  by a Mayo defender and  resulted in a penalty which Eamonn Donnelly converted sending keeper Peyton the wrong way  A good run then by  Paul McLaughlin saw his cross almost find Henry but a  Mayo defender cleared.The second half was more open with both sides looking for a win.  The best chance fell to Mayo on the hour when a  free kick by Scahill found O’Malley who headed down but no one took advantage.  Then a cross by Scahill found Nallen who headed firmly into the net.  Straight from the kick off Mayo got into the Inishowen penalty area.  Horkan had a shot that Crossan  saved but the same player followed in and  seemingly kicked the ball from Crossan’s hands into the net with the goal allowed to stand despite the protestations of the visitors and the game as a contest all but over.The home side added another on  75 minutes after  Inishowen failed to clear a corner and Burke slotted home from close range for a four one lead.Inishowen brought on McIntyre for  Joe Doherty and Mathew Henry for Paddy Doherty.  A through ball from midfield by Mayo’s  O’Malley saw  Crossan advance  but  the keeper  was judged to have fouled Nallen   resulting in a penalty which was converted  by O’Malley.Inishowen did not drop their heads and a cross field ball from Donnelly found Henry who cut the ball back for substitute McCormick who slotted home on 87 mins. On the stroke of full time McIntyre held the ball and passed to Mathew Henry who slotted home to leave the score five three.In injury time  Jimmy Gallagher was red carded for an innocuous tangle with an opposition player inside the area and referee McGrath pointed to the spot but this time O’Malley’s penalty  was well saved by  Crossan as the game ended.A disappointing result for Inishowen but with the  young players on display the future looks bright. In addition the performance of the home referee left a bit to be desired and if this competition is to prove viable in the future then it needs revamping.

The league management committee  would like to thank manager Brian Bell and his assistants Raymond Dougal and Martin Rea for their efforts this season and also especially  the players for the commitment and effort they put in.

Inishowen undone by injury time strike from Crowe.

Inishowen League                  1-2    Galway League

The visitors stunned the home side when they struck for the winning goal in injury time after a much improved second half performance from the Inishowen side. Both teams fielded very experienced outfits with the Galway league boasting no fewer than six players with league of Ireland experience while Inishowen will be  pleased with the performances of some of their younger players.After a frantic opening Inishowen created the first opportunity on 10 minute after Eamon Donnelly’s ball down the right found Anthony Doherty who slipped the ball inside to Steve Harkin but he fired over from fifteen yards. Minutes later a deflection off a defender enabled Doherty to race into the area but his attempted lob was blocked by the outrushing John Egan in the visitors goal. From the resultant corner Philip Devlin’s looping header was cleared off  the line by Tommy Walsh. Galway responded with pressure yielding three successive corners which saw one effort cleared off the line by Eddie McIntyre before Gerard Crossan clawed the final one away to safety. McIntyre then sent a superb ball down the left for the ever willing Doherty who lifted the ball over a defender but hurried his shot  when he may have been better to burst into the area.The Inishowen defence were then caught napping with Seamus Crowe’s quick free releasing Simon Walsh but his shot was well blocked by Crossan as he advanced.Galway got on top then with Seamus Crowe’s attempted lob just over the top before a loose ball in the home area fell to Keith Ward whose curling left footed effort clipped the top of the bar on the way over.Pressure paid of on 34 minutes when Wards free from wide on the right was powerfully headed home by the unmarked Walsh from twelve yards. Inishowen had one half chance before the interval after a long free by Seamus Doherty was punched clear by Egan to Brian Tracey but he failed to direct his effort on target. Minutes after the resumption Tracey cut inside from the left and unleashed a powerful shot which Egan tipped over the bar. Galway responded well with Ciaran Foley weaving his way into the box but slicing his effort wide before Ward raced onto a ball over the top but fired well over from twenty yards.Inishowen came more into the game and after a good move Paul McLaughlin took a touch too many and saw his shot blocked. On 62 minutes Donnelly, Tracey and Doherty combined on the right for Donnelly’s deep cross to pick out Seamus Doherty and when his header was handled Inishowen got back on terms with Tracey coolly converting the spot kick. Galway earned a free kick in a great central position just outside the area but Ward fired poorly wide before a superb through ball from Tracey released Doherty on the right and his cross was brilliantly hooked clear by Mark Moran. Inishowen suffered a dreadful blow on 82 minutes when Philip Devlin was redcarded after conceeding a penalty but Moran’s spot kick was brilliantly saved by Crossan diving low to his left.Inishowen looked to have achieved a point but they lost possession on halfway on 92 minutes and when Foley’s cross from the right was only partially headed clear Crowe drilled a superb left footed effort from twenty two yards past Crossan and just inside the left hand post. From the kick off Inishowen almost equalized sensationally when McLaughlins’ driven effort was tipped over by the back pedaling Egan. All in all a decent game of football but one which Inishowen will rue that they did not get something from as they probably deserved a share of the spoils. This means now that they must beat Mayo by at least two goals and hope that Mayo defeat Galway  by a smaller scoreline and both results are possible.