BONAGEE UNITED were convincing winners over Finn Valley this evening to keep alive their challenge in the Donegal Women’s League.
Bonagee United 6 Finn Valley 0
Seamy McGinty’s team had the game sewn up by half-time, when they were 5-0 up against the battling newcomers.
Natalie McFadden’s brace and a goal apiece from Natalie Sweeney, Bridgeen Gallagher, Emma Ryan and Olivia McGinley did the damage for the Dry Arch side.
Bonagee also gave a debut to promising youngster Caoimhe Kelly, who certainly didn’t look out of place in the new surroundings of the senior league. If anything, she was quite at home on the Bonagee right flank.
[adrotate group=”46″]There was an early warning shot for Bonagee when Lisa McCafferty weaved her way through a posse of Bonagee players before drilling a shot wide of Denise McElhinney’s goal.
That was with 35 seconds gone, but Bonagee soon put the jitters to bed and were 3-0 in front by the 15th minute.
The opener arrived when Sweeney tucked home after Aoife Gallagher beat Louise Ruddy to Lauren Lynch’s pass out from the back.
McFadden’s crisp header from a corner doubled the advantage.
It was three when Devenney scored from a penalty having twice being denied by the post in the build-up. Her first attempt deserved a goal. Latching onto a fine through ball by Alice Diver, Devenney neatly turned, but a cracking stike cannoned off the goal’s frame.
Diver was dictating operations around the middle in those moments and another threaded pass sent McFadden on her way, but she riffled dangerously to the side netting.
McFadden made it 4-0 on 20 minutes, converting from Devenney’s pass before being denied her hat-trick by the crossbar.
Ryan’s goal was perhaps the pick, an excellent left-footed effort that curled and dipped its way beyond the goalkeeper.
Finn Valley, led by the trojan endeavours of McCafferty, never gave in and it was to their eternal credit that they did so, but Bonagee added a sixth when replacements Deborah Kerrigan and Oliva McGinley combined; Kerrigan crossing and McGinley converting.
Bonagee United: Denise McElhinney; Leona Russell, Emma Ryan, Grainne Gallagher, Lauren Lynch; Caoimhe Kelly, Bridgeen Devenney, Alice Diver, Aoife Gallagher; Natalie McFadden, Natalie Sweeney. Subs used: Olivia McGinley, Deborah Kerrigan, Sarah Doherty, Naomi Moore, Mary Doherty.
Finn Valley: Louise Ruddy; Anthea McNulty, Sylvia Magda, Aisling Grieve, Cathy Callaghan; Caitlin O’Loughlin, Lisa McCafferty, Lyndsay McElchar, Jenny McNamee; Emily O’Reilly, Anita Gallagher. Sub used: Deana Patton.
Referee: James Malseed.
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