AILEACH and Clonmany Shamrocks will contest the Buncrana Credit Union Cup final after they won their respective semi-finals today.
Aileach enjoyed a big home win over Greencastle while the newly-promoted Clonmany (pictured) defeated Cockhill Celtic Youths.
Aileach FC 4 Greencastle FC 1
This game began very evenly and on 10 minutes Greencastle midfielder Michael Henry fired a shot from 25 yards which failed to trouble Kyle Dougal in the home goal.
Five minutes later Nigel McMonagle turned his marker on the edge of the box and Dougal did well to get a hand to his low drive from 15 yards.
The same player latched on to a good through ball and again Dougal was called on to block his goal-bound attempt. Aileach steadied the ship after this and took the lead on 20 minutes when Dean Curran overlapped down the left and crossed for Darren McMonagle whose 18 yard shot was parried by Dylan Doherty and Aaron Nash pounced on the loose ball to finish from close range.
On the half hour the home side doubled their advantage when Nash converted a penalty awarded when Doherty pulled McMonagle down inside the box. It got worse for the visitors just before half time when a Gareth McGlynn free was turned home at the back post by the unmarked Dermot Doherty.
The second half saw Greencastle up the ante and do all they could to find a way back into the contest but their efforts were thwarted time and again by Darren Gallagher and Shane McMonagle who were working tirelessly in front of the back three.
A fourth arrived for Aileach 70 minutes when Darren McMonagle latched onto a McGlynn through ball and slid it past Doherty from eight yards.
Greencastle got a consolation goal with eight minutes remaining after a right wing cross was headed powerfully home by Jason Dickson from six yards.
The visitors finished the game with nine men when two players got their marching orders for second bookings.
Cockhill Celtic Youths 1 Clonmany Shamrocks 3
Cockhill Celtic Youth suffered defeat against newly promoted Clonmany Shamrocks FC at the Charlie O’Donnell Sports Grounds earlier today in the semi-final of the Buncrana Credit Union Cup.
Clonmany went a goal up inside five minutes when the home side gave away a soft corner and Damien Duffys delivery into the box was allowed to bounce and Gareth Bradley was on hand at the back post to score right footed past Liam McGonagle.
Cockhill were slow getting settled as Clonmany chased and harried for every ball. Cockhills first chance of note arrived on 20 minutes when after an Adam McLaughlin corner was initially cleared his return delivery found Obhran O’Brien-Daly at the back post but his right footed effort hit the post and went wide.
Cockhill were well on top at this stage but were caught with a sucker punch on 43 minutes when after Clonmany won the ball back on the edge of their own area a long punt up field was picked up by Shane McCaul and he raced clear of the covering defence to slide the ball past the advancing McGonagle for a neat finish low to the keepers left into the bottom corner.
The home side regrouped after the restart and caused a few problems but the visitors defence stood up to the challenge with keeper Patrick Harkin sweeping up anything his defence failed to deal with.
Noone then missed a chance for the home side when he hit the side netting from inside the six yard box after a free from Adam McLaughlin. Michael Owen Doherty also had a chance for the home side when put through but took too long and the chance was gone.
Clonmany hit Cockhill again on the break when, on 55 minutes, substitute Jason Devlin rounded the keeper to side foot into the net past the outstretched left leg of the covering Conor Allen to put Clonmany three-nil up.
Odhran O’Brien-Daly got one back for the home side on 75 minutes when he shot high to the roof of the net from six yards out after another delivery from McLaughlin. Cockhill had further chances to reduce the deficit but it was not to be. Clonmany march on to the final and Cockhill must regroup and finish out their league campaign with an away trip to Greencastle
