Strand Hotel Division One
Buncrana Hearts Reserves – 2
Cockhill Celtic Youth – 2
Cockhill can feel justifiably very disappointed not to have taken all three points from this match, but despite their dominance they had to wait until the dying minutes to get a draw. Cockhill started brightly and within the first ten minutes created two good half chances for Kevin Mc Daid but he was unable to convert under pressure Buncrana’s defence. Slowly but surely Buncrana started to gain a foothold in the match and on twenty nine minutes Adam Doherty latched on to a long ball out of defence, and from the halfway line ran at the heart of the Cockhill defence holding off several defenders before losing the ball inside the penalty area. Cockill could only partially clear the ball and it fell to Gerard Boyle on the edge of the penalty area and he scored despite keeper Caldwell’s great effort to turn the ball round the post. Cockhill responded immediately and within a minute Michael Noone was denied an equalizer by the post as a static Buncrana defence looked on. From here on until halftime Cockhill, driven on by Christy Duffy in midfield, dominated possession ant territory and on thirty nine minutes it was Noone again who came close to equalizing.
The second half stared as first finished with Cockhill on top and on forty eight minutes, from a Cockhill corner, Sean Donaghey seen his shot saved by Hearts keeper O’ Sullivan. Again, Hearts got a toe hold in the game and on fifty seven minutes Pat Loughrey and Paul Mc Daid combined down the left which set Loughrey free but his inviting cross somehow managed to evade Doherty and Boyle with only Caldwell to beat. Cockhill got their deserved equalizer five minutes later when from a well worked corner Michael Noone’s cross was headed home by Sean Donaghey (pictured). Cockhill continued to press but somehow a shaky Buncrana defence held out and with five minutes to go Oisin O’ Flaherty broke through the Cockhill defence and his goal bound shot could only be diverted into the path of Mark Mc Fadden to give Hearts a seemingly winning lead. But Cockhill never gave up and when Conor Allen was sent free down the right wing his cross to the back post was met by an unmarked Sean Donaghey to head home his and Cockhill’s second of the match. With only a minute left on the clock Hearts managed to hold on for a very fortunate draw.