Reds advance in McCormick Cup
Drumoghill 2-2 Raphoe Town (4-2 on pens)
Drumoghill showed a lot of character to finally win through on penalties to defeat Raphoe Town in the first round of the McCormick Sports League Cup.
Twice Drumoghill were to find themselves behind, but twice they found equalisers, and it was Leon Doherty who kept his cool to fire home the winning spot kick for his side to win 4-2 on penalties.
In a very even game, both sides gave it all in wet and windy conditions and it always looked like it could go all the way.
Raphoe started the brighter and took the lead through Darren Kelly on 9 minutes before Niall McCrossan levelled matters on 15 minutes to leave the teams level at the break.
The visitors regained the lead on 61 minutes when Oisin Harkin scored from the penalty spot and defended well for most of the second half, restricting Drumoghill to a single shot on target when Niall McCrossan saw his free kick tipped over the bar by Joel Cullen on 77 minutes.
However, the equaliser that Drumoghill were looking for arrived on 85 minutes when Liam O’Donnell chased what looked like a lost cause to keep the ball in play before teeing up Danny Harkin for a brilliant equaliser.
Harkin, introduced as a substitute only minutes earlier, calmly controlled the ball to set up the strike and fired a brilliant strike into the top corner from the edge of the year to send the game into extra time.
The extra 20 minutes produced very few chances with both teams seemingly settling for the shoot-out, and so it was the lottery of penalties that would decide the outcome.
The shoot-out began with both keepers, Joel Cullen and Calum Crampsie, producing a brilliant save. Philip Doran, Conor Gallagher and Liam O’Donnell were all then successful to make it 3-3 before the unlucky
Gerard McGranaghan, returning to The Moss as a former Drumoghill player, saw his effort crash off the crossbar to set up the chance for Drumoghill to win it with their final kick.
Up stepped Leon Doherty who made no mistake to send Drumoghill through and into the next round of the area competition.
Well done both teams on a decent game in terrible conditions and to referee Danny Doherty, another former Drumoghill player making a welcome return to The Moss.
