Unbeaten weekend for Raphoe Men teams

Men's Qualifying Premier

Raphoe Men 1st XI....6

PSNI....1

IT was a great weekend for Raphoe Hockey Club with all three men’s teams unbeaten, picking up two wins and a draw.

The 1sts ran out convincing 6–1 winners against PSNI.

Raphoe were on the front foot from the opening whistle, playing some excellent attacking hockey and putting the visitors under pressure throughout.

Some sharp passing, clinical finishing and a strong team performance saw Raphoe take control of the game and secure an impressive three points.

A club spokesperson said: "A brilliant result and plenty of positives to take into the coming weeks."

Men's Junior 3

Raphoe 2nd XI....1

Banbridge 4th....1

ON Friday evening the Raphoe 2nds got their league campaign underway with a hard-earned and deserved point at home to Banbridge.

It was a tight affair with chances at a premium, both sides managing just two shots on target throughout the game.

Despite Raphoe enjoying a lengthy spell of possession, it was Banbridge who struck first to take the lead.

The Donegal men kept battling and got their reward when some brilliant work from John Watt set up Evin Henderson to fire home the equaliser.

Neither side could find a winner, with the points shared in a closely contested opening league fixture.

Men's Junior 5

Annadale 4th....1

Raphoe 3rd....3

RAPHOE 3rds produced a battling performance away from home to secure all three points against Annadale 4ths, overcoming a late first-half setback and a tense final quarter to run out 3–1 winners.

With just 11 third-team players available, Raphoe showed grit, determination and no shortage of quality to come away with a deserved victory, with a few standout performances ensuring the points headed back to Raphoe.

Raphoe got off to the perfect start in the first quarter, taking a 2–0 lead in the opening quarter with two well-worked goals.

The opener was a superb team move, sparked by a brilliant tackle from Nigel Patterson, who won possession and drove forward to the halfway line before picking out Josh Kilpatrick with a lovely pass.

Kilpatrick, operating down the right, blitzed the ball across the face of the goalkeeper and into the path of Trevor Patterson, who made no mistake with a clean finish.

Raphoe doubled their advantage late in the quarter through another short corner, won by Joshua Harris.

Harris produced another lightning-fast ball from the right corner, firing it first time off the byline and into a defender’s foot to earn the set piece.

Trevor Patterson stepped up and duly dispatched the chance, grabbing his second of the quarter and giving Raphoe a commanding early lead.

Annadale came out in the second quarter determined to get back into the game, but they repeatedly ran into a defensive wall built on discipline, communication and some outstanding individual performances.

Lester Long deserves enormous credit for his man-marking display. Behind him, Ali Moore had relatively little to do between the posts, but his contribution should not be overlooked.

Moore organised the defence superbly with constant communication, offering advice and guidance between quarters to ensure Raphoe remained switched on.

Annadale did manage to pull one back from a short corner late in the quarter, reducing the deficit to 2–1.

The goal came after an Annadale winger flicked the ball towards Thomas Gibson, who attempted to jump over it, only for the ball to clip his toe above the legal height limit.

It was an unfortunate moment for Gibson and a frustrating way for Raphoe to concede.

Raphoe nearly restored their two-goal cushion from a short corner of their own.

Harris fired the ball out to Trevor Patterson at the top of the D, before it fell to Gibson, who thundered a shot on target.

Unfortunately, the first runner got a deflection onto the post, and the rebound bounced away to safety.

Raphoe went into the break with a slender 2–1 lead, knowing there was still plenty of work to do.

The third quarter was a stalemate as Raphoe’s 11-man squad battled to conserve energy and protect their advantage.

Both sides created a handful of opportunities, but neither could find the breakthrough.

Annadale threatened with a series of probing long balls, which occasionally caused problems and nearly brought an equaliser. However, Raphoe stood firm, with nobody able to capitalise on the opportunities.

With the score still 2–1 heading into the final quarter, the game was perfectly poised for a tense finish.

The final quarter was a nervy affair, with both sides desperate to find the next goal.

Raphoe kept knocking on the door, but the all-important third goal remained elusive.

That was until the final five minutes, when Raphoe won a free on the edge of the D.

Step forward Harris. With the pressure mounting, he produced a beautifully timed run straight at the goalkeeper, followed by a composed finish which was slotted neatly past him and into the net.

Harris capped off an outstanding performance with a brilliant last-ditch tackle to help see out the game.

The final whistle confirmed a 3–1 victory for Raphoe 3rds, with all three points secured after a tremendous team effort.

A club spokesperson said: "All in all, this was an excellent away performance from Raphoe 3rds.

"Travelling with just 11 players, including a returning Matthew Peoples who had not played for the club since 2023, the squad showed tremendous character to grind out a result against a determined Annadale side.

"There were moments of quality, moments of frustration and plenty of hard graft, but Raphoe had the composure to take their chances and the discipline to protect their lead when it mattered most."