INSTITUTE: Pair net brace each in comfortable victory

Two goals from Jamie Dunne and one from Stephen O’Donnell with Thomas Conlon’s equaliser sandwiched in between, meant the Waterside men were in complete control at the break and O’Donnell’s second goal right at the death just put the icing on the cake.

Winger Dunne was the Drumahoe side’s main threat in the opening 45 minutes and his fine display led to him scoring a brace; while debut boy Niall Grace put in a solid display throughout the the game.

In truth Kevin Deery’s side probably should have been further ahead as the Belfast men’s goalkeeper Ryan McConville made a few good saves and some poor finishing meant they were only two goals in front at the interval.

Prior to kick-off there was a minute’s applause for the late great ex-Derry City and Glenavon striker Mark Farren.

The visitor’s had a half chance after just one minute but Jordan Armstrong’s shot on the turn from close range flashed just wide, after Mark Scoltock’s initially knock down from Dunne’s corner.

Minutes later Conlon had a glorious chance but with only keeper Marty Gallagher to beat the big midfielder’s touch let him down and the chance was gone.

Institute did break the deadlock on 11 minutes after Dunne’s left wing cross found Stephen O’Donnell at the back post and the big centre-back made no mistake heading home from close range.

Moments later Stute doubled their advantage this time Dunne fired past Donegal Celtic keeper McConville.

A defensive mistake meant DC got back into the game when they scored on 25 minutes when Conlon burst through the Stute defence and blocked Gallagher’s clearance before firing home into the empty net.

It didn’t take the Waterside men long to restore their two goal advantage as Gareth Brown’s teasing left-wing centre found Dunne and he gleefully made no mistake heading home past McConville from six yards.

Soon after McConville came to his side’s rescue keeping out Brown’s close range strike, after the frontman had broken the DC offside trap.

On 37 minutes Aaron Harkin laid the ball off to Sean Roddy, but his curling 25 yard effort was kept out by a full stretched McConville.

Dunne missed an outstanding chance to grab his hat-trick just before the break when after a run which saw him skip away from a few challenges, but his sliding effort fizzed just wide.

Early in the second half Dunne had another clear cut opportunity to complete his hat-trick, but he dragged his shot wide from 10 yards.

Midfielder Grace would have marked his debut with a goal on 80 minutes, but his effort was disallowed because of the assistant’s flag was up for offside.

In the closing minutes Conlon missed a good half chance to pull another one back, but his close range header flew over the bar, after Sean McAteer’s flick on found the midfielder.

Right at the death O’Donnell amazingly scored a fourth in stopage time when he broke clear of the DC defence to latch onto substitute Robbie Hume’s through ball before calmly side footing home from just inside the box.

Donegal Celtic: McConville, Rossborough, Deery, McAteer (McStravick 21 & Philpott 68), Rayner, Hawkins (Devine 75), Conlon, Kopyt, Brown, Carson, Dunlop.

Institute: Gallagher, Roddy, O’Donnell, Scoltock, Crown; McIntyre, Grace, A Harkin, Dunne (Hume 63); Armstrong (McDermott 85), Brown (Morrow 78).