In a titanic battle in Donaldson Park last night Clogher Valley won Kukri Qualifying One by virtue of scoring two penalties to Donaghadee’s one leaving the final score 6-3 to the men from Fivemiletown. Nigel Barker gave the Dee men the lead with a penalty on the half hour but just a couple of minutes later CV full-back Paul Armstrong drew them level with a similar effort. For most of the second half the Dee once again dominated territory and possession but fell to a Philip Holme penalty in front of the posts after an intense spell of pressure from Valley. CV coaches David Black & Glen Kyle together with Manager Richie Haire will be extremely happy to have escaped from Newtownards Road with a win after a game of bone-crunching intensity and no little skill. In the end of the day the greater size and weight of the CV pack probably was the very marginal difference between the two sides on the night. Some huge performances on the Dee side but, on this occasion, it would be most unfair to single out any one or two as every man-jack of them played with fire in their bellies, massive commitment and a structured game plan…. and had a couple of passes not gone slightly astray then Valley would have had to wait until this Saturday to claim the Championship and the Dee would have registered a four point win rather than a bonus point loss. Skipper Alastair Lockhart’s men on duty last night were Alastair Barnes, Gareth Gordon, Stuart Hennessey, Kyle Morrow, Richard Martindale, David Murray, Chris Hamilton, Stephen Adams, Matthew Kane, Paul McKenzie, Ryan Campbell, Nigel Barker, Andrew Findlater, Chris McGivern, Billy Allen and Andrew Mitchell. Three games in seven days means the Dee move on to Uprichard Park this Saturday where they face another huge challenge against a Bangor side in a rich vein of form. Rest, ice baths and Niall Moraghan will be the order of the next few days for the Dee but the thought of another derby game…. and two weeks rest before the Towns Cup Semi-Final against Ballynahinch on the 29th March…. will be more than enough to keep them going.