PAUL MCVEIGH’S hat-trick fired Letterkenny Institute of Technology into the next round of the CFAI Umbro Cup at the expense of top-flight Athlone at The Port Road.
Letterkenny Institute of Technology 5 Athlone Institute of Technology 0
McVeigh was on fire as Shane Byrne’s team made light of Athlone, who play a division above them in the CUFL, thanks to their best performance of the season so far.
McVeigh’s treble and goals from Daire McDaid and Dean Larkin blasted LyIT to an impressive victory.
Athlone finished with nine men after Emileaono Quintama and Jason Lyons were sent off in the space of three minutes around the hour mark.
[adrotate group=”80″]Quintama was given a straight red card by referee Vincent McLoughlin for an off-the-ball headbutt on McDaid while Lyons was booked for the second time when he wildly lunged in on Adrian Delap.
By then, a double by McVeigh in the first half set LyIT on their way.
The Letterkenny Rovers striker opened the scoring after just six minutes. McVeigh had work to do when he received the ball just inside the right edge of the penalty box but, after jinking his way past a couple of Athlone defenders, he fired in off the inside of the post.
[adrotate group=”88″]Mark McElhinney, the LyIT goalkeeper, saved well from Oran Murphy and Lyons shot off the crossbar, but it was LyIT who were in control.
The home side could have added to their tally, but Giorgio Richieri saved from Keelin McElwaine after good work by Ryan Connolly down the left while Brian McVeigh fired at the goalkeeper.
Good pressure by the Letterkenny students yielded chances for Paul McVeigh and McElwaine.
On the stroke of half-time, after surviving a brief scare, LyIT doubled the lead.
An Athlone corner fell into the path of Ciaran O’Reilly. His shot was well thwarted by Fearghal Harkin while the resulting corner saw McElhinney somehow get a hand in the way.
LyIT broke away, Connolly crossed, McDaid headed down and McVeigh turned well to fire home.
McVeigh flicked wide after being picked out by a magnificent deliver by McDaid and the busy frontman shot over the top when he might have squared to the well placed McElwaine.
After Athlone saw red, LyIT put the issue to bed when McVeigh centred for McDaid to tuck in the third.
[adrotate group=”46″]They added the fourth 14 minutes from the end when McVeigh, put through by Larkin, rounded Richieri to complete his hat-trick.
McElhinney kept the sheet clean with a save from Remi Olopade when O’Reilly burst through from his own defence, and the hosts rounded off the rout in the 88th minute as Larkin prodded in from close range.
It sealed a fine win for the Letterkenny side, who also have a home quarter-final in the League, against NUI Galway, to look forward to after Christmas.
[adrotate group=”53″]Letterkenny Institute of Technology: Mark McElhinney; Adrian Delap, Fearghal Harkin (Michael Kusigagbe 89), Lee McColgan, Caolan McDaid; Keelin McElwaine (Cian Mulligan 81), Brian McVeigh, Daire McDaid, Ryan Connolly; Dean Larkin, Paul McVeigh (Aaron McNamee 76).
Athlone Institute of Technology: Giorgio Richieri; Hafiz Sholola, Joe Maloney, Ciaran O’Reilly, Ciaran O’Connell; Idris Oyeni, Eric Lopez (Matthew Pimtoz 67), Izzet Birden (Emileaono Quintama 28), Piaon Alemondono (Remi Olopade 65); Jason Lyons, Oran Murphy.
Referee: Vincent McLoughlin.
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