AFTER THE DISAPPOINTMENT of the Aviva Stadium, Letterkenny Rovers tonight produced a battling draw at Athlone Town in the Irish Daily Mail FAI Cup.
Athlone Town 0-0 Letterkenny Rovers
Eamonn McConigley’s team might still have been licking their wounds for most of the week following their 5-0 loss at the hands of Crumlin but now have a second round replay against SSE Airtricity League First Division Athlone.
That tie will take place at Leckview Park on Tuesday evening at 6pm.
This evening at Lisseywollen, Rovers were the better of the two sides in the first half, while their hosts shaded the second.
[adrotate group=”63″]McConigley brought in Stevie Okakpo-Emeka and Tristian Ferris to replace Shane Bradley and Jonathan Minnock from last week’s defeat.
Ryan Lonergan had been touch and go and lasted 23 minutes before departing with a hamstring injury and he was replaced by Kevin McGrath.
[adrotate group=”42″]Okakpo-Emeka tested Ryan Coulter three minutes later when the Athlone goalkeeper was forced to claw the ball away.
Then, before half-time a neat involving Paul McVeigh and Darren McElwaine ended up with Okakpo-Emeka shooting just over the crossbar.
The home team improved after the break, although Letterkenny Rovers goalkeeper Rory Kelly wasn’t overly tested.
The former Derry City netminder did make a routine save from Daniel Purdy on 63 minutes.
[adrotate group=”65″]The best chances of the contest came 17 minutes from time when the lively Marco Chindea got away and he rounded Kelly and shot goalwards.
However, David Shovlin made a heroic clearance having just arrived on the scene in the nick of time.
Rovers were still a threat on the break and Okakpo-Emeka saw a shot blocked by a couple of defenders.
[adrotate group=”64″]Then, about halfway through the five minutes injury time Chindea missed the target when he had the chance to win it.
It’s been a marathon season for Letterkenny Rovers but they’ve already come good in replays against both Dunboyne FC and Ringmahon Rangers in the FAI Intermediate Cup and can now look forward to the visit of Athlone with optimism.
Well done man of the match @paulmcveigh3 !! pic.twitter.com/qkXFfZlMLm
— LetterkennyRovers Fc (@LetterkennyRvs) May 21, 2016
Athlone Town: Ryan Coulter; Simon Dixon, Kevin Farragher, Jack Tuite, Ian Fletcher; Marco Chindea, Val Feeney, Adam Kelly (David Cassidy (84), Conor Barry (Emeka Onwibiko 54); Daniel Prudy, Alan O’Sullivan.
Letterkenny Rovers: Rory Kelly; Ryan Lonergan (Kevin McGrath 23), Paul Boyle, Tristian Ferris, Terence Shiels; Paul McVeigh, Mark Forker, Christy Connaghan, Stevie Okakpo-Emeka (Brian McVeigh 86); Darren McElwaine, David Shovlin.
Referee: John McLoughlin.
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