Letterkenny Rovers advanced to the last eight of the SFAI Under 16 Cup with this comfortable and impressive victory over a gallant Mullingar Town team that kept trying right to the end despite going 3-0 behind early in the second half.
Letterkenny Rovers U16 4 Mullingar Town U16 2
Report by Charlie Collins
After a lively opening with little between the sides, we had chances at both ends in a two minute period.
In the 13th minute, Adam Carney turned brilliantly in Rovers box and his cross-shot just flashed past Killian Cribben’s far post.
Two minutes later the home side almost grabbed the lead themselves when after good work by Jake Kelly, Toby Akinyinika’s looping header hit the top of Sean Carroll’s crossbar.
Rovers went ahead in the 19th minute and it followed some brilliant play by winger Adam Yisau.
He took possession from a throw-in, raced past several defenders and laid the ball back for Toby Akinyinika to slot home.
The visitors were finding it difficult to create good openings against a solid home defence and could have conceded a second when Joel Gorman’s through ball found Akinyinika but he got blocked out by some last-ditch defending.
The same pair combined again in the 36th minute when the big striker’s header was just wide following Gorman’s floated free-kick.
Two minutes later Jack Dwyer’s header from James Gallagher’s corner was just over.
At this stage, Rovers were worth more than just a 1-0 lead and two minutes later they were.
This time Dwyer made no mistake with a downward header at the far post from Gallagher’s excellent delivery from another corner and Rovers took a deserved 2-0 lead into the half-time.
Charlie Collins reports from Leckview Park. Any hopes of a second-half comeback by Mullingar were ended very quickly with a third Rovers goal in only the third minute of the half.
The visitors had a free-kick two minutes in from which Rovers burst clear.
Jack Dwyer found Adam Yisau but his shot was deflected out for a corner and when that was cleared properly Joel Gorman drilled the ball to the net from the edge of the box, 3-0 and looking like game over.
Fifteen minutes in however a possible lifeline for the visitors.
Daniel Schill’s free-kick wasn’t dealt with by the home defence and Steven Farrell ‘s shot was deemed to have crossed the line by the officials, 3-1 and maybe game on again.
Twenty minutes in Toby Akinyinika was sent clear but delayed his shot and was blocked out by good defending by Donal Mulvihill.
However, three minutes later, the Rovers striker played in Jack Dwyer with a lovely weighted pass and the winger raced into the box and cracked a super shot into the roof of the net to make it 4-1 for Rovers and game over for sure this time.
Mullingar were not going down without a fight and ten minutes from time pulled another goal back, DJ Flynn cracking home an excellent shot from the edge of the box.
Both teams rotated their squads in the second-half to good effect as the home side recorded a well-deserved victory to clinch a quarter-final spot in this national competition.
Letterkenny Rovers Squad: Killian Cribben, Leon Doherty, James Gallagher(L), Rory Pyper, Fouad Bashar, Joel Gorman, Jack Dwyer, Jake Kelly, Tony Akinyinika, Nathan Plumb, Adam Yisau, Josh Patton, Sean Pascual, Sean McGinley, Nathan Bonner, Luca Knezovic, James Gallagher (B).
Mullingar Town Squad: Sean Carroll, Daniel Schill, Luke Gerarty, Steven Farrell, Donal Mulvihill, Killian Browne, Matthew McBride, Adam Carney, D J Flynn, Warwick Kirby, Ethan Browne, Robert Whelan, Dylan Dowell, Jack Dalton, Jack Wallace, Adam O Conner, Darragh Casey.
Referee: Marty McGarrigle.
