LETTERKENNY ROVERS NEEDED penalties to defeat Bonagee United in an FAI Youth Cup first round tie they looked to have had sewn up with ten minutes to go.
Letterkenny Rovers 2 Bonagee United 2
after extra time, Letterkenny Rovers win 4-3 on penalties
Without being at their best, Rovers led 2-0 courtesy of Eoghan Kelly and Sean Curran and they were just about to have their tickets punched for the bus to the second round when Bonagee halted the departure.
Evan McCroary’s penalty felt like a consolation, but there has been something about the way Bosco Gallagher’s side refuses to wilt this season and they forced extra time.
With two minutes to go, a long kick-out by Matthew Gallagher found its way in around the back and Noah Sanni’s pace took him into position, where he kept his composure to slip past Sean Friel for the leveller.
Momentum was with the Dry Arch men and they might well have won it in the extra period, but Kelvin Holian headed inches over the junction of post and crossbar.
James Sharkey, a sub, actually beat Friel with a header, but Joe McHugh, the referee, ruled it out, deeming Sharkey to have unfairly impeded the Rovers stopper.
Friel saved from McCroary – who had beaten him in normal time – and his opposite number, Gallagher and successful kicks from James McSherry, Kelly, Daire Morrison and Shane Doherty put the hosts through.
It was a low-key contest between the neighbours and the temperature never really went beyond a simmer.
Rovers opened the scoring on 61 minutes. Igor Arriel headed down James Tourish’s corner and the ball was moved out towards defender Kelly, who let fly and found a spot high in the Bonagee net.
Four minutes later, Rovers made it two when substitute Curran’s attempt from 25 yards squirmed beneath the unfortunate Gallagher.
Bonagee’s response to Kelly’s goal was almost instant, but Rovers netminder Friel denied Sanni with a magnificent save.
Friel raced from his line to save with his legs from Sanni, who sped away from a static home defence.
Rovers were semi-finalists in this competition last season when they were beaten 3-1 at home by Cork’s Kilreen Celtic.
Since that April Sunday, Leckview Park has bid farewell to eleven players who have gone to pastures new.
BJ Banda’s rise to prominence with the Finn Harps senior team has been well documented of late with the 17-year-old striker having played last night as a second-half substitute against UCD.
Banda and Gareth Doherty have moved into the Harps senior squad, while Luke Nelis, Ciaran Kelly, Jason McGee, Eoin Slevin, Paul Ferry and Daire Ó Baoill are now playing for Joe Boyle at the Harps Under-19s with another two former Rovers youngsters, Jeaic Mac Ceallabhuà and Ryan Finn having moved to the Finn Harps Under-17s.
Midfielder Adrian Delap is another of the exiles, the winger recruited by Derry City’s Under-19s but, despite the haemorrhaging of such promise, Gorman has managed to stem the flow.
The opening half was one devoid of much noteworthy and it was the away side who fashioned the best chance when Sanni lifted over the advancing Friel only to have too much weight on his touch.
From the recycle, McCroary fired wide from 15 yards.
Rovers had plenty of possession, but lacked a penetrative touch in the final third, with their best move in the first half seeing Doherty and David O’Donnell combine down the right flank before a poor first touch let Tarlach O’Boyle down when an opportunity looked on.
The game sprang to life after a tame opening when Kyle Sylvia left a mark on Kelly with a bone-shuddering challenge that rocked even those in the stand.
The yellow card brought out by Joe McHugh was perhaps a lenient punishment.
Bonagee came close to opening the scoring nine minutes into the second half, but McCroary’s effort, after beating Friel at the near post, clipped the post.
It was a let-off that sparked Rovers into life and Cody Brogan forced a save from Gallagher.
O’Boyle carved the opening and Gallagher turned a shot that lacked conviction around for the corner from which the home side opened the scoring.
When Curran put a little daylight between them, it looked like game over.
As Gorman put it afterwards, his side had to win it twice – and they did, eventually succeeding when it was down to penalties to throw up a winner.
Letterkenny Rovers: Sean Friel; Calvin O’Brien, Ryan McLoughlin (James McSharry, half-time), Eoghan Kelly, James Tourish; David O’Donnell (Sean Curran ‘55), Shane Doherty, Ruairi Friel, Tarlach O’Boyle (Daire Morrison ’77); Cody Brogan, Igor Arriel.
Bonagee United: Matthew Gallagher; Ciaran Hunter, Christopher Duddy (Stephen Lafferty ‘105), Kelvin Holian, Jack Lafferty; Oisin Purdy, Kyle Sylvia, Ryan McGinty (James Sharkey ’77), Wallace Tavares (Eoin Harkin ‘59); Noah Sanni Evan McCroary.
Referee: Joe McHugh.
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