A STORMING FIRST HALF laid the foundations for Letterkenny Rovers to book their place in the last eight of the FAI Intermediate Cup.
Letterkenny Rovers 2-1 Midleton (Cork)
Goals from Paul McVeigh and Darren McElwaine set the hosts on their way at the Aura Centre in Letterkenny and although Jake Hegarty pulled one back for the Cork side in the second half, Rovers held on to win.
Photo caption: The Letterkenny Rovers side that defeated Midleton from Cork in the FAI Intermediate Cup fourth round at the Aura Centre in Letterkenny today. Photo by Stephen Doherty
It’s only the second time in Rovers’ history they reached the quarter-finals, with the 2004 vintage having lost out to another Cork outfit, Rockmount, in a semi-final replay.
Aside that season 12 years ago, Rovers had never actually won a fixture in the national stages of the competition. Now, though, Eamon McConigley’s side can look forward to the draw, with their fixture due to take place in the last weekend in February.
This afternoon, Rovers started as they meant to go on. They were first to the loose balls and crisp in possession. McElwaine drew a save from Matthew Gledhill on three minutes and then a Jonathan Minnock free-kick flew right across the Midleton goal.
Paul ‘Yank’ Boyle joined the attack and his half-volley on seven minutes flew just over but having knocked and knocked, Rovers produced the breakthough on 10 minutes through a stunning goal.
Paul McVeigh saw a loose ball break his way off Stevie Okakpu and the former Finn Harps frontman caught the half-volley perfectly from the edge of the penalty area and it flew past Gledhill for the opening goal.
Rovers, buoyed by that stunning strike, continued on the front foot. McVeigh almost added a second, only to shoot over and a long Minnock ball almost caught out Gledhill.
The Midleton goalkeeper was caught out on 35 minutes, when he got caught under a raking Ryan Lonergan ball and dropped it at the feet of McElwaine, who prodded home his side’s second goal from three yards out.
At that stage, it was no more that Rovers deserved and they went in two up at the break.
In the second half, the visitors threw the kitchen sink in an attempt to keep themselves in the competition.
Former Cork City defender Dan Murray wasn’t part of the travelling party.
On 53 minutes, Midleton got back into the contest when Hegarty smashed through a forest of legs from 18 yards after David Shovlin had to be alert to head off his own goalline after Damien Daly’s header from a cross by Andrew Knowles.
At the other end, Gledhill stopped but couldn’t hold a shot from McVeigh and Okakpu, onto the rebound in a flash, was inches off target.
The away team, who weren’t afraid to go long, roared vehemently for a penalty on 63 minutes when they claimed Boyle had handled the ball. Moments later there was a similar shout from the home support when Okakpu appeared to be brought down by Emmet Cotter.
Referee Terence Moyne, again, shook his head.
As the Midleton pressure mounted, Rovers were camped in and played occasionally on the break. Kevin Murray, the former Waterford United defender, headed wide and substitute John Keane’s free saw Hegarty sneak around the back but he couldn’t control.
In injury time, which would evolve some six minutes, Knowles’ corner fizzed across Rory Kelly’s box but went away to safety.
Letterkenny Rovers: Rory Kelly; Ryan Lonergan, David Shovlin (Conal McGonigle 65), Paul ‘Yank’ Boyle, Jonathan Minnock; Kevin McGrath (Terence Shiels 56), Mark Forker, Christy Connaghan, Paul McVeigh; Stevie Okakpu, Darren McElwaine.
Midleton: Matthew Gledhill; Kyle McCarthy (Emmet Cotter, half-time), Kevin Murray, Matthew Hickey, Kelvin Kruschel; Damien Daly (John Keane 65), Cormac Ahern, Ian Maher (Ray Barnes 80), Kevin Tatton; Jake Hegarty, Andrew Knowles.
Referee: Terence Moyne.
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