It was Friday night football for Letterkenny Rovers youths this weekend and they lit up Celtic Park with a magnificent comeback to defeat Strand Celtic 3-2 to advance to round three of the FAI Youth Cup in what was an absorbing encounter.
Strand Celtic 2 Letterkenny 3
Rovers made the long trip to Strandhill, Co Sligo on Friday evening in the aftermath of Storm Callum and it was the still prevailing windy conditions which was to play its part in a stormy enough on field encounter which was not for the faint hearted at times and credit must go to both teams for serving up a cracker in front of a decent sized attendance.
Rovers also had to survive around 18 minutes when being reduced to ten men after Gavin McGee was sent off for collecting his second caution of the night.
Anthony Gorman’s men – missing the experience of the watching but injured Conor O’Donnell and Thomas Keys – got off to a horrid start when finding themselves 2-0 down after just 13 minutes.
Daniel Gray-Harrigan fired the Westerners – who were playing with the aid of the windy conditions in the opening period – in front on 5 minutes when his effort from just inside the box deceived Rovers netminder Killian Gribben.
Gribben was picking the ball out of his net just 8 minutes later when Charlie Ward rifled a left footed effort low to the bottom corner to send the home side off to a dream start.
Rovers were all at sea by the seaside in the opening stages and Strand should have been three up on 15 minutes but Gribben was alert to pull off a splendid stop from the lively Justin McLoughlin as the visiting defence appealed for offside.
That could have killed the game off so early but that was to prove the turning point as Rovers gradually took a foothold.
Rovers should have scored through Nathan Plumb on 21 minutes when an incisive Dyla O’Brien throughball set him up but Plumb saw his lob over the keeper fall agonisingly the wrong side of the post.
The highly impressive and industrious Dylan Doogan shot over when well placed on 24 minutes.
Rovers though did eventually reduce the deficit on 32 minutes and again it was Doogan who was the catalyst when after chasing what appeared a lost cause he gained possession and used blistering pace to avoid his marker before teeing up Plumb. His mistimed effort fell to the lively James Lenty Gallagher who kept his composure to slot home.
Plumb believed he ought to have a penalty when taken down in the area but those appeals fell on deaf ears as Strand led 2-1 at the break.
Rovers knew that a fast start was required with the aid of the elements in the 2nd half and after coming close on a number of occasions drew level on 59 minutes when Plumb was like a fox in the box when reacting quickest to head home Gavin McGee’s free kick,
Gorman’s men really had the bit between their teeth at this stage and again came close through a Kealan Dunleavy shot and a blistering McGee effort but did complete the turnaround when taking the lead on 68 minutes.
Oran Winston gave home keeper Cian Baaquille no chance when neatly firing home after a McGee corner wasn’t dealt with by the home defence,
Rovers should have put he game to bed just minutes later when Doogan – who ran the opposition ragged throughout – fed Plumb but he was denied by Basquille before the game took another twist on 82 minutes when McGee was giving his marching orders having received a second caution.
The Sligo outfit pressed hard for an equaliser and came close through a Conor McKeon header while sub Liam Hannigan had to be alert to make a last ditch tackle to deny McLoughlin.
Rovers custodian Gribben was an assured pair of hands as the game got nervy for the visitors towards the end while they also had to survive eight minutes of additional time such was the physical nature of the contest which saw a number of lengthy injury stoppages.
Rovers were relieved but deservedly advance to round three were they anxiously await their opponents.
Strand Celtic squad: Cian Basquille, Conor Kelly, Jack Kenny, Cian Conway, Luke Mahon, Lee Wilson, Conor McKeon, Charlie Ward, Justin McLoughlin, Killian Burns, Daniel Gray-Harrigan, Fiachra Staunton, Gareth Finan, Matteo Mews, Niall McDermott, Connor Barber
Letterkenny Rovers: Killian Gribben, Oran Winston, Caolan McConnell, Gavin McGee, Kealan Dunleavy, Dylan O’Brien, Johnathan Coady, Jake Kelly, Dylan Doogan , Nathan Plumb, James Lenty Gallagher, Sean McGinley, Liam Hannigan.
Referee: Stephen McGarry,
