LETTERKENNY ROVERS MANAGER Eamon McConigley says he was delighted to see his team progress against Dunboyne in the Intermediate Cup following a dramatic penalty shoot-out at the Aura.
“I am just so delighted to have got that game over me,” he said.
“There were fellas in that dressing room who got out of bed today to play having been ill all week with a terribly bad ‘flu.’
Picture caption: Letterkenny Rovers’ Darren McElwaine in action against Dunboyne AFC. Picture courtesy of Stephen Doherty.
“It is just amazing the way the virus was going through the club and they came out there today and they did their best and we got a result and I am delighted for them for that.
“Mark Forker was missing but David Shovlin, Paul Boyle and Ryan Lonergan all got out of their sick bed to pull me out on the day. You could see that they weren’t up to their best even though they were doing their best.
“It was very cold, very windy and very hard to get going, but we dug in there and we got a result so I am over the moon about that.”
The visitors took the lead in the 9th minute through Alan Cosgrove and Rovers levelled things in the 29th minute when Darren McElwaine rifled in a terrific free-kick, but this was a fierce battle to the final whistle.
“They are a very well organised side, there is no player there that is really outstanding but they play as a team, they work as a team and they work very hard as a team.
“I don’t think we were at our best, not because we didn’t want to be, but the ‘flu’ had a big bearing on the way we played today.”
McConigley admitted that he was fearful when the game went to the lottery of the penalty shoot-out.
“I worried about the penalties because Dunboyne were good footballers and we have good footballers. They are good technically and when you have that you have that I knew the penalties would be good technically. We were lucky that we came out winning it.
“It is going to lift our season now and it is up to us to go on and see how far we can go.”
Rovers have a home draw against Cork side Midleton in the next round but the Letterkenny boss isn’t quite looking that far ahead just yet.
“Hopefully we can get the ‘flu’ cleared up this week, get back to proper training and prepare for the Cork match, but in saying that we have an Ulster Senior League Match on Sunday and I won’t be looking beyond that for now.”
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