LETTERKENNY ROVERS are enjoying the view from the summit of the Ulster Senior League after cruising to a big derby win over Swilly Rovers at the Aura Centre.
Letterkenny Rovers 4 Swilly Rovers 0
Darren McElwaine’s brace bookended goals from Jonny Bonner and Paul McVeigh as Eamon McConigley’s men climbed to the top of the standings following a routine win.
Swilly played for 68 minutes with only ten men after Dylan Hegarty upended Bonner in the box. Although Bonner’s penalty struck the base of the post, it felt like only a matter of time before Letterkenny assumed total control.
And so it proved.
It was a game that was in marked contrast to some of the storied battles between these clubs down the years. Rarely, has there been a meeting so devoid of the passion and fight that once characterised these derbies.
Picture caption: Darren McElwaine, who scored twice, in action for Letterkenny Rovers against Swilly Rovers. Picture courtesy of Stephen Doherty.
For long periods here, Swilly seemed resigned to their fate and they were every inch a side that accepted the defeat long before the final shrill of Marty McGarrigle’s whistle.
Letterkenny owned the ball. Had the good people of Opta been monitoring it, one suspects the percetage of possesion enjoyed by the home side would have far surprassed that of their visitors.
And yet it wasn’t until they netted their second goal that they could rest a little easier.
They’d taken the lead when McElwaine slide home past Gareth Wade after Bonner’s pass split the Swilly rearguard open.
Earlier, Terence Shiels nodded a McVeigh cross wide and Tommy Bonner and Kevin McGrath both fired into Wade’s arms.
The second goal was worth the admission fee alone. It was nine minutes into the second half when Tristan Ferris did fine work at at the far post to redirect the ball back across goal to Jonny Bonner.
There appeared little danger at first, but Bonner – a player who on this form will surely appear on the radar of Ollie Horgan, the Finn Harps manager, in the coming weeks – had other ideas and a cracking strike from the right corner of the penalty box found its way to the net.
Swilly had been playing catch-up ever since that moment when Hegarty put his hands on Bonner inside the area and McGarrigle brandished the red card. They survived, momentarily, as Bonner’s penalty hit the post and McElwaine was caught out by the haste at which the rebound fell his way.
McVeigh raced clear for the third goal in the 78th minute and the ordeal could have been greater only for Wade thwarting both Dean Bonner, making his debut, and McElwaine as they tried to force home.
At the other end, James McCahill had a chance, but his effort lacked conviction and it will have been one of the more straightforward afternoon’s of Lee Boyle’s goalkeeping career.
Formerly on the books of Aston Villa, Boyle is now with the Cathedral Towners and his debut was a day when his gloves weren’t exactly eroded by work.
The game had been late starting with USL officials failing to inform referee McGarrigle of a time change to the kick-off, but it wasn’t an afternoon when the official was over-worked either.
Letterkenny added the cheer ten minutes from time.
Anthony Gorman turned 45 yesterday, but came on for the final 28 minutes and the former Linfield, Coleraine and Finn Harps star was at his ease stroking the ball around with the same precision that saw him carve out a senior career spanning three decades.
Gorman – whose son Zach also came off the bench – spread the ball wide for Kevin O’Donnell and his first touch having been introduced was a cross from which McElwaine turned in the fourth.
Letterkenny Rovers: Lee Boyle; Ryan Lonergan (Anthony Gorman ’62), Tristan Ferris (Kevin O’Donnell ’79), Paul ‘Yank’ Boyle, Dean Bonner; Tommy Bonner, Kevin McGrath; Terence Sheils, Jonny Bonner, Paul McVeigh; Darren McElwaine (Zach Gorman ’84).
Swilly Rovers: Gareth Wade; Ronan Sweeney (Kyle Burke ’74), Dylan Hegarty, Shay Durning, Shaun Crossan; Brandon Toye, James McCahill, Daniel O’Donnell, Ryan McDaid (Caolan Murray ’46); Marty McDaid, Calvin Mooney (Cathal Diver ’71).
Referee: Marty McGarrigle.
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