Youth League: Bonagee and Dunfanaghy play out thrilling four-goal encounter

Lagan have won many plaudits for their attacking nature on their return to the youth ranks once again and were full value for their draw despite playing the final 33 minutes with ten men.

Both sides field mainly players who were under 16s as Rovers looked ahead to the Ulster Area final of the SFAI Cup next weekend and it the home side who started the brighter. They should have taken the lead on 12 minutes but saw Toby Akinyimika fired wide after a lung-bursting run from deep.

That proved to be just brief respite as Rovers took the lead just two minutes later when Akinyimika made no mistake when again making a forceful run inside the box to fire past visiting netminder Joshua Hay.

Lagan responded quickly and Dean Murray should have scored after 21minutes but he saw his shot from close range blocked after home keeper Jonathan Pearson had done well to parry away Matty McDaid’s cross. After 25 minutes, Bradley Doherty shot wide when in hindsight he should have released Murray. who was in an advancing position.

They did draw level on 28 minutes when the impressive Noely Donnelly fired home clinically past Pearson,

Nathan Plumb and Doherty then exchanged chances while Matthew McDaid fired just wide, but it remained deadlocked 1-1 at the break.

Letterkenny were quickest out of the blocks in the second half and Plumb and Adam Yisau both had chances to restore the lead but the games first major talking point arrived on 57 minutes.

Sean McVeigh leapt high to meet a James Lenty Gallagher corner, but it was handled on the line by Bradley Doherty and he was dismissed by referee John Coll – a penalty was also awarded.

Rovers hopes of going in front vanished though when Hay made a superb save low to his left to deny Sean McVeigh, although Rovers were incensed that Coll did not award a penalty in the follow up as Plumb appeared to be fouled after being first to react to the initial save.

Rovers pressed hard against the ten men while Lagan were lively particularly on the counter-attack, but Lagan resolve didn’t last as Rovers took the lead on 78 minutes after one of the moves of the games.

David Boyle made an inch-perfect cross to find Brandon Ndlovu who converted from close range.

Despite the setback, Lagan responded well and Killian Gribben – who replaced Pearson in the Rovers goal at halftime – pulled off a superb save to deny Donnelly.

However, Lagan were not to be denied a point. McVeigh turning the ball into his own net after a Ciaran Quinn free kick caused confusion in the box.

In the closing minutes, Rovers could have won it when Ndlovu somehow failed to fire home from six yards  as both sides had to settle for a draw.

Swilly Rovers 3 – 2 Fanad United

(No Report)