Dessie Kelly remembered as Letterkenny Rovers share spoils with Man United Legends

The late Dessie Kelly was remembered on Saturday on the occasion of Letterkenny Rovers Select's friendly match against the Manchester United Legends at Leckview Park.

The new grass pitch at the facility was officially opened on a weekend when some of the United heroes of yesterday were guests in the county. 

Former Letterkenny Rovers chairman Dessie, who was involved with the club since 1962, passed away in June and "would've loved the occasion" his daughter Mary Ford said on behalf of the family. Dessie's wife Annette officially cut the ribbon alongside local councillor Ciaran Brogan.

Jaap Stam, Paul Parker, Brian McClair, Keith Gillespie, Karol Poborsky, Frank Stapleton, Lee Martin,  Clayton Blackmore, Chris Eagles and Eric Djemba Djemba were in the north-west for a host of events which are part of a fundraising drive for Letterkenny Rovers FC to benefit the development of the club facilities and in turn their players and community for years to come.

On Friday, Martin, Gillespie, Blackmore, Stapleton, McClair and Eagles enjoyed a golf day at Rosapenna Golf Club, and on Saturday, the group performed a meet and greet with the 1999 treble-winning trophies - the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League - with supporters at the Station House Hotel.

Afterwards, the United Legends took on Letterkenny Rovers at Leckview Park before a Gala Dinner at the Mount Errigal Hotel.

The match itself finished in a 6-6 draw in front of a good crowd, with Pajo Rafferty tucking home a pass from Terence Shiels to put Letterkenny in front before a penalty from Keith Gillespie for United levelled things up.

Pauric Gilsenan then put Rovers 2-1 up from a Rafferty pass but it would be level at 2-2 by half-time. A free-kick was directed home by Frank Stapleton - the former Republic of Ireland captain who at 68 later that night said it the occasion was the last time he would take the field.

Darren McElwaine, from another assist from Shiels, edged Rovers back in front only for Eagles to make space for himself in the penalty area to level it at 3-3. 

Two goals from Gareth Gorman, the second of which was a top-class strike from the left, gave the home team some daylight in a 5-3 lead, only for Chris Bradley - a visitor from Magherafelt, Co Derry, who holidays in Kerrykeel, to pull one back and Eagles got onto a pass from Poboorsky to make it 5-5. 

Mark Connaughton looked to have won it for Rovers, only for Bradley to equalise late on with a rifle of a shot after Gillespie had dinked a penalty wide. 

Stam, Parker, McClair, Gillespie, Poborsky, Stapleton, Blackmore, Martin, Eagles and Djemba Djemba were on the United Legends squad, joined by Tony Blake, Stephen McConnell, Odhran Grant, Jason Daly, Chris Bradley, Joe McLaughlin and Paul Kiernan.

The Letterkenny Rovers squad was made up of Liam Grant, Pauric Gilsenan, Colin White, Anthony Gorman, John Gregg, Ronan Curran, Pajo Rafferty, Mark Connaughton, Seamus Chovelin, Paddy McDaid, Johnny Baird, Chris McCallion, Eric Roberts, Michael Lynch, Gary Heaney, Darren McElwaine, Terence Shiels, Gareth Gorman, Ciaran Greene. Stephen Gregg was the match referee, assisted by James Malseed and Seany Houston.