Castlefin Celtic well beaten by Ballynanty Rovers in FAI Junior Cup

Ballynanty Rovers eased into the last 16 of the FAI Junior Cup with an impressive win over Castlefin at Limerick Institute of Technology.

Ballynanty Rovers 5-0 Castlefin Celtic

In the end, the hosts had five goals to spare against their Donegal League opponents in a game where they never looked in danger.

The visitors began at a frenetic pace but Ballynanty matched their opponents, ball for ball. Ballynanty’s physically imposing back four presented the Northerners with little opportunity and in front of them Aidan Hurley and the excellent Thomas Byrnes had the upper hand. Foe all their defensive capabilities, the work rate and pace of Gbadebo Habideen and Adrian Power was what wore down Raymond Foy's Castlefin.

The deadlock was broken after ten minutes when a superb ball from Byrnes picked out Habideen and the Celtic defence backed off and paid the price as the Balla front man drilled a low shot from the edge of the box into the bottom corner.

Ballynanty doubled their lead ten minutes from the break when a clever ball by James Fitzgerald towards the back post picked out captain, Adrian Power who volleyed in from close range.

The Limerick team tacked on the vital third goal midway through the half. Superb selfless running down the right by Habideen saw him pull the ball back for James Fitzgerald to drill a beauty to the net from 18 yards.

If the Ballynanty wide man’s first goal was good, his second was even better, meeting an Adrian Power cross with a dropping volley that gave the keeper no chance. They wrapped up the scoring in the final minute when a good run by Liam Byrne's ended with a ball across goal for Power to tuck away at the back post.