Letterkenny Rovers see off Kildrum Tigers in Brian McCormick Cup semis  

Letterkenny Rovers are through to the Brian McCormick Cup final after a late winner in extra time over Kildrum Tigers at The Diamond Park. 

With both sides unable to break the deadlock in 90 minutes, Kildrum had to face the added minutes with ten men after Frank McBrearty was shown red in the dying embers, and Lee McMonagle popped up in the final moments of extra time to confirm another trip to Ballyare, where they will face Keadue Rovers. 

Rovers started on the front foot, but the early chances they created reaped no reward. Nathan Plumb played through McMonagle for the first opportunity inside five minutes, but it flashed wide of the goal. 

Dean McCarry was the recipient of the second effort with ten minutes gone, but his strike towards goal floated over after a precise corner from Joel Gorman. 

Kildrum Tigers responded well and had the main threat going forward up to and including the half-hour mark. Brian Breslin and Mark Anthony McGinley couldn't be separated in a race towards the ball on the edge of the box, with the netminder able to gather after the ball ricocheted kindly for him with a quarter of an hour gone. 

Brett McGinty rolled an effort wide not long after, but the best chance came with half an hour on the clock. Kealan Gillen raced towards goal, and his first shot was thwarted by McGinley but rolled in his favour, which allowed him a second attempt that was cleared off the line by Chris Malseed. 

With a little over ten minutes to go in the first half, the ball was in the back of the Kildrum net, but the offside flag cut short any celebrations. 

McMonagle was played through by Welles, and the attempted clearance from McKinney bounced off of McMonagle and into the net. 

Neither side could muster up anything concrete at the start of the second half, and it took until the final twenty minutes before the chances began to flow. 

Mark Anthony McGinley was called into action to make a great save to thwart Daryl Browne, and at the other end, Chris O'Donnell pulled off a similar save to deny Ryan Lonergan after Letterkenny caught Kildrum on the counter. 

Another effort of Browne's was just over the frame of the goal, while he set up William Lynch late on, but he could only divert his header wide of the mark. Kildrum were dealt a blow in the final minutes of normal time as they were reduced to ten men. 

Letterkenny countered again, and with Gareth Doherty free down the right wing, McBrearty clipped his legs, and he was shown his second yellow of the afternoon.  

Extra time boiled down to two big chances, with one for either side. Kealan Gillen beat the offside trap at the start of the second half, and his first touch took him beyond the onrushing McGinley, but the acute angle was against him as his effort brushed the side netting. 

For Letterkenny Rovers, their chance in the final minutes of the match resulted in the winning goal. Tim Callaghan's adventure into the box came to a halt, but inside the six-yard box, the ball rolled invitingly for Lee McMonagle, who prodded home from point-blank range. 

Letterkenny Rovers: Mark Anthony McGinley; David O'Donnell (Nathan Bonner 97), Caolan McConnell (Ryan Lonergan 69), Chris Malseed, Dean McCarry; Joel Gorman, Henry Welles (Adam Murphy 59), Christy Connaghan, Lee McMonagle; Gareth Doherty, Nathan Plumb(Tim Callaghan 97). 

Kildrum Tigers: Chris O'Donnell; Jamie McKinney, James McNulty, Gavin McGee(Charlie Shovelin 91), William Lynch; Frank McBrearty, Luke Toland, Brett McGinty (Michael Lynch 94), Kealan Gillen; Brian Breslin, Ethan Coll(Daryl Browne 69)

Referee: Mick Lagan