Mervue United put an end to Letterkenny Rovers' FAI Junior Cup aspirations

Letterkenny Rovers’ interest in the FAI Junior Cup concluded at the fifth round stage - ousted by Mervue United under the lights at Leckview.

Although BJ Banda opened the scoring in some style, the Galway side came from behind with three fine goals of their own - two from Aaron Neary before the experienced Gary Molloy’s third proved to be the final nail. Banda saw a penalty saved by Peter Healy in the Mervue goal in the closing stages to conclude a night that began with such optimism, only to end in disappointment.

Twelve months ago at the same stage, the two teams met, with Letterkenny coming away with a 3-2 victory at Fahy’s Field in Galway and Adrian Delap scoring the winner. So, in some ways, it was revenge for Mervue, who now enter the last 16 of the competition that was won by Cockhill Celtic last season.

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Right on three minutes, Banda picked up the ball and ran right for goal. Travelling 50 yards or more, straight as an arrow, he outpaced a host of defenders and powerfully placed the ball into the bottom corner. A brilliant goal and a brilliant start for Letterkenny.

The stylish Neary levelled in the 10th minute for the visitors, with another fine goal. Running at the Rovers defence, he could’ve turned inside or out but cut a shot from the edge of the box that cut a few daisies as the saying goes, clipping the inside of the post to sneak in for 1-1.

Lee McMonagle’s header on 26 from Gareth Dohertys’s cross was on target, although it didn’t have the power to seriously test Healy. Then Banda tested the goalkeeper with a drilled shot at the near post.

It certainly wasn’t one-way traffic as, at the other end, McGinley had to be alert to show quick reactions to turn away Lewis Waweru’s header from Kody McCann’s cross.

Mervue went into a 2-1 lead three minutes from the break, with a quality finish from Neary. They shifted possession right to left and the Letterkenny back line were momentarily out of position, with Neary taking full advantage to sweep first-time into the far corner.

Right before the break, Kacper Zatonski made a goal-saving block on the line to deny a certain equaliser from Banda.

David Shovlin, who played for Rovers on their way to the 2016 FAI Intermediate Cup final before going on to win the competition for Cork’s Avondale in 2019, has re-signed for the Leckview club and took a place on the bench and would appear at the three-quarter mark.

He was to be joined there by David O’Donnell, who failed to make it having suffered a serious-looking ankle injury in the warm-up on the adjacent astro-pitch.

The second half was well contested all round, with little to text either goalkeeper. Rovers put in a series of deliveries, which would've satisfied their postman manager Stephen McConnell, but he wouldn't have been pleased that they were failed to be taken advantage of. On 68 minutes Joel Gorman curled a free-kick over the crossbar. Mervue, with Lewis Waweru leading the line, were always a threat and on 74 minutes, they added their third.

Although the hosts complained about the awarding of a free-kick, former Galway United player Molloy’s delivery from out by the touchline flew over everyone and into the net off, with the slightest glance of the underside of the crossbar.

The Donegal League Premier Division side needed something with things ebbing away from them until Banda won a penalty kick with five minutes left. The former Finn Harps forward chased a lost cause and goalkeeper Healy raced towards the touchline side of his area, and took down Banda.

However, with the same two players involved in the penalty, it was Healy who got down low to his right to save from Banda and then bravely gathered from the rebound as well.

Then, just as the clock headed into injury time, a similar incident occurred with Banda getting away and again getting scythed down by Healy, although this time away outside the box. A second yellow for Healy meant a red, although so late he didn’t even get the early shower.

Letterkenny Rovers: Mark Anthony McGinley; Dean McCarry, Chris Malseed (David Shovlin 67), Keith Cowan, Padraic Gilsenan, Gareth Doherty (Nathan Plumb 63), Joel Gorman, Adrian Delap, Ryan Lonergan (Conor O’Donnell 77); Lee McMonagle, BJ Banda.
Mervue United: Peter Healy; Daniel Brennan (Jason Molloy 69), Conor Keady, Dara McGrath, Kacper Zatonski; Kody McCann (Ciaran O’Connor 84), Oisin Coyne, Luke O’Gorman, Adam Healy (Mark O’Halloran 69); Aaron Neary (Thomas Meehan 90+3); Lewis Waweru (Charlie Jones-Concannon 80).
Referee: Richard Storey.