Letterkenny Rovers defeat Carndonagh to advance in the FAI Junior Cup

Letterkenny Rovers advance to the next round of the FAI Junior Cup after an away win over Carndonagh.

A first-half goal from David Shovlin at close range gave Stephen McConnell’s side the lead on the half-hour mark, and it stayed that way until 70 minutes when Shane McNamee doubled the lead as the Leckview Park men go into the last stage of the Donegal area.

Played in good conditions in St Patrick’s Park, Letterkenny Rovers had the first chance in the fifth when BJ Banda broke on the right and crossed for Zach Gorman, who headed wide from twelve yards.

Carn replied after Cian Burke rounded a defender and laid it off to Shay McDaid, whose low shot was well saved by Mark Anthony McGinley. 

It was Rovers who broke the deadlock just before the half-hour mark when Gorman's cross came off Daniel McDaid, and David Shovlin was there to put the ball into the net from seven yards.

They almost doubled their lead then, when Kevin McGrath made a great individual run from midfield, beating two defenders and shot to the top right corner of the net from twenty yards, but McDaid saved superbly.

Rovers missed a golden opportunity to go further ahead eight minutes after the break when BJ Banda was upended in the penalty area, and from the resulting penalty, Banda's low effort was pushed away past the post by Daniel McDaid.

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At the other end, Mark Scott's ball in from the left found Ross Farren, who fired high and wide from the edge of the area.

But Rovers doubled their lead after Banda went on a great individual run from midfield, beating two defenders and drove a powerful shot from outside the 18-yard box, which was saved by McDaid, but Shane McNamee was there to get to the rebound first and slot into the net.

Carn tried to pull one back with substitute Lorcan Bradley crossing from the right to another substitute, Kyran Cantwell, who failed to hit the target from fifteen yards when well placed, and it is Rovers who advance to face Cockhill Celtic in the next round.