Ulster Shield
Letterkenny Rovers 1 - 0 Dunree United
Letterkenny Rovers secured a narrow but well-deserved 1-0 victory over Dunree United in a tightly contested Ulster Shield match, with a late penalty from Jason Doherty proving decisive.
The game started evenly, with both sides struggling to create clear-cut chances. Rovers came close in the 28th minute when Jordan Nugent found space in the box, but his effort was saved by the Dunree keeper. Ten minutes later, Adam Murphy had another opportunity for Rovers, but the Dunree keeper was up to the task again. As the half drew to a close, Dunree threatened with a shot that flashed wide, sending the teams into halftime level at 0-0.
Rovers came out stronger in the second half, creating two early chances within the first five minutes. One effort hit the crossbar, while the other was again saved by Dunree’s impressive goalkeeper. Nugent had another opportunity to break the deadlock around the 60th minute with a lobbed shot, but it went wide. Nathan Bonner’s 70th-minute chance was also denied by the Dunree keeper, who kept his side in the match.
Dunree only started to test the Rovers’ defense in the final 10 minutes, forcing a great save from the Letterkenny keeper. However, in the 87th minute, Letterkenny Rovers were awarded a penalty, which Jason Doherty calmly converted to give his side the lead.
Rovers’ defense held firm for the remainder of the match, securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory and advancing in the Ulster Shield.
Scorer: Jason Doherty (87’ pen)
A minutes silence was observed by all in advance of the game in memory of Joe McGroarty who had passed earlier that week.