Match Report: Donegal Junior League Saturday Division 2
Letterkenny Rovers 5 - 1 Erne Wanderers
Letterkenny Rovers clinched a good 5-1 victory over Erne Wanderers in a game that saw plenty of good chances go amiss for both sides.
The match started with both sides testing each other’s defenses. In the 12th minute, Jordan Nugent had an early chance to open the scoring for Rovers, going one-on-one with Erne keeper Karl O’Brien, but O’Brien managed to collect the ball. Three minutes later, Erne nearly capitalized on a defensive mistake when Adam McGlone found himself one-on-one with Josh Wade, only to see his chip go high over the bar.
The breakthrough came in the 23rd minute when Letterkenny were awarded a penalty for handball, allowing Jason Doherty to calmly convert from the spot and put Rovers 1-0 up. Five minutes later, a well-delivered ball from Henry Welles found Adam Murphy at the edge of the box, but he couldn’t get his shot off before O’Brien gathered. In the 38th minute, Rovers doubled their lead with a swift counter down the right; Adam Murphy played in Conor O’Donnell, who struck confidently across goal to make it 2-0.
As the first half neared its end, Erne faced a setback when they were reduced to ten men after a last-man foul on Doherty. Despite the disadvantage, Erne continued to battle, and their persistence paid off in the second half.
In the 64th minute, Erne’s Nathan Boyle rattled the left upright with a shot across goal, signaling their intent. Just minutes later, Philip Patton played a precise pass across the box to McGlone, who placed a well-taken shot into the bottom left corner, bringing the score to 2-1 in the 69th minute.
However, Rovers responded almost immediately. In the 70th minute, Doherty turned brilliantly at the edge of the box and fired a powerful shot that, despite O’Brien’s effort, found the back of the net to restore a two-goal lead at 3-1. Erne went down to 9 men and Rovers capitalized on their momentum in the 80th minute when Adam Murphy’s run and pass set up Noah Mailey who shot from the right, making it 4-1.
In the final moments, Murphy added a fifth for Rovers after a well-worked play down the right wing. His powerful shot came off the upright and crossed the line, sealing a dominant 5-1 win for Letterkenny Rovers.
Goalscorers: Jason Doherty – 23min(pen) 70min, Conor O’Donnell – 38min, Noah Mailey – 80min, Adam Murphy – 90min