FAI Junior Cup Round 3
St. Catherines 1 - 2 Letterkenny Rovers
In a tightly contested match at Emerald Park, Letterkenny Rovers claimed a hard-fought 2-1 victory over St. Catherines in the first of two back-to-back games. Nothing separated the sides at the end of the first half, and all three goals came in a lively second.
The first half saw St. Catherines pressing early, with Rovers struggling to settle. Rovers had a close attempt in the 13th minute when Adrian Delap’s pressing won him the ball, though his 25-yard shot was comfortably saved. St. Catherines nearly broke through as well, with Joshua Maxwell’s shot forcing Rovers keeper Shane O’Gara into a save. As the half progressed, Rovers grew into the game, creating their best chance in the 20th minute when BJ Banda broke through on the left and pulled the ball across the box. Gareth Doherty struck powerfully, but St. Catherines’ keeper Daniel Mullarkey did well dealing with the deflection.
Just 30 seconds into the second half, St. Catherines seized the lead when Paul O’Hare found himself unmarked on the far side of the box and struck the shot well coming off the underside of the crossbar and into the net, putting the home side 1-0 up.
Rovers responded well, and in the 55th minute, they drew level. A Joel Bradley Walsh free kick initially hit the wall, but the ball rebounded, and Walsh made no mistake on the second attempt, smashing it into the net.
With the intensity increasing, both sides pushed for a winner. Rovers clinched the decisive goal in the 73rd minute when BJ Banda’s drive was intercepted, allowing substitute Luke Parke to pounce. Parke fired a precise shot into the right corner, securing the 2-1 win for Rovers and advancing them to the next round of the FAI Junior Cup.
The teams will face off again on Sunday, November 10th, in Killybegs in the Donegal Junior League, with another thrilling encounter expected.
Goalscorers: Joel Bradley Walsh - 55min, Luke Parke - 73min