Letterkenny Rovers reclaim Area Shield with a four-goal win over Bonagee United

Letterkenny Rovers continued their Brian McCormick Cup three-in-a-row bid with an emphatic win over rivals Bonagee United in Leckview Park.

A superb goal from Aidy Delap gave his side a first half lead, and they hit three within 20 minutes of the restart.

Shane McNamee, Lee McMonagle, and a brilliant strike from the halfway line by Joel Gorman got the goals as Stephen McConnell’s side won the Letterkenny Area Shield and make the semi-finals.

A typically cagey affair between these two rivals, there were few chances in the early stages, although the visitors started the brightest.

An Eoghan Doherty pass found Josh Maxwell, who chested it down on the edge of the box and fired towards goal on the turn, but it went well wide.

And when Gareth Harkin’s free was headed goalwards by Jack Parke, Keith Cowan cleared only to Micheál Doherty 20 yards out, but again he couldn’t find the target.

It was the hosts then who had a couple of chances, Shane McNamee getting in down the left but he fired goalwards at a tight angle, while Simon McGlynn’s effort from the corner of the box stung the palms of Andrew Nicholls, but the ‘keeper held the ball.

On the half-hour mark, Matthew McLaughlin’s ball over the top found Shay Maloney in the box, but Mark Anthony McGinley held, and the hosts soon went ahead.

It came as Bonagee lost possession in their own defensive third, McNamee getting a touch on the ball to Aidy Delap, and the captain rifled a superb strike into the top corner from 25 yards.
Micheál Doherty had a free soon after that was easily held by McGinley, while Jack Parke fired over the bar from distance after a good team move, but it stayed 1-0 at the break.

But it kept getting better and better for the hosts after the break, first on 50 minutes as McNamee dispossessed Ciaran Kelly and went through 1-on-1, finishing past Nicholls.

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The third came just before the hour mark in a sensational manner, the ball coming to Joel Gorman inside the centre circle, and as he looked up, he spotted Nicholls off his line, and from exactly on the halfway line, he found the net with a stunning strike.

And they made it 4-0 three minutes later, a Gorman free found Lee McMonagle at the back post, and while Nicholls saved his first header, McMonagle headed in at the second attempt.

Those two quick-fire goals really killed the game off, with McLaughlin having a shot saved by McGinley, while McGlynn’s cross at the other end was close to finding McNamee.

Ciaran Kelly had a header go over the bar, while Dan O’Donnell’s effort was saved by McGinley as Letterkenny Rovers came away with the win and advance to the semi-finals of the county competition.

Letterkenny Rovers: Mark Anthony McGinley; Padraic Gilsenan, Dean McCarry, Keith Cowan, Kealan Dunleavy; Aidy Delap (BJ Banda 70), David Shovlin (Gareth Doherty 67), Joel Gorman (Luke Parke 67), Simon McGlynn, Shane McNamee (David O’Donnell 77), Lee McMonagle (Zach Gorman 73).

Bonagee United: Andrew Nicholls; Codey Brogan (Fintan Hasson 62), Ciaran Kelly, Tommy McMonagle (Dylan McAteer 83), Eoghan Doherty; Jack Parke, Gareth Harkin, Matthew McLaughlin (Dan O’Donnell 83), Micheál Doherty (Aidan McLaughlin 77); Josh Maxwell, Shay Maloney (Kyle Martin 70).

Referee: Patrick Martin.