FOOTBALL: Letterkenny Rovers and Institute played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in wet conditions at Leckview Park on Tuesday evening as preparations for the new season continued.
Rovers started the better and took the game to the Irish Championship side and went in front on 12 minutes when an incisive pass from Ryan Lonergan split the Stute defence and found Darragh Black who held his nerve to beat the keeper to slot home with ease for his first goal for the club.
Stute though were easy on the eye and a joy to watch playing some good football belying the conditions and levelled matters on 21 minutes when Aaron Harkin fired a superb free past netminder Rory Kelly in the Rovers goal.
Derry City legend Kevin Deery manages Stute and is a former Rovers player but one would argue he has scarcely seen a better goal in his distinguished career than the one from Jordan Armstrong which fired his side ahead on 35 minutes. Armstrong flicked the ball up on 25 yards before unleashing a wonderstrike into the top corner which had everyone clapping and not just the large Stute support.
The Drumahoe men came close again when they hit the top of the bar late in the half and they started the second half in similar vein when Kelly had to be at his best to thwart a Ciaron Harkin effort before Rovers started to get a grip on proceedings with Mark Forker beginning to pull the strings in the middle of the park.
Rovers came into this game on the back of a tough encounter with Coleraine on Saturday and got a deserved equaliser for their endeavours over those two games when sub David O’Donnell got his first senior goal three minutes from time when firing home from 8 yards after a superb break and lay back from the industrious David Shovlin.
Stute back in action against USL champions Cockhill Celtic on Saturday.
Letterkenny Rovers; Rory Kelly, Ryan Lonergan, Kevin O’Donnell. Paul Boyle, Tristan Ferris, David Shovlin, Paul McVeigh, Christy Connaghan, Darren McElwaine. Darragh Black, Kevin McGrath.
Subs used; Terence Shiels, Darek Frankowski, Mark Forker, David O’Donnell. Steve Okakpo-Emeka, Tarlach O’Boyle, Jason Nevin, Chris Flanagan
Institute; Gareth Mulddon, Shane Brennan, Dean Curry, MArk scoltock, Darryl McDermott, Aaron Harkin, Stephen Curry, Ciaron Harkin, David Healy, Jordan Armstrong, Caolan Cooley
Subs; Stephen O’Donnell, Cathal Connolly, Ryan Morrow, Paddy McLaughlin
Referee; Michael Connolly
Asst Referess; Paul Duddy, Liam McLaughlin.