Saturday League Division 1 – Leckview Astro, 31 January 2026
Letterkenny Rovers and St. Catherine’s shared the points in an evenly contested game at Leckview Astro on a bright Saturday afternoon.
St. Catherine’s started the stronger and threatened early through their lively winger Alex McBrearty, who twice created good openings — first finding Josh Cunningham, whose shot drifted wide, and later firing narrowly past the post himself. The visitors maintained pressure with a curling free kick from Brandon McBrearty just missing the target.
Rovers gradually settled, with Kevin McGrath’s powerful strike straight at goalkeeper Michael Mullin marking their first real effort. Pavlo Shevaniuk and Jordan Nugent both went close as the hosts found their rhythm, but they fell behind on 29 minutes when Brandon McBrearty converted a free kick from the edge of the area, awarded after the Rovers keeper was deemed to have handled outside the box.
Rovers responded positively, with Adejide Alawiye (JD) and Nugent combining well on the break, though chances were limited before the interval.
The hosts came out much improved after the restart. JD set up Matthew Callan early on, only for Mullin to pull off a fine save. Chances followed for McGrath and Nugent, but the St. Catherine’s keeper repeatedly came to his side’s rescue with commanding work under high balls.
Rovers’ persistence was finally rewarded on 76 minutes when JD and Volodymyr Kovalchuk combined down the left, McGrath was fouled in the box, and Nugent made no mistake from the penalty spot.
The home side pushed for a winner in the closing stages, with long-range efforts from David O’Donnell and Reid Kelly testing Mullin, but St. Catherine’s held firm to secure a point.
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