Letterkenny Rovers 3 - 1 Kilmacrennan Celtic
Letterkenny Rovers booked their place in the Brian McCormick Cup Final with a commanding 3-1 victory over Kilmacrennan Celtic at Diamond Park, Ballyare. A strong first half performance and a late own goal sealed the deal for Rovers, who had to dig deep against a spirited Kilmac side.
Rovers came flying out of the traps, with BJ Banda creating early problems. Inside four minutes, he beat the Kilmac defence and forced a smart save from Mark Gallagher. Moments later, Padraic Gilsenan had a strike saved as the pressure mounted.
The breakthrough came in the 6th minute, with an own goal from Kilmacrennan under heavy pressure giving Rovers the lead.
Nathan Plumb had a glancing header easily collected shortly after, before Kilmac responded with their first threat of the game in the 12th minute—Gilsenan did well to stop a promising run, but the resulting corner saw Stephen Black rattle the crossbar with a header.
In the 34th minute, Rovers doubled their lead through a lightning-quick counter. Adrian Delap collected the ball deep inside his own half and drove forward, threading a perfect ball through for Banda, who calmly rounded the keeper and slotted home.
Rovers could have added a third before the break. Dean McCarry headed over from a corner and Delap, after a one-two with Plumb, blazed over from range.
The second half continued in a similar vein. Plumb and McCarry both went close from Gorman corners, while at the other end, Kilmac looked to find a way back. McGinley was called into action in the 52nd minute, tipping a dangerous corner away. Just minutes later, Rory Gallagher cleared off the line during a goalmouth scramble as Kilmac piled on the pressure.
Rovers hit back with chances of their own. Banda, Gilsenan and Plumb all saw efforts either saved or off target, while McCarry again had a header stopped by the Kilmac keeper.
Kilmac should have pulled one back on 70 minutes. A low save from McGinley spilled into the path of Mark Patterson, but the substitute blazed over from close range.
The killer blow came in the 75th minute when a Joel Gorman cross was headed into his own net by Conor Black, looping over Gallagher for 3-0.
A minute later, Kilmac were awarded a penalty — Matthew McLaughlin stepped up, but Mark Anthony McGinley saved to preserve the three-goal cushion.
Kilmacrennan didn’t give up. Paul Bradley fired a free-kick narrowly over in the 82nd minute, and Patterson went close again late on, shooting into the side netting.
They got a consolation goal in the final minute, heading home from a corner, but it wasn’t enough to stop Rovers from progressing to the final with a 3-1 win.
A moments silence was observed in advance of the game by all in respect of the two young lads who tragically lost their lives in Buncrana on Saturday 10th May 2025.