Letterkenny Rovers Ladies Advance in FAI Amateur Shield After Thrilling Win Over Raphoe Town
Letterkenny Rovers Ladies secured their place in the next round of the FAI Amateur Shield with a dramatic 4-3 victory over Raphoe Town in an epic encounter this evening.
Rovers made a dream start, opening the scoring within the first minute when Molly Page sliced through the Raphoe defence and finished clinically from close range. However, their lead was short-lived, as Raphoe were awarded a penalty moments later which Vanessa McHugh calmly converted.
The back-and-forth continued as Sarah Robinson restored Rovers’ advantage on 13 minutes, battling hard at the back post to fire home from a tight angle. But McHugh struck again—twice—to swing the momentum back in Raphoe’s favour, putting them 3-2 ahead.
Early in the second half, Aoibhlinn Randles launched a long ball forward that took a deflection off a Raphoe defender. Roisin Lynch reacted quickest, pouncing on the loose ball to loft a clever chip over the goalkeeper to level the tie.
Molly Page and Gemma McFadden brought relentless energy in the second half, pinning Raphoe back with constant pressure. In midfield, Erin Doherty and Katelyn Doherty were instrumental in cutting out long balls aimed at the Raphoe forwards.
With 20 minutes to play, Aoife Kelly fired Rovers back in front with a powerful strike to make it 4-3. Despite sustained pressure and the ever-dangerous McHugh threatening for Raphoe, the Rovers defence—anchored by Mia Devenney, Erin Duffy, and Emily Irwin—held firm.
It was a hard-fought and entertaining contest⚽️