Penalty agony for Rovers after eight goal thriller

Lisnaskea Rovers manager Darren Graham felt his side were made to pay for defensive mistakes as they made their exit from the IFA Junior Cup on Saturday following a thrilling encounter at Castle Park Park.
Coleraine and District side Dervock capitalised on a number of errors by Rovers to move into a 4-1 lead with only 15 minutes to go but Rovers showed the form that has them flying high in Division Two in the latter stages of the contest as they hit three goals to force the game into extra time.
With neither side able to find a winner, it was left to the dreaded penalties to decide the outcome and unfortunately for Rovers they came up just short as Dervock converted all five penalties while Lisnaskea missed one as the visitors sealed their progress.
“I’m gutted for the boys and I could not be prouder of them,” said Graham. “The response when we went 4-1 down was brilliant and it showed the great determination that there is within the group. Unfortunately, individual mistakes cost us in the game but as I’ve said before we win as a team and we lose as a team and it just wasn’t to be on Saturday. Obviously, we would love to have gone further in the competition but for us promotion to Division One is the main goal this year and that’s what we will be focussing on.”
It was the away side who were to take the lead after 15 minutes and it was a poor goal to give away from a Lisnaskea point of view as a weakly hit shot from the edge of the box somehow found its way past goalkeeper Adam Langan to the corner of the net.
And Rovers fell further behind soon after as a corner from the left was headed home to make it 2-0.
However, Rovers responded before half time with Johnny Reilly getting on the scoresheet. The Dervock goalkeeper made a good save from a Greg O’Donnell header but the ball fell to Reilly who tapped in to leave it 2-1 at the break.
The visitors though went on to restore their two goal lead as they punished a mistake at the back by Rovers. Sean Keenan was guilty of giving the ball away and the Dervock centre forward slotted past Langan for 3-1.
At the other end, Jason Flanagan was denied by a fine save from the away side’s goalkeeper but with 15 minutes to go it appeared to be game over as Niall Murphy was adjudged to have fouled in the box and the subsequent penalty was tucked away to put Dervock into a commanding 4-1 lead.
This though finally seemed to kick Rovers into action as they began to get the ball down and attack their opponents. They were given hope when Barry Flanagan headed home while Brian McDermott was just wide with a header from a Brian Davey cross from the right.
Langan kept Rovers hopes alive with a couple of good stops at the other end and when Jason Flanagan’s well struck shot was deflected to the net, Rovers sensed that the comeback was on.
And they were to send the game to extra time when Keenan’s inswinging corner from the right was turned into his own by a defender to leave it 4-4 at the end of an absorbing 90 minutes.
Langan made another cracking to stop the visitors retaking the lead while Rovers were close to sealing the victory themselves when Barry Flanagan’s header came back off the crossbar after the Dervock goalkeeper had saved from Brian McDermott.
With no winner in extra time though it was left to penalties to decide the outcome and both sides converted their first three kicks before Keenan fired over. With this the only miss of the shoot out it was Dervock who were to progress through to Round Four.