DENNY DIVISON 2A

Denny Division 2A
Friday March 07th , 2015
Tralee Celtic 3-1 Sporting Listowel

By Tommy Naughton

This win secures promotion and a place in this seasons league final for Tralee Celtic . However for the opening 45 minutes Sporting Listowel look like the side who were still unbeaten as they totally controlled the first half and could have been out of sight if they had taken their chances .

Within two minutes of the kick off Sporting could have taken the lead . A long ball from the back by Con Mulvihill was misjudged by James o Mahony and let Cormac Mulvihill through on goal , Cormac squared to Evan Galvin whose first time effort was somehow touched around the post by Gary Moriarty in the Tralee Celtic goal . Minutes later Moriarty had to be alive to get fingertips to a Cormac Mulvihill free kick . Tralee Celtic couldn’t get their normal pass and move game going as Sporting were pressing high and one they had the ball they took no time in getting in forward to the danger men who were causing loads of problems .

Tralee Celtic came close to breaking the deadlock when a ball over the top by Fiachra Dunne was headed clear by Sporting Listowel’s keeper Chris Mason out side his area but Fergal Moynihan’s volley from distance was wide of the empty goal . Sporting finally took the lead just after the fifteen minute mark . Ed Stack intercepted a ball from the back on the half way line , he picked out the run of Cormac Mulvihill who dribbled into the box where at the second attempt he drilled the ball with the outside of his right boot into the far bottom corner .

Tralee Celtics first shot on target came after eighteen minutes when Fiachra Dunne supplied Steven Moriarty but his effort was saved easily at the near post by Chris Mason . Sporting nearly doubled their lead with ten minutes left in the half from a David Keane corner Evan Galvin fired wide in a crowded penalty area . The final chance of the half feel to Tralee Celtic after a mix up in the Sporting defence Jordan Murphy crossed to Stephen o Sullivan but his header was wide of the near post .

Tralee Celtic came out in the second half a different side after some harsh words of truth from manager Gary Moriarty during the break and it didn’t take long before they were level . A Gary o Connor free kick from the edge of the box was curled over the bar and the referee pointed for a corner much to the annoyance of the sporting players . From the resulting corner Fergal Moynihan forded the ball home over the line to level the game . Tralee Celtic nearly grabbed the lead moments later when Jordan Murphy found himself through with only the keeper to beat but his shot from the edge of the box was straight at the keeper .

Sporting were now beginning to tire after their efforts of the first half and Fergal Moynihan came close to getting his second when he rounded the keeper but fired over the bar from a very tight angle . Tralee Celtic finally took the lead with only eight minutes remaining and again it was from a corner . Fiachra Dunne swung the ball to the back post to the unmarked Derek o Connor who headed back to Aidan o Sullivan and he made no mistake to find the back of the net . Sporting now had to throw caution to the wind in the final minutes and were caught out wth four minutes remaining after Jordan Murphy played Jamie Blake through the Sporting Offside trap on the half way line , Blake rounde dthe advancing keeper to finished into an empty net to secure the win and promotion for the Tralee side .

Sporting will be wondering how they lost this game with the effort and chances they had in the opening forty five minutes but still have a chance top gain promotion but will need to win their remaining five games .

Tralee Celtic ; Gary Moriarty , Michael Prendiville , Derek o Connor , James o Mahony, Gary o Connor , Steven Moriarty , Aidan o Sullivan , Stephen o Sullivan , Fiachra Dunne , Jordan Murphy , Fergal Moynihan . Subs , Jamie Blake for Moynihan ( 69 mins ) , Barry Leahy for Prendiville ( 87 mins ) .

Sporting Listowel ; Chris Mason , Con Mulvihill , Mikey Canavan , Matt Brannan , Brian Leahy , Jason Galvin , David Keane , Tom Mason , Evan Galvin , Cormac Mulvihill , Ed Stack . Subs , Chris Lyons for Tom Mason ( 70 mins ) , Pa Hollly for Jason Galvin ( 89 mins ) , Kieran Foley for David Keane ( 89 mins ) .

Referee ; Adrian o Shea .