Denny Division 2A 2013/14

Kerry District League
Sunday 1st June
Annascaul FC 0-2 Tralee Athletic

By Tommy Naughton .

Tralee Athletic ended Annascaul’s promotion bid on Sunday morning with a fantastic team performance. Annascaul had to win their last two league games to gain promotion but now this dream has gone until next season. In truth the score line in this game could have been an awful lot higher but for some fantastic goal keeping by both Mark Sheehy and Tommy Pierce.

With only four minutes on the clock Tralee Athletic nearly took the lead when Eoin Sugrue got on the end of a Daryl Byrne corner but his goal bound header hit the back of a team mate and bounced wide of the goal. Breandan Savage then tested Tommy Pierce with a powerful shot which was tipped over the bar.

A quarter of an hour gone and Annascaul had their first attempt when a long range free by Jason Hickson was saved by Mark Sheehy. Breandan Savage again tried his luck, this time when he turned sharply and hit a volley that Pierce again was alive to and tipped over the bar.

Annascaul”s best chance of the half came on twenty five minutes when a long kick out passed everyone and Jason Hickson ran on to the ball but Mark Sheehy saved with an out stretched hand at the expense of a corner. Joe Kinsella then was gifted a chance when the Annacaul defence miss judged a high ball but as he was about to shot he mis-timed his effort and was saved by Pierce again.

The final chance of the half fell again to Kinsella but this time his well struck curler just missed the far post with for once the keeper beaten.

Mark Sheehy produced the save of the game early in the second half when Jason Hickson let go from the edge of the box, the ball took a wicked deflection but Sheehy went full stretch to touch the ball around the bottom of the post.

Minutes later and Annascaul should have really taken the lead when Eamonn Hickson rolled the ball across the front of the box to the unmarked Jason Hickson but his effort was straight at Sheehy in the Athletic goal. Sheehy and Pierce were now keeping the game scoreless with save after save as neither seemed like they would be beaten easily. However with 25 minutes remaining the deadlock was broken. A long free from the half way line by Brian O’Sullivan was flicked to the back of the net by Joe Kinsella and giving Pierce no chance.

Gareth o Donnell was introduced by Annascaul and his free kick was again saved by Sheehy who needed his tall frame to touch the ball away from the top corner. Annascaul now began to throw everything forward in search of a vital goal but with twenty minutes remaining they were reduced to ten men when Jason Hickson received a second yellow card for dissent.

With this the life seemed to fade out of Annascaul and they game was over with six minutes remaining when Jason Quirke won possession in his own half and sent Colin Slattery away down the left wing , Slattery squared the ball to Savage and his shot beat Pierce but came back of the bottom of the far post to Slattery who continued his run and tapped home into an empty net.

With this result Na Fianna will no face Rattoo Rovers B team in the League decider at the expense of Annascaul.

Annascaul FC: Tommy Pierce , John Bowler, Noel Flahive, James Sayers, Jason Hickson, Sean o Shea , Declan Lindsay, Adam Newstead, Paul Whelehan, Eamonn Hickson , Shane Foley . Subs ; Gareth o Donnell for Lindsay (45 Mins) .

Tralee Athletic: Mark Sheehy, Eoin Sugrue, Brian o Sullivan , Daryl Byrne , Joe Kinsella , Jason Quirke, John Rael, Colin Slattery , John McGillycuddy, Breandan Savage, Liam Kissane .

Referee: Eddie O’Mahony .