Denny Premier A 2013/14

Kerry District League
Thursday 17th April 2014
Dingle Bay Rovers 0-2 St Brendans Park

By Tommy Naughton

St Brendans Park are now right in the title race after picking up a huge three points in Mounthawk Park against Dingle Bay Rovers. St Brendans are now joint second with Castleisland with both sides having five games each left and must still play each other once more this season.

Dingle still with an out side chance on making the league final face Castleisland on Sunday in what will be a huge game for both sides. The Park will be delighted with this win as it was in the balance right up to the last kick of the game.

The opening chance of the match fell to the Park after Mike Conway sent David Courtney in along the side of the box, Courtney quickly back healed the ball into the path of Fergal Maunsel whose first time shot was saved well by Tomas Sayers. Sayers had to be alive again a minute later when he had to save from David Courtney.

Dingle’s first chance came when Seamus Begley played a through ball to Sean O’Connor but Sean Foley was alive to the danger and covered well when the rest of the defence were caught flat footed.

Joe Sheehy picked out Tony Lawless with a fantastic cross field pass before Lawless cut inside but his shot was saved by Jamie Kelly who gathered at the second attempt.

The pace of the game was frantic and neither side were giving their opponents a second to rest on the ball. Just before the half hour mark Sean O’Connor fired wide after some good pressure put on the Park defence while trying to play out from the back. A minute later the Park took the lead. Mark O’Sullivan sent a long diagonal ball towards the penalty area, David Courtney played the ball into his own path with his first touch and with his next he found the bottom corner leaving the keeper with no chance.

Dingle nearly got level straight away from a Joe Sheehy free kick which was floated into the box, Donnacha Higgins rose highest to head back across the box where the ball fell to Aiden Fitzgerald who saw his shot tipped over by Kelly. The final chance of the half saw Antony Murphy nearly doubling the Park’s lead but his header flash wide of the near post.

The second half didn’t have a much goal mouth action but still had both sides chasing down every ball and keeping the great flowing at a great pace. Patrick Neylon played Joe Sheehy down the right wing early in the half but his low cross was held by Kelly. A beautiful passing move by the Park involving O’Sullivan, Maunsell and Conway saw Conway shooting wide from a tight angle.

Mark o Sullivan was next to try his luck but after being teed up by David Courtney his shot flashed across the face of the goal and wide. Tomas Sayers made another save from Fergal Maunsel on the hour mark as the Park tried to get the vital second goal.

Just after the hour mark both sides made substitutions as players began to tire. With three minutes remaining Dingle had their best chance of getting level. A long free from the half way line saw the ball break inside the penalty area and was a bit like a ping pong ball bouncing from player to player and after two players had missed a chance to put the ball home it rolled to Sean O’Connor whose shot from six yards was somehow deflected wide of the post for a corner.

The game was finally settled in the 93rd minute with the final kick of the game. Park broke quickly and Pa McCarthy sent Graham O’Leary away down the left wing, O’Leary rolled the ball across the box to Fergal Maunsell who made no mistake when faced with just the keeper to beat.

Dingle Bay Rovers: Tomas Sayers, Patrick Neylon, Donnacha Higgins , Colm Moriarty, James Coffey, Tony Lawless, Sean o Connor, Aiden Fitzgerald, Joe Sheehy, Declan Sullivan, Seamus Begley . Subs , Luke Burges for Aiden Fitzgerald (45 mins), Colm Begley for Seamus Begley (73 mins) .

St Brendans Park: Jamie Kelly, Fiachra Dunne, Con Barrett, David McLoughlin , Sean Foley, Mike Conway, Mark o Sullivan, David Rogers, Fergal Maunsell, David Courtney, Antony Murphy . Subs , Pa McCarthy for Mike Conway (67 mins), Graham o Leary for Antony Murphy (81 mins), Shane Brosnan for David Courtney (89 mins) .