Denny Premier A League Final ; Dingle Bay Rovers 4-3 Killarney Celtic

Denny Premier A League Final
Friday 03rd June 2016
Dingle Bay Rovers 4-3 Killarney Celtic

Report and Pictures by Tommy Naughton. Images Copyright to KDL ,No usage without permission by any other website, Facebook or Twitter Pages.

Dingle Bay Rovers are the Denny Premier A League for the first time ever in their clubs history after they defeated Killarney Celtic in Mounthawk Park on Friday night. The game was played in front of a huge crowd and the atmosphere was probably one of the best ever seen at a Denny League final .

The game itself was not stop with the game played at a frantic pace . Dingle started the brightest of the two sides at it only took four minutes for the first shot in anger when Sean Fitzgerald’s long range effort seemed to have caught out Roy Kelliher in the Killarney Celtic goal but his shot just drifted over the bar. Wayne Sparling had Killarney Celtics first effort moments later when some hesitancy in the Dingle defence let him in but his effort was blocked by Donnacha Higgins. Moments later Roy Kelliher produced a reaction save to deny Sean Fitzgerald after he got on the end of a Joe Sheehy cross. Gary Keane then went close but his header was just off target from a Peter McCarthy cross as Killarney Celtic tried to hit Dingle on the counter attack.

On the twenty minute mark Joe Sheehy picked out Donnacha Higgins with a diagonal ball into the box after he had stayed up from a corner, Higgins header back across the face of the goal was head out for a corner by Brian Spillane who was under pressure form Sean Fitzgerald. From the resulting corner Joe Sheehy found the unmarked Donnacha Higgins at the back post whose powerful header found the roof of the net to give Dingle the lead. Killarney Celtic’s reaction was excellent as they began to get more on the ball from here on a minutes later they should have been level only for a world class save from Tomas Mac an tsaoir. Wayne Sparlings cross from the left wing picked out Peter McCarthy on the edge of the six yard box whose half volley seemed destined for the far corner but somehow the Mac an tsaoir at full stretch got a strong right hand to the ball to turn it around the far post.

Killarney Celtic created one last chance as the game enter the final minute of injury time when a long ball into the Dingle penalty area by Brendan Falvey was pounced upon by Stephen Hayes who snuck in between two defenders to head passed the keeper to send the sides in level at the break with all still to play for.

Killarney Celtic started the second half better than they did the first and were ahead with seven minutes of the restart when a Fergal O’Donoghue Corner was knocked goal wards by Wayne Sparling before being turned into his own net by a Dingle Bay Rovers defender. Dingle quickly reacted and changed their formation to 442 and were level once again three minutes later when Joe Sheehy split the defence with a wonder pass into the path of Sean Fitzgerald who showed great composer to slot the ball passed the advancing Roy Kelliher in the Killarney Celtic goal.

Dingle could have been back in front on the hour mark but once again Roy Kelliher denied Sean Fitzgerald from close range. Dingle were not looking to be the more dangerous side and with fifteen minutes remaining they took the lead again. Paul Devane’s Long ball from the back found the head of Sean O’Connor who knocked the ball into the path of Joe Sheehy and with one touch his diagonal ball picked out the run of Sean Fitzgerald in behind the Killarney Celtic defence were his volley flew passed the keeper to send the Dingle supporters wild.

Killarney Celtic now had to throw everything forward but as they did they were hit on the counter attack and Dingle found themselves in a three v one situation where Sean Fitzgerald squared to Shane Houlihan and he made no mistake with only the keeper to beat to give Dingle a two goal advantage with only minutes remaining.

Credit to Killarney Celtic they kept trying and Jamie Spillane pulled another goal back in the fourth minute of injury time but it was too late as the final whistle went from the restart and the celebrations could begin for the Dingle players , management and supporters.

Dingle Bay Rovers will now represent Kerry in the Munster Champions Trophy in September.

Dingle Bay Rovers; Tomas Mac an tsaoir, Jason Hickson, Paul Devane, Donnacha Higgins, Marc Sullivan, Colm Muircheartaigh, James Coffey, Joe Sheehy, Sean Fitzgerald, Sean O’Connor, Shane Houlihan.

Killarney Celtic, Roy Kelliher, David Hayes, Brendan Falvey, John McDonagh, Brian Spillane, Stephen Hayes, Fergal O’Donoghue, Matt Keane, Gary Keane, Peter McCarthy, Wayne Sparling. Subs; Joe Hurley for Gary Keane (79 mins), Stephen McCarthy for David Hayes (79 mins), Jamie Spillane for Brian Spillane (83 mins) .

Officials ,
Referee , Derek O’Shea
Assistants , Anthony Morrison, Eddie O’Mahoney .