Denny Premier B 2013/14

Kerry District League
Wednesday 14th May 2014
Athletico Ardfert 1-0 Castlegregory Celtic

By Tommy Naughton

Ardfert moved into third place after this result and are only a single place behind second placed Fenit Samphires with two games remaining and also have a game in hand after this vital win on Wednesday night. Castlegregory’s promotion ambitions are now over but in truth will wonder how they didn’t get something from this game after a great performance that only lacked the killer touch to put the ball home on the night.

The first chance of the game feel to the visitors when Brandon Hoare broke into the Ardfert box but the ball bounced away from him into the path of Ian Flynn whose first time shot was saved at full stretch by Nicky O’Sullivan.

It took twenty minutes for Ardfert to get their first shot of danger away when Martin Deady’s long range effort was wide of the target. Ian Flynn again came close after a strong run through the Ardfert defence but saw his shot flash across the face of the goal and go the wrong side of the far post.

The deadlock was broken on the half hour mark. Steven Power won the ball inside his own half before driving up field passing three players, as he approached the penalty area he laid the ball into the path of Mike Maloney who squared it across the box to the unmarked Cian Hussey who made no mistake form ten yards out.

Damien Finn set Gene Murphy moments later but his curling effort which seemed to have caught the keeper of his line just dipped over the crossbar. The final chance of the half fell to Cian Hussey but his effort was saved easily by Alan O’Donnell.

The second half saw Ardfert sitting back and trying to catch their opponents on the counter attack as Castlegregory threw everything forward in search of the vital equaliser. Nicky O’Sullivan saved well with his feet from Gene Murphy early in the half.

On the hour Cian Hussey saw his header from a Cian Dineen free saved again by O’Donnell. Moments later Gene Murphy’s defected shot wrong footed O’Sullivan but again it went outside the post this time for a corner. Castlegregory were now getting more and more of the ball and Owen McCarthy had to be brave to deny Colm O’Connor inside the penalty area after a nice one two with Maurice Slattery.

Ardfert introduced their new Brazilian singing Emmy and with his first touch brought the best out of Adam O’Donnell. Nicky O’Sullivan again showed it would take something special to beat him went he denied Brandon Hoare whose Curling Effort looked like it would find the top corner.

Ardfert should have doubled their lead with 15 minutes left when a quick counter attack involving Emmy, Stephen Horan and Mike Maloney saw Cian Hussey in on goal but his shot was wide of the target. Ten minutes to go and Hussey again had a chance to kill the game off after a long ball over the top by Mike Maloney sent Hussey in with only the keeper to beat. As he was about to pull the trigger inside the penalty area Conor Boden slid in from behind with a last ditch tackle and managed to flick the ball out for a corner.

From here to the final whistle it was all Castlegregory as Ardfert tried to soak up all the pressure that was thrown at them. Brandon Hoare was first to go close but saw his side foot volley go across the goal and wide. Conor Boden then saw his header from and Ian Flynn go wide of the target as time was running out for the away side to try get level.

The final chance of the came in the 90th minute when Shane Kenny sent a long free deep into the Ardfert penalty area which seemed to miss everyone and found its way to the back post where Ian Flynn found himself unmarked but leaned back as he connected with the ball and sae it fly over the bar and with it went Castlegregory’s last chance of getting anything from the game .

Athletico Ardfert: Nicky o Sullivan , Martin Deady, Cian Dineen , Steven Power, Mike Maloney , Pa Donoghue, Cian Hussey, Andy Valukonis, Stephen Horan , Joe Leen, Paudie o Sullivan . Subs, Owen McCarthy for Paudie o Sullivan ( 14 Mins), Emmy for Joe Leen (71 Mins) .

Castlegregory Celtic: Adam o Donnell, Shane Kenny, Damien McMahon, Conor Boden, Damien Finn, David o Connor, Enda Whelan, Ian Flynn, Brandon Hoare, Gene Murphy, Dillon Daniels . Subs, Maurice Slattery for Enda Whelan ( 61 Mins) , Colm o Connor for Gene Murphy ( 70 Mins), Christy Smith for David o Connor ( 82 Mins) .

Referee; Kevin Cunningham