U17 Airtricity League Southern Elite Division: Kerry 1-4 Shamrock Rovers

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

Shamrock Rovers travelled to Mounthawk Park on Sunday and took all three points back home to Dublin with them but they were made to work very hard for this victory .

The opening exchanges were very even with Brian Lonergan denying Dean Dillon with Shamrock Rovers first attempt while at the other end Thando Dube’s strike was just over the crossbar.

The visitors took the lead after fifteen minutes when a shame stokes free kick from the corner of the penalty area deflected of the Kerry  wall and found its way into the far bottom corner . Kerry reaction to going behind was excellent and Darren Loughnane went close only to see his well struck effort saved by Ben Murray .

Kerry continued to press and were rewarded with an equaliser on the 25 minute mark. Dylan O’Sullivan played a defence splitting pass into the path of Dillon Robinson whose left footed strike flew across the advancing keeping into the far corner for a fantastic finish .

Kerry were now beginning to get more of the ball and Conor Standen wasn’t far off the target with a free kick on the half hour mark . At the other end Brian Lonergan was out quickly to deny Dean Dillon with his feet.

Just before the half time break Shamrock Rovers retook the lead when Shane Stokes slipped Dean Dillon in behind the Kerry defence and he made no mistake finding the bottom corner to give the visitors the lead at the break.

Sadly for Kerry the second half got off to the worst start when Shamrock Rovers doubled their lead within two minutes of the restart when Harry Cornally fired an unstoppable shot from 30 yards out in to the top corner giving Brian Lonergan no chance .

Things got worse for Kerry seven minutes later when Adam Doyle was taken down in the box and Dean Dillon made no mistake scoring his second from the penalty spot .

Both sides used the remainder of the game to empty their substitute bench and Kerry had the better chances late in the game . Dillon Robinson set up Martin Coughlin whose shot was blocked by Declan Watters as it headed goal wards. The final chance of the game came from a Conor Standen free kick that found the head of Dillon Robinson but his header was somehow stopped by Carl Casey in the Shamrock Rovers goal .

Kerry will have a break next weekend before travelling away to face Mervue United on Saturday May 7th .

Kerry ; Brian Lonergan , Gearoid Dillane, David O’Connor , Sean Carmody, Conor Standen, Darren Loughnane, Martin Coughlin, Thando Dube, Dillon Robinson, Dylan O’Sullivan, Kevin Williams. Subs  Thomas Burke for Dillane 62 mins, Blake Bolster for O’Sullivan 72 mins , Dylan Fitzgerald for O’Connor 79mins .

Shamrock Rovers  ; Ben Murray , Calvin Rodgers , Declan Watters, Cian Collins, Luke Kiely, Harry Cornally, Dean Dillon, Richard English, Shane Stokes, Adam Doyle , Alex Kealy. Subs Emmanuel Lawal for Kiely 55mins, Jason Byrne for Kealy 65mins, Carl Casey for Murray 72 mins, Mike Nzingo for Rodgers 79mins .