Match Report: Seaford Rock United 3-2 Greenhills Greenpark FC
LSL Sat Major 1c
Seaford plundered the scrappiest of wins against Greenhills Greenpark, securing the three points courtesy of Darragh Connolly's injury time winner, following a dire second half display during which the Major 1C relegation battlers somehow fought back from two down to almost nick an unlikely draw.
It was a third match in just five days for the navy blues, but there was no sign of what was to follow during a first half which the home side dominated effortlessly. The only surprise was that it took as long ten minutes to break the deadlock, when Collie Dolan laid in strike partner Tony Bennett, whose initial shot was blocked by Paul Lyons, only for it to rebound off Bennett's shin and bounce into the net, After a sixteen match barren spell to start his Seaford career, they all count....
Happily, Bennett didn't have to wait as long for his second goal for the club, producing a deft finish from 16 yards after Dolan's sensational burst down the right wing.
Seaford continued to enjoy the lion's share of possession after the half time break, but were beset by sloppiness and lapses in concentration defensively. Greenhills were handed a lifeline on 58 minutes when they were awarded a bizarre penalty. Paddy Costello and Fergus Brady tumbled to the ground after a Greenhills set piece into the box, and as they wrestled on the floor the referee somehow called an offence against Costello and - amidst utter confusion as to what decision had been made - pointed to the spot, with Stephen Boylan converting.
Boylan ought to have levelled for the visitors when he fluffed a simple header from no more than six yards, but it was as nothing compared with the sitter Seaford missed on 73 minutes. Punishing a heavy touch by a Greenhills defender, Seaford broke down their right, with four attackers against just two defenders. Bennett found substitute Paul Lydon, who selflessly squared the ball to winger Connolly who set himself on his favoured left foot before blazing the ball into the Blackrock sunset.
And it seemed as though the miss would prove costly when, with ten minutes to play, Mark Jones hooked the ball past Dylan O'Reily to make it 2-2.
But as the clock ticked past ninety minutes, Seaford nicked the win, when Connolly took the chance to redeem himself by bundling the ball past Lyons from close range after Bennett's clever assist. It couldn't mask another bleak performance by the home side, but not for the first time this season, just as when the sides met in Tallaght earlier in the season, Seaford got more than they deserved by snatching a 3-2 win..
Seaford: Dylan O'Reilly, Steve Kane (John Bannon, 81), Jim Nolan, Caoimhin Fahy ; Paddy Costello; Mike O'Neill, Tommy Crichlow (Adam Finnegan, 81), James O'Neill (Paul Lydon, 46), Darragh Connolly, Collie Dolan, Tony Bennett. Goals: T Bennett (10, 35) D Connolly (90 +1)
Greenhills Greenpark FC::Paul Lyons, Eddie Healy, Bob Nkono, Derek Tippons, Fergus Brady, Stephen Grey, Daragh Haybyrne, Eoin Cahill, Stephen Boylan, Mark Jones, Charlie Murray. Goals: Boylan (pen 58), Murray (80)
Rockfield Park, 25 April 2016
It was a third match in just five days for the navy blues, but there was no sign of what was to follow during a first half which the home side dominated effortlessly. The only surprise was that it took as long ten minutes to break the deadlock, when Collie Dolan laid in strike partner Tony Bennett, whose initial shot was blocked by Paul Lyons, only for it to rebound off Bennett's shin and bounce into the net, After a sixteen match barren spell to start his Seaford career, they all count....
Happily, Bennett didn't have to wait as long for his second goal for the club, producing a deft finish from 16 yards after Dolan's sensational burst down the right wing.
Seaford continued to enjoy the lion's share of possession after the half time break, but were beset by sloppiness and lapses in concentration defensively. Greenhills were handed a lifeline on 58 minutes when they were awarded a bizarre penalty. Paddy Costello and Fergus Brady tumbled to the ground after a Greenhills set piece into the box, and as they wrestled on the floor the referee somehow called an offence against Costello and - amidst utter confusion as to what decision had been made - pointed to the spot, with Stephen Boylan converting.
Boylan ought to have levelled for the visitors when he fluffed a simple header from no more than six yards, but it was as nothing compared with the sitter Seaford missed on 73 minutes. Punishing a heavy touch by a Greenhills defender, Seaford broke down their right, with four attackers against just two defenders. Bennett found substitute Paul Lydon, who selflessly squared the ball to winger Connolly who set himself on his favoured left foot before blazing the ball into the Blackrock sunset.
And it seemed as though the miss would prove costly when, with ten minutes to play, Mark Jones hooked the ball past Dylan O'Reily to make it 2-2.
But as the clock ticked past ninety minutes, Seaford nicked the win, when Connolly took the chance to redeem himself by bundling the ball past Lyons from close range after Bennett's clever assist. It couldn't mask another bleak performance by the home side, but not for the first time this season, just as when the sides met in Tallaght earlier in the season, Seaford got more than they deserved by snatching a 3-2 win..
Seaford: Dylan O'Reilly, Steve Kane (John Bannon, 81), Jim Nolan, Caoimhin Fahy ; Paddy Costello; Mike O'Neill, Tommy Crichlow (Adam Finnegan, 81), James O'Neill (Paul Lydon, 46), Darragh Connolly, Collie Dolan, Tony Bennett. Goals: T Bennett (10, 35) D Connolly (90 +1)
Greenhills Greenpark FC::Paul Lyons, Eddie Healy, Bob Nkono, Derek Tippons, Fergus Brady, Stephen Grey, Daragh Haybyrne, Eoin Cahill, Stephen Boylan, Mark Jones, Charlie Murray. Goals: Boylan (pen 58), Murray (80)
Rockfield Park, 25 April 2016