Match Report: Seaford Rock United 2-2 Clontarf
LSL Sat Major 1B
An injury time equaliser rescued a point for Seaford in an entertaining clash in Drumcondra.
The two sides had developed a healthy rivalry over the course of the previous two years and it was clear from the outset that the tie would be determined by small margins. Inside the first 15 minutes, a loose pass in the Seaford backline was punished ruthlessly by Ciaran Dorney, as ones of the most lethal strikers in junior soccer picked out the top corner from 20 yards with a stunning curling shot.
The visitors were inches from an immediate equaliser, as Conor Tobin found Tyrone McNelis with a superb drilled pass, but the rapid forward fired just wide of the far post.]
It was a nervy start from Seaford, whose keeper Luke Ginnell, making his first team debut, was called into action on 27 minutes, sprinting from his box to head the ball away from an onrushing striker, only to be disposssed by Dorney, who teed up up Stephen Patten, but the winger failed to fined the back of the unguarded net.
And second later the blues were level. Paul Lydon, switched to a central midfeild role, lobbed a brilliant through-ball to McNelis, who sped past Tarf keeper Eoin Smartt before slotting home.
At the start of the second half, Smart denied Seaford with a stunning save, as Tobin met Fionn Lawlor's free kick with a bullet header, but It was always Dorney who looked most likely to add to the scoring. He fired inches wide after being put clear by Padriac Galvin's hooked ball over the top, before his cross just eluded Craig Bauer, and only a brilliant last-ditch header from Andy Roe prevented him from nodding in Jay Hester's cross.
But he wasn't to be denied on 69 minutes. There was an element of fortune about the build up, as Paul Tansey's interception spun into his path inside the box, but there was nothing lucky about the finish as Dorney spun and smashed the ball low into the corner of Ginnell's net.
Now Seaford poured forward, dominating possession and territory, but they were held at bay by a strong Clontarf defence marshalled by captain David Vos.
With fifteen to play, there was an incredible moment as Smartt dropped a cross right at the feet of Roe, who had to react instinctively and could only prod the ball, somehow, over the bar from no more than a couple of feet out. It seemed as if the visitors' race was run, but in the first minute of stoppage time, Fionn Geoghegan whipped a vicious corner into the near post, where it was met by Mike O'Neill's glancing header, the final touch coming off Clontarf's Dave Flynn to make it 2-2.
A second consecutive draw represents a frustrating start to the season for Seaford, who have played some excellent football in both matches but struggled to sustain a consistent performance for 90 minutes.
Seaford: Luke Ginnell, David Higgins, Fionn Lawlor, Fionn Geoghegan, Andy Roe, Mike O'Neill, Paul Lydon (Gavin Stakelum, 86), Paul Tansey (Coly McCarron, 86), Ryan Scollard (Matt Tappin, 73), Conor Tobin (Darragh Connolly, 58) Tyrone McNelis, Goals: McNelis (27), O'Neill (90 + 1)
Clontarf: Eoin Smartt, Adam Reilly (Padraic Galvin, 40), Sam Kelly, Luke Brown, David Vos, Brian Kelly (Matthew Keenan, 22), Craig Bauer (Robbie Byrne, 78), Dave Flynn, Ciaran Dorney, Jay Hester (Ben Carpenter, 73), Stephen Patten. Goals: Dorney (15, 69)
Stella Maris, 26 August 2017
The two sides had developed a healthy rivalry over the course of the previous two years and it was clear from the outset that the tie would be determined by small margins. Inside the first 15 minutes, a loose pass in the Seaford backline was punished ruthlessly by Ciaran Dorney, as ones of the most lethal strikers in junior soccer picked out the top corner from 20 yards with a stunning curling shot.
The visitors were inches from an immediate equaliser, as Conor Tobin found Tyrone McNelis with a superb drilled pass, but the rapid forward fired just wide of the far post.]
It was a nervy start from Seaford, whose keeper Luke Ginnell, making his first team debut, was called into action on 27 minutes, sprinting from his box to head the ball away from an onrushing striker, only to be disposssed by Dorney, who teed up up Stephen Patten, but the winger failed to fined the back of the unguarded net.
And second later the blues were level. Paul Lydon, switched to a central midfeild role, lobbed a brilliant through-ball to McNelis, who sped past Tarf keeper Eoin Smartt before slotting home.
At the start of the second half, Smart denied Seaford with a stunning save, as Tobin met Fionn Lawlor's free kick with a bullet header, but It was always Dorney who looked most likely to add to the scoring. He fired inches wide after being put clear by Padriac Galvin's hooked ball over the top, before his cross just eluded Craig Bauer, and only a brilliant last-ditch header from Andy Roe prevented him from nodding in Jay Hester's cross.
But he wasn't to be denied on 69 minutes. There was an element of fortune about the build up, as Paul Tansey's interception spun into his path inside the box, but there was nothing lucky about the finish as Dorney spun and smashed the ball low into the corner of Ginnell's net.
Now Seaford poured forward, dominating possession and territory, but they were held at bay by a strong Clontarf defence marshalled by captain David Vos.
With fifteen to play, there was an incredible moment as Smartt dropped a cross right at the feet of Roe, who had to react instinctively and could only prod the ball, somehow, over the bar from no more than a couple of feet out. It seemed as if the visitors' race was run, but in the first minute of stoppage time, Fionn Geoghegan whipped a vicious corner into the near post, where it was met by Mike O'Neill's glancing header, the final touch coming off Clontarf's Dave Flynn to make it 2-2.
A second consecutive draw represents a frustrating start to the season for Seaford, who have played some excellent football in both matches but struggled to sustain a consistent performance for 90 minutes.
Seaford: Luke Ginnell, David Higgins, Fionn Lawlor, Fionn Geoghegan, Andy Roe, Mike O'Neill, Paul Lydon (Gavin Stakelum, 86), Paul Tansey (Coly McCarron, 86), Ryan Scollard (Matt Tappin, 73), Conor Tobin (Darragh Connolly, 58) Tyrone McNelis, Goals: McNelis (27), O'Neill (90 + 1)
Clontarf: Eoin Smartt, Adam Reilly (Padraic Galvin, 40), Sam Kelly, Luke Brown, David Vos, Brian Kelly (Matthew Keenan, 22), Craig Bauer (Robbie Byrne, 78), Dave Flynn, Ciaran Dorney, Jay Hester (Ben Carpenter, 73), Stephen Patten. Goals: Dorney (15, 69)
Stella Maris, 26 August 2017