Match Report: Garda AFC 1-3 Seaford Rock United
LSL Saturday Premier 1
Ravaged by injuries but possessing an abundance of fight, Seaford stuck it out through a difficult spell in the second half, battling back to claim all three points at Copper Face Jacks Park.
After a heavy defeat in the previous outing against the division's outstanding side, Woodhazel, Dunner's men could have been forgiven for licking their wounds, but started brightly in Westmanstown with some good combination play, largely flowing through the excellent central midfield pairing of Mike O'Neill and Ryan McEnroe, and they were rewarded with the opening goal on 12 minutes when MJ Tierney arced a splended 40 yard pass into the path of Francis Mulhall, who composed himself before lifting the ball over Anto Hutton and into the net.
However Garda levelled almost immediately, as dangerman Aiden Fogerty charged down a clearance and, when the ball broke kindly for him, curled a fine shot past Richie Sayers to make it 1-1.
Seaford largely made the running for the rest of the half, but the closest they cam were from long-range efforts by Tierney and O'Neill, whilst at the other end Darren Reynolds had a golden opportunity to put the guards in front when clean through on Sayers, but dragged his shot wide.
Only a desperate intervention from Matt O'Gorman saved the home side shortly after the break when O'Neill picked up another Tierney delivery in a very dangerous area, but as the second went on, the boys in blue took control of the game. Fogarty had a goal chalked off for offside, before Daniel Murray headed just over, and Sayers was called into action on a couple of other occasions.
But the game was decided by a moment of quality from O'Neill on 79 minutes. Tierney was again the architect down the left, his dangerous cross only partly cleared by the home defence, as Conan Murphy challenged for it, and as the ball broke to O'Neill 20 yards from goal, he produced a measured first time finish into the corner which gave Hutton no chance.
The guards poured forward seeking another equaliser but left gaps behind them. Tierney had a brilliant angled volley ruled out contentiously for offside, and saw another cross-shot flash across the six yard box with Murphy inches from converting. But the outcome was put beyond doubt in injury time as Tierney put Collie Barrett clean through on goal, and the Barman made light work of the finish, sitting Hutton down with a drop of the shoulder before walking the ball past him him and gleefully smashing it over the goalline.
Seaford: Richie Sayers, Eoin Mahon, David Mackey (Keith Newman, 69) Ian Nolan, Caomhin Fahy (Stephen Kelly, 70), Mike O'Neill, Ryan McEnroe (Fionn Lawlor, 81) Conan Murphy (Carl Doyle, 81), MJ Tierney, Francis Mulhall (Gavin Walsh, 43) Collie Barrett
Garda AFC: Anto Hutton, George Melody (Michael Ryan, 83), Paul Redican, Shane Flood, Matt O'Gorman, Mark Kavanagh (Odhran Fanning, 54), Paul Quinn, Jack McGovern, Aiden Fogarty, Daniel Murray, Darren Reynolds
Copper Face Jacks Park, 20 September 2019
After a heavy defeat in the previous outing against the division's outstanding side, Woodhazel, Dunner's men could have been forgiven for licking their wounds, but started brightly in Westmanstown with some good combination play, largely flowing through the excellent central midfield pairing of Mike O'Neill and Ryan McEnroe, and they were rewarded with the opening goal on 12 minutes when MJ Tierney arced a splended 40 yard pass into the path of Francis Mulhall, who composed himself before lifting the ball over Anto Hutton and into the net.
However Garda levelled almost immediately, as dangerman Aiden Fogerty charged down a clearance and, when the ball broke kindly for him, curled a fine shot past Richie Sayers to make it 1-1.
Seaford largely made the running for the rest of the half, but the closest they cam were from long-range efforts by Tierney and O'Neill, whilst at the other end Darren Reynolds had a golden opportunity to put the guards in front when clean through on Sayers, but dragged his shot wide.
Only a desperate intervention from Matt O'Gorman saved the home side shortly after the break when O'Neill picked up another Tierney delivery in a very dangerous area, but as the second went on, the boys in blue took control of the game. Fogarty had a goal chalked off for offside, before Daniel Murray headed just over, and Sayers was called into action on a couple of other occasions.
But the game was decided by a moment of quality from O'Neill on 79 minutes. Tierney was again the architect down the left, his dangerous cross only partly cleared by the home defence, as Conan Murphy challenged for it, and as the ball broke to O'Neill 20 yards from goal, he produced a measured first time finish into the corner which gave Hutton no chance.
The guards poured forward seeking another equaliser but left gaps behind them. Tierney had a brilliant angled volley ruled out contentiously for offside, and saw another cross-shot flash across the six yard box with Murphy inches from converting. But the outcome was put beyond doubt in injury time as Tierney put Collie Barrett clean through on goal, and the Barman made light work of the finish, sitting Hutton down with a drop of the shoulder before walking the ball past him him and gleefully smashing it over the goalline.
Seaford: Richie Sayers, Eoin Mahon, David Mackey (Keith Newman, 69) Ian Nolan, Caomhin Fahy (Stephen Kelly, 70), Mike O'Neill, Ryan McEnroe (Fionn Lawlor, 81) Conan Murphy (Carl Doyle, 81), MJ Tierney, Francis Mulhall (Gavin Walsh, 43) Collie Barrett
Garda AFC: Anto Hutton, George Melody (Michael Ryan, 83), Paul Redican, Shane Flood, Matt O'Gorman, Mark Kavanagh (Odhran Fanning, 54), Paul Quinn, Jack McGovern, Aiden Fogarty, Daniel Murray, Darren Reynolds
Copper Face Jacks Park, 20 September 2019