Match Report: Mount Merrion 0-2 Seaford Rock United
LSL Sat Major 1C
Seaford eased to a comfortable 2-0 away win in Marlay Park to maintain their strong start to the season, courtesy of well taken strikes from experienced wingers Stephen Faherty and Dave Devaney.
It required a patient display from the navy blues against a Mount Merrion side who rarely threatened in attack but put up a spirited defensive performance.
The visitors got on the front foot from the outset, with mercurial playmaker Rory O'Huiginn influential in the early stages. On 12 minutes, O'Huiginn broke down the left side and squared the ball to left back Jim Nolan, who blazed his shot over the part from no more than ten yards with the goal at his mercy.
Moments later, Devaney cut onto his left foot, and his deflected shot would have dropped into the top corner but for a superb save by Neil Howarth.
Seaford went even closer just after the halfway mark in the half, as Faherty's cross eluded Paul Lydon and O'Huiginn, and the entire Mount Merrion defence, only for Sam Browne to somehow prevent the ball from crossing the goalline, as ref Mick Dolan ignored the Seaford pleas for a goal.
Howarth made a sensational reflex save late in the half to deny Faherty's powerful backpost header from Devaney's deep cross, shortly before Mount Merrion's only shot on target in the match fell to Eoin Mahon, whose volley from the edge of the box was comfortably dealt with by Eoin English.
Mount Merrion started the second half strongly but it was Seaford who went millimetres from opening the scoring when O'Huiginn cut in from the left side and struck a low shot against the far post. The ball rolled across agonisingly across the goal-line but somehow stayed out.
But the pressure eventually told on 55 minutes, and yet again it was Faherty who opened the scoring. Skipper Mike O'Neill prodded the ball through to the Galway man, who fired a low finish across Howarth and into the corner.
The visitors managed the second half well and rarely looked in danger, but a second goal was needed to make the victory as comfortable as the balance of play had suggested, and it eventually arrived with eight minutes to play, as Paul Lydon swivelled on the edge of the box, eluding Ceelan Simon, before laying in Devaney who smashed home a left-foot finish.
John Bannon almost added a third, volleying just wide from fellow substitute Tony Bennett's square ball, before Bannon played a clever nutmeg pass to give Nolan a golden opportunity to break his duck for the first team, but the young defender fired against the post.
12 points from four league games now, an excellent effort given the large number of first teamers who have been unavailable for various reasons, and Seaford can now consider themselves serious challengers for the Major 1C title..
Seaford: E English; C Fahy, J Nolan, J Power, P Costello; A Finnegan, R O'Huiginn, M O'Neill (c); S Faherty (M Cullen, 86), D Devaney (J Bannon, 86); P Lydon (T Bennett, 83). Goals: S Faherty (55), D Devaney (82)
Mount Merrion: N Howarth, E Mahon, C Tighe, C Simon, S Browne, C O'Reilly (J O'Sullivan, 67) (C Acquah, 86), C Casey, C Power, S Stewart (D Walsh, 58), A O'Neill, M Hall;
College Road, Rathfarnham - 17 October 2015
It required a patient display from the navy blues against a Mount Merrion side who rarely threatened in attack but put up a spirited defensive performance.
The visitors got on the front foot from the outset, with mercurial playmaker Rory O'Huiginn influential in the early stages. On 12 minutes, O'Huiginn broke down the left side and squared the ball to left back Jim Nolan, who blazed his shot over the part from no more than ten yards with the goal at his mercy.
Moments later, Devaney cut onto his left foot, and his deflected shot would have dropped into the top corner but for a superb save by Neil Howarth.
Seaford went even closer just after the halfway mark in the half, as Faherty's cross eluded Paul Lydon and O'Huiginn, and the entire Mount Merrion defence, only for Sam Browne to somehow prevent the ball from crossing the goalline, as ref Mick Dolan ignored the Seaford pleas for a goal.
Howarth made a sensational reflex save late in the half to deny Faherty's powerful backpost header from Devaney's deep cross, shortly before Mount Merrion's only shot on target in the match fell to Eoin Mahon, whose volley from the edge of the box was comfortably dealt with by Eoin English.
Mount Merrion started the second half strongly but it was Seaford who went millimetres from opening the scoring when O'Huiginn cut in from the left side and struck a low shot against the far post. The ball rolled across agonisingly across the goal-line but somehow stayed out.
But the pressure eventually told on 55 minutes, and yet again it was Faherty who opened the scoring. Skipper Mike O'Neill prodded the ball through to the Galway man, who fired a low finish across Howarth and into the corner.
The visitors managed the second half well and rarely looked in danger, but a second goal was needed to make the victory as comfortable as the balance of play had suggested, and it eventually arrived with eight minutes to play, as Paul Lydon swivelled on the edge of the box, eluding Ceelan Simon, before laying in Devaney who smashed home a left-foot finish.
John Bannon almost added a third, volleying just wide from fellow substitute Tony Bennett's square ball, before Bannon played a clever nutmeg pass to give Nolan a golden opportunity to break his duck for the first team, but the young defender fired against the post.
12 points from four league games now, an excellent effort given the large number of first teamers who have been unavailable for various reasons, and Seaford can now consider themselves serious challengers for the Major 1C title..
Seaford: E English; C Fahy, J Nolan, J Power, P Costello; A Finnegan, R O'Huiginn, M O'Neill (c); S Faherty (M Cullen, 86), D Devaney (J Bannon, 86); P Lydon (T Bennett, 83). Goals: S Faherty (55), D Devaney (82)
Mount Merrion: N Howarth, E Mahon, C Tighe, C Simon, S Browne, C O'Reilly (J O'Sullivan, 67) (C Acquah, 86), C Casey, C Power, S Stewart (D Walsh, 58), A O'Neill, M Hall;
College Road, Rathfarnham - 17 October 2015