Match Report: Mount Merrion 4-2 Seaford

LSL Saturday Major 1C
Oatlands College

Seaford fought back bravely against a talented Mount Merrion side, but didn't quite have enough to earn anything in torrid conditions at Oatlands.

The game had echoes of the Penguins' previouis outing, when they came from behind to see off higher-ranked opponents in Ballyoulster, but this time Baz Kirwan's men had given themselves too much to do

That said, it was  bright opening from the visitors, who had the first three efforts on target, including a fine low shot by talisman Jack Keegan which forced Matthew Treanor into an excellent stop. Jamie McCaul also tested Treanor, before Danny Walsh headed just off target from a Fionn Geoghegan delivery.

But iwas Merrion who took the lead though striker Eoin Kiernan, who slickly evaded a couple of  Seaford defenders before slotting home, and the hosts added a second when Cono O'Buachalla's left-footed shot looped into the top corner.

It looked like game over when Luca Ryan pounced on a defensive error to make it 3-0, but Seaford showed their mettle to fight back.

First, Keegan beat the offside trap to collect an Aaron Clarke ball and convert, before substitute Eoin O'Farrell bagged his first Seaford goal, slotting low into the corner from a Greg Hughes cut-back

Just as the Penguins has Merrion on the ropes, though, Daniel Drimba restored the two-goal advantage from close range, as Seaford's efforts were hampered by injuries to key players. Hughes and Mario Rodriguez each had  good chances to make things interesting in the closing stages, but it ended in another defeat, even if there were far more positives to take for Kirwan looking ahead to the season's remaining matches.

Seafprd:  Fionn McLoughlin (Oisin Geoghegan, 76), Rory Carberry, Aaron Clarke (Mario Rodriguez, 76) Fionn Geoghegan (Desmond Eiffe, 76), Al Kennedy, Daniel Mac Dermott (Thomas Murphy, h/t) Jack Keegan, Niall Holleran Greg Hughes, Jamie McCaul, Danny Walsh (Eoin O'Farrell, 61)

Mount Merrion: 1 Matthew Treanor, 2 Jame O Brien, 3 Liam Norton, 4 Rory Condron, 5 Conn Lucey, 6 Conor O’Buachalla, 7 Ryan McCarthy, 8 Adam O’Toole, 9 Eoin Kiernan, 10 Sean Millar, 11 Luca Ryan