Match Report: Phoenix 0-3 Seaford Rock United
LSL Sat Major 1B
Seaford's first team finished up for 2016 with a win, a clean sheet and a brilliant attacking performance to rout Phoenix 3-0 in frosty conditions in Scribblestown.
It was arguably the most complete Seaford display in several difficult years, combining defensive solidity, aggressive midfield pressing and scintillating combination play in attack, and in truth the visitors' winning margin ought to have been double what it was in the end.
The pattern of the game was set inside the first ten minutes, with Darragh Connolly excelling in the hole behind Harry Crowe, setting his strike partner up inside three minutes, and then James O'Neill moments later, but both strikes were comfortabky saved by Phoenix stopper Philip Doherty.
But Seaford weren't to be denied for long. On 8 minutes, Fionn Geoghegan threaded a terrific pass into Crowe's feet, and the lanky striker bore in on goal and coolly slotted it past Doherty.
The visitors ahd a golden chance to double their lead when from Connolly's corner, Alan Brennan was fouled in the box, but Connolly drove his penalty straight at Doherty, who parried over.
Phoenix deployed a high defensive line that seemed the height of recklessness given their hefty defenders and Seaford's dynamic strikeforce, and only a a string off tight offsides kept Seaford from pulling ahead as the half went on. But it was 2-0 in the dying minutes, as Donal Howley made a fine burst to square for Connolly, whose shot was brilliantly saved by Doherty, only for Crowe to smash home the rebound.
If Seaford had been steady and dominant in the opening period, they eased through the gears in the second. The midfield pairing of Theo Cullinane and Piers Shelton combined brilliantly to snap possession back just after the break, and from Shelton's pass Crowe rounded Doherty to complete his hat-trick and bag his seventeenth of the season.
From then on it was a question of how many as Seaford broke forward at will. Connolly may have been the game's outstanding player, but he is more adept at creating chances than finishing them. He was guilty of an extraordinary miss on 54 minutes, missing his kick from beneath the crossbar's shadow after Crowe had put it on his plate, and ten minutes later he snatched the ball off Ciaran Cronin and bore in on Doherty, only to shank the ball wide. By the time he rattled the crossbar with a superb angled strike with twelve to play, it was clear it wasn't going to be his day.
In between, Oisin Geoghegan had made his only save of the day, getting down well to keep out Alan Murray's low strike, but it always looked like the blues who would add to their tally, with Crowe wasting a great chance for his fourth in the dying moments after being put through by Paidi O'Fatharta.
It was a fourth league win out of five for the firsts under the management of Stgephen Faherty, ensuring they go into 2017 comfortably in mid-table having averted their relegation concerns.
Seaford: Oisin Geoghegan, Fionn Geoghegan, Paul Tansey, Fionn Lawlor, Alan Brennan; Theo Cullinane (Stephen Kelly, 60), Piers Shelton; Darragh Connolly, Donal Howley (Steve Kane, 64), James O'Neill (Paidi O'Fatharta, 70); Harry Crowe. Goals: Crowe (8, 43, 48)
Phoenix: Philip Doherty, Tiernan Clerkin (Owen Sweeney, h/t), Eoin Brennan (Fiachra Burke, 80), Adam Murtagh, Dylan Brophy, Ed Dempsey (Glen Lynch, 52), Mark Corry, Alan Murray, Shane Darcy, Ciaran Cronin, Sean Sweeney
Scribblestown, 2 December 2016
It was arguably the most complete Seaford display in several difficult years, combining defensive solidity, aggressive midfield pressing and scintillating combination play in attack, and in truth the visitors' winning margin ought to have been double what it was in the end.
The pattern of the game was set inside the first ten minutes, with Darragh Connolly excelling in the hole behind Harry Crowe, setting his strike partner up inside three minutes, and then James O'Neill moments later, but both strikes were comfortabky saved by Phoenix stopper Philip Doherty.
But Seaford weren't to be denied for long. On 8 minutes, Fionn Geoghegan threaded a terrific pass into Crowe's feet, and the lanky striker bore in on goal and coolly slotted it past Doherty.
The visitors ahd a golden chance to double their lead when from Connolly's corner, Alan Brennan was fouled in the box, but Connolly drove his penalty straight at Doherty, who parried over.
Phoenix deployed a high defensive line that seemed the height of recklessness given their hefty defenders and Seaford's dynamic strikeforce, and only a a string off tight offsides kept Seaford from pulling ahead as the half went on. But it was 2-0 in the dying minutes, as Donal Howley made a fine burst to square for Connolly, whose shot was brilliantly saved by Doherty, only for Crowe to smash home the rebound.
If Seaford had been steady and dominant in the opening period, they eased through the gears in the second. The midfield pairing of Theo Cullinane and Piers Shelton combined brilliantly to snap possession back just after the break, and from Shelton's pass Crowe rounded Doherty to complete his hat-trick and bag his seventeenth of the season.
From then on it was a question of how many as Seaford broke forward at will. Connolly may have been the game's outstanding player, but he is more adept at creating chances than finishing them. He was guilty of an extraordinary miss on 54 minutes, missing his kick from beneath the crossbar's shadow after Crowe had put it on his plate, and ten minutes later he snatched the ball off Ciaran Cronin and bore in on Doherty, only to shank the ball wide. By the time he rattled the crossbar with a superb angled strike with twelve to play, it was clear it wasn't going to be his day.
In between, Oisin Geoghegan had made his only save of the day, getting down well to keep out Alan Murray's low strike, but it always looked like the blues who would add to their tally, with Crowe wasting a great chance for his fourth in the dying moments after being put through by Paidi O'Fatharta.
It was a fourth league win out of five for the firsts under the management of Stgephen Faherty, ensuring they go into 2017 comfortably in mid-table having averted their relegation concerns.
Seaford: Oisin Geoghegan, Fionn Geoghegan, Paul Tansey, Fionn Lawlor, Alan Brennan; Theo Cullinane (Stephen Kelly, 60), Piers Shelton; Darragh Connolly, Donal Howley (Steve Kane, 64), James O'Neill (Paidi O'Fatharta, 70); Harry Crowe. Goals: Crowe (8, 43, 48)
Phoenix: Philip Doherty, Tiernan Clerkin (Owen Sweeney, h/t), Eoin Brennan (Fiachra Burke, 80), Adam Murtagh, Dylan Brophy, Ed Dempsey (Glen Lynch, 52), Mark Corry, Alan Murray, Shane Darcy, Ciaran Cronin, Sean Sweeney
Scribblestown, 2 December 2016