Match Report: Ratoath Harps 0-3 Seaford Rock United
LSL Sat Div 3
Seaford's seconds made it back-to-back wins over their nearest relegation rivals either side of the winter break with a very comfortable win in County Meath.
After a difficult first half to the campaign in LSL Division 3, Seaford took confidence from an excellent performance in beating Blessington in December into the new year, even if the boggy pitch in Ratoath meant it was afternoon for doggedness rather than dexterity.
From the opening exchanges onward, the visitors were dominant territorially, even if they relied on opponents' errors for their early chances, with Frank Mulhall and then MJ Tierney both put through on goal by defensive slips, but failing to beat Harps keeper Sam O'Connor.
Ratoath never really had a foothold in the game, as Seaford's midfielders dominated the central areas and their centre halves comfortably snuffed out any danger. Briefly around the mid-point of the second half, they mustered a dangerous spell, largely through enterprising left winger David Capriani, but other than a speculative long-range strike from Mo Elsayeed, they struggled to create chances.
At the other end, it was only a matter of time before Seaford broke the deadlock, which they duly did on 29 minutes. Mulhall squared the ball to James O'Neill, whose left-footed shot lacked power but was aimed for the corner of the goal, and when O'Connor could only parry it to his left, Mulhall pounced to convert the rebound.
O'Neill almost doubled the visitors' lead late in the half after bamboozling Stephen Creagh before curling over, but Seaford's two central midfielders each notched early in the second half to put the outcome beyond doubt.
First, O'Neill whipped in a left-wing cross that was flicked on at the near post by Chris Monk. Tierney failed to make a clean contact with his back-post volley, the ball looping up and rebounding from the crossbar, and Andy Roe tapped home.
Seaford's third was a beauty, as debutant Monk met Tierney's drilled cross with a smashing volley into the back of the net from 12 yards.
It ought to have been more. Roe missed a free header from close range from another O'Neill delivery, and the same man also crossed for Mulhall to glance a header wide. The home side barely managed an attack, and lost their discipline in the final stages, with a series of ugly fouls drawing punishment from the referee.
The win gives Seaford a five-point buffer above the relegation zone, but more importantly a strong performance will give the side confidence to look up the table in the second half of the campaign.
Seaford: Eoin English; Tommy Crichlow, Matt Tappin (Robbie Murray, 74), Darren Grealish (c), Dave Higgins; Chris Monk, Andy Roe (Conor Geoghegan, 66), James O'Neill, Shane Lauritsch (David Mackey, 61); Frank Mulhall (Denis Donnelly, 74), MJ Tierney. Goals: Mulhall (29), Roe (51) Monk (54)
Ratoath Harps: Sam O'Connor, Damien Lynch, Pierce Tinnelly, Adam Cullen, Stephen Creagh, Josh Newe, Eoghan Doody (Richard Timoney, 49), Moe Elsayeed, Tommy Kelly (Gary Naughton, 62), Ronan Hynes (Robert Walters, 34), David Capriani.
Skryne Road, 21 January 2017
After a difficult first half to the campaign in LSL Division 3, Seaford took confidence from an excellent performance in beating Blessington in December into the new year, even if the boggy pitch in Ratoath meant it was afternoon for doggedness rather than dexterity.
From the opening exchanges onward, the visitors were dominant territorially, even if they relied on opponents' errors for their early chances, with Frank Mulhall and then MJ Tierney both put through on goal by defensive slips, but failing to beat Harps keeper Sam O'Connor.
Ratoath never really had a foothold in the game, as Seaford's midfielders dominated the central areas and their centre halves comfortably snuffed out any danger. Briefly around the mid-point of the second half, they mustered a dangerous spell, largely through enterprising left winger David Capriani, but other than a speculative long-range strike from Mo Elsayeed, they struggled to create chances.
At the other end, it was only a matter of time before Seaford broke the deadlock, which they duly did on 29 minutes. Mulhall squared the ball to James O'Neill, whose left-footed shot lacked power but was aimed for the corner of the goal, and when O'Connor could only parry it to his left, Mulhall pounced to convert the rebound.
O'Neill almost doubled the visitors' lead late in the half after bamboozling Stephen Creagh before curling over, but Seaford's two central midfielders each notched early in the second half to put the outcome beyond doubt.
First, O'Neill whipped in a left-wing cross that was flicked on at the near post by Chris Monk. Tierney failed to make a clean contact with his back-post volley, the ball looping up and rebounding from the crossbar, and Andy Roe tapped home.
Seaford's third was a beauty, as debutant Monk met Tierney's drilled cross with a smashing volley into the back of the net from 12 yards.
It ought to have been more. Roe missed a free header from close range from another O'Neill delivery, and the same man also crossed for Mulhall to glance a header wide. The home side barely managed an attack, and lost their discipline in the final stages, with a series of ugly fouls drawing punishment from the referee.
The win gives Seaford a five-point buffer above the relegation zone, but more importantly a strong performance will give the side confidence to look up the table in the second half of the campaign.
Seaford: Eoin English; Tommy Crichlow, Matt Tappin (Robbie Murray, 74), Darren Grealish (c), Dave Higgins; Chris Monk, Andy Roe (Conor Geoghegan, 66), James O'Neill, Shane Lauritsch (David Mackey, 61); Frank Mulhall (Denis Donnelly, 74), MJ Tierney. Goals: Mulhall (29), Roe (51) Monk (54)
Ratoath Harps: Sam O'Connor, Damien Lynch, Pierce Tinnelly, Adam Cullen, Stephen Creagh, Josh Newe, Eoghan Doody (Richard Timoney, 49), Moe Elsayeed, Tommy Kelly (Gary Naughton, 62), Ronan Hynes (Robert Walters, 34), David Capriani.
Skryne Road, 21 January 2017