Match Report: Rush Athletic 3-0 Seaford Rock United
LSL Sat Major 1B
Seaford were comfortably second best against a very strong Rush Athletic outfit at St Catherine's Park.
The home side have been almost unbeaten in more than two years of league action, and they made the brighter start, with Dylan Kelly attempting a speculative lob from long range inside two minute, he ball dropping just wide.
And it was Kelly who opened the scoring on 10 minutes, curling a brilliant free kick into the top corner of Dylan O'Reilly's net.
But the balance of the first half was closely matched, with few chances at either end. A brilliant last-ditch tackle from Rush's Aaron Kelly denied Mike O'Neill what seemed a crrtain equaliser, before a brilliant burst forward from wing-back Paul Tansey almost created an opening, with Conor Tobin failing to connect with a back-heel , before Karl Stakelum was denied by a saving tackle at the back post.
Seaford continued the pressure either side of half time, with Andy Roe firing just over late in the first period, before the visitors were centimeters from leveling on 47 minutes, as Rush keeper Stephen Kirwan mis-punched a Fionn Lawlor delivery , the ball dropping behind him , but the referee decided it hadn't crossed the line before it was hacked away from underneath the crossbar with Tobin about to pounce.
But that was as good as it got for Seaford as Rush took control of the game. Rory Byrne almost netted at the back post from Joe Kelly's free kick, before Alan Kerslake's volley forced a breathtaking save from O'Reilly.
It was 2-0 on 65 minutes as Brian Gillen was allowed to run forward from midfield, dodging two challenges before firing home via a deflection from the edge of the box.
The visitors rallied late on with Lawlor prodding a volley straight at Kirwan from close range, before Tansey fired off the crossbar afrrr being laid in by Paul Lydon.
Seaford's cause wasn't helped by the dismissal of substitute Coly McCarron, shown a straight red card for dissent, and Rush had a golden opportunity to add a third when O'Reilly was penalised for tripping Kelly in the area, but the man-of-the-match crashed his penalty against the bar.
But Rush weren't to be denied for long, even if there seemed to be a strong suspicion of offside as Conor McNamara set up Alex Neary for a tap in to seal a comfortable 3-0 win.
Seaford: Dylan O'Reilly; Ian Nolan, Alan Brennan, Fionn Lawlor: Andy Roe, Paul Lydon, Michael O'Neill (Coly McCarron, 70), Paul Tansey, Karl Stakelum (David Mackey, 62); Peter Tierney (Gavin Stakelum, 81), Conor Tobin (Adam Finnegan, 62)
Rush Athletic: Stephen Kirwan, Joe Kelly, Ryan Beggs (Liam Doyle, 57), Rory Byrne, Aaron Kelly, Dylan Kelly, Bryce Ndjatang (Conor McNamara, 81), Brian Gillen, Stephen Hanratty (Barry Martin, 21), Alan Kerslake, Alan Hanratty (Alex Neary, 72)
St Catherine's Park, 9 September 2017
The home side have been almost unbeaten in more than two years of league action, and they made the brighter start, with Dylan Kelly attempting a speculative lob from long range inside two minute, he ball dropping just wide.
And it was Kelly who opened the scoring on 10 minutes, curling a brilliant free kick into the top corner of Dylan O'Reilly's net.
But the balance of the first half was closely matched, with few chances at either end. A brilliant last-ditch tackle from Rush's Aaron Kelly denied Mike O'Neill what seemed a crrtain equaliser, before a brilliant burst forward from wing-back Paul Tansey almost created an opening, with Conor Tobin failing to connect with a back-heel , before Karl Stakelum was denied by a saving tackle at the back post.
Seaford continued the pressure either side of half time, with Andy Roe firing just over late in the first period, before the visitors were centimeters from leveling on 47 minutes, as Rush keeper Stephen Kirwan mis-punched a Fionn Lawlor delivery , the ball dropping behind him , but the referee decided it hadn't crossed the line before it was hacked away from underneath the crossbar with Tobin about to pounce.
But that was as good as it got for Seaford as Rush took control of the game. Rory Byrne almost netted at the back post from Joe Kelly's free kick, before Alan Kerslake's volley forced a breathtaking save from O'Reilly.
It was 2-0 on 65 minutes as Brian Gillen was allowed to run forward from midfield, dodging two challenges before firing home via a deflection from the edge of the box.
The visitors rallied late on with Lawlor prodding a volley straight at Kirwan from close range, before Tansey fired off the crossbar afrrr being laid in by Paul Lydon.
Seaford's cause wasn't helped by the dismissal of substitute Coly McCarron, shown a straight red card for dissent, and Rush had a golden opportunity to add a third when O'Reilly was penalised for tripping Kelly in the area, but the man-of-the-match crashed his penalty against the bar.
But Rush weren't to be denied for long, even if there seemed to be a strong suspicion of offside as Conor McNamara set up Alex Neary for a tap in to seal a comfortable 3-0 win.
Seaford: Dylan O'Reilly; Ian Nolan, Alan Brennan, Fionn Lawlor: Andy Roe, Paul Lydon, Michael O'Neill (Coly McCarron, 70), Paul Tansey, Karl Stakelum (David Mackey, 62); Peter Tierney (Gavin Stakelum, 81), Conor Tobin (Adam Finnegan, 62)
Rush Athletic: Stephen Kirwan, Joe Kelly, Ryan Beggs (Liam Doyle, 57), Rory Byrne, Aaron Kelly, Dylan Kelly, Bryce Ndjatang (Conor McNamara, 81), Brian Gillen, Stephen Hanratty (Barry Martin, 21), Alan Kerslake, Alan Hanratty (Alex Neary, 72)
St Catherine's Park, 9 September 2017