Match Report: Seaford Rock United 2-1 Edenderry Town
LSL Sat Major 1c
Seaford maintained their 100% start to the season with a narrow home win over Edenderry Town.
The home side were severely depleted due to injury, forcing a re-shuffle to a 4-4-2 formation, with John Power making his return from injury at centre half and skilful midfielder Rory O'Huiginn also making his first start of the season.
As with each of Seaford's previous home matches this season, the blues hit the front very early on and it was in-form winger Stephen Faherty who opened the scoring, bursting on to O'Huiginn's backheel and driving into the box before firing low into the net from an acute angle.
Keeper Eoin English had to be alert to deny the visitors an immediate equalier, blocking Podge Hanlon's effort, and Seaford were inches from adding a second when Stephen Kane's sidefoot volley rebounded from the post after Faherty's cross.
Edenderry got an equaliser with their first shot on target on 37 minutes. Stevie Osborne was denied by Paddy Costello's perfectly timed tackle, but the loose ball fell to Hanlon who picked out the top corner from 15 yards.
That spurred Edenderry to their best period in the match, creating several chances either side of half time, with Osborne going close early in the second period, pouncing on Power's poor pass before chipping his cross-shot against the bar, before Hanlon almost got his second of the game, volleying against the post from Peter McNamara's square ball from the left.
Seaford overcame that lost of momentum, however, and took a grip of the match again, getting particular joy down the left side of the pitch.. Paul Lydon went close with a flick of the outside of his boot after Jim Nolan's burst forward from left back, and Lydon went even closer on 56 minutes with a near-post header from Darragh Connolly's brilliant cross, forcing a superb reflex save from keeper Cummins.
The pressure told with a quarter of an hour to play. Connolly laid the ball back to Power in the left back area, and his brilliant swerving ball into the box broke for Lydon to prod home his second of the season.
The onslaught down the left side continued. Sub Ryan Scollard's cross was miscued by Glen Dolan, but O'Huiginn couldn't react in time and shot wide. Another Scollard cross just eluded Faherty at the back post, before Scollard himself was inches away from converting Connolly's centre.
THe home side survived a scare with six to play when Alan Farrell's cross fell to sub Eoin McDonnell at the back post, but referee Les Adamczek's whistle had blown for offside before McDonnell's angled finish found the net.
Nine points from nine available for Seaford in the leauge, the club's best start to a season in five years, and with plenty of good players to return to the squad in weeks to come, manager Alan Burns's biggest problem are likely to be in form of selection headaches.
Seaford: E English; D Devaney, J Nolan, J Power (c), P Costello; A Finnegan, R O'Huiginn, S Faherty (M Hanratty, 86), S Kane (R Scollard, 74); D Connolly, P Lydon. Goals: S Faherty (6), P Lydon (74)
Edenderry: C Cummins, T Byrne ( E McDonnell), D Sherkle, G Dolan, D Doyle, P Hanlon, A Farrell, C Farrell, L Pender, S Osborne (I McGuinness) , P McNamara. Goal: Hanlon (37)
Rockfield Park, Blackrock - 10 October 2015
LSL Sat Major 1c
Seaford maintained their 100% start to the season with a narrow home win over Edenderry Town.
The home side were severely depleted due to injury, forcing a re-shuffle to a 4-4-2 formation, with John Power making his return from injury at centre half and skilful midfielder Rory O'Huiginn also making his first start of the season.
As with each of Seaford's previous home matches this season, the blues hit the front very early on and it was in-form winger Stephen Faherty who opened the scoring, bursting on to O'Huiginn's backheel and driving into the box before firing low into the net from an acute angle.
Keeper Eoin English had to be alert to deny the visitors an immediate equalier, blocking Podge Hanlon's effort, and Seaford were inches from adding a second when Stephen Kane's sidefoot volley rebounded from the post after Faherty's cross.
Edenderry got an equaliser with their first shot on target on 37 minutes. Stevie Osborne was denied by Paddy Costello's perfectly timed tackle, but the loose ball fell to Hanlon who picked out the top corner from 15 yards.
That spurred Edenderry to their best period in the match, creating several chances either side of half time, with Osborne going close early in the second period, pouncing on Power's poor pass before chipping his cross-shot against the bar, before Hanlon almost got his second of the game, volleying against the post from Peter McNamara's square ball from the left.
Seaford overcame that lost of momentum, however, and took a grip of the match again, getting particular joy down the left side of the pitch.. Paul Lydon went close with a flick of the outside of his boot after Jim Nolan's burst forward from left back, and Lydon went even closer on 56 minutes with a near-post header from Darragh Connolly's brilliant cross, forcing a superb reflex save from keeper Cummins.
The pressure told with a quarter of an hour to play. Connolly laid the ball back to Power in the left back area, and his brilliant swerving ball into the box broke for Lydon to prod home his second of the season.
The onslaught down the left side continued. Sub Ryan Scollard's cross was miscued by Glen Dolan, but O'Huiginn couldn't react in time and shot wide. Another Scollard cross just eluded Faherty at the back post, before Scollard himself was inches away from converting Connolly's centre.
THe home side survived a scare with six to play when Alan Farrell's cross fell to sub Eoin McDonnell at the back post, but referee Les Adamczek's whistle had blown for offside before McDonnell's angled finish found the net.
Nine points from nine available for Seaford in the leauge, the club's best start to a season in five years, and with plenty of good players to return to the squad in weeks to come, manager Alan Burns's biggest problem are likely to be in form of selection headaches.
Seaford: E English; D Devaney, J Nolan, J Power (c), P Costello; A Finnegan, R O'Huiginn, S Faherty (M Hanratty, 86), S Kane (R Scollard, 74); D Connolly, P Lydon. Goals: S Faherty (6), P Lydon (74)
Edenderry: C Cummins, T Byrne ( E McDonnell), D Sherkle, G Dolan, D Doyle, P Hanlon, A Farrell, C Farrell, L Pender, S Osborne (I McGuinness) , P McNamara. Goal: Hanlon (37)
Rockfield Park, Blackrock - 10 October 2015