Match Report: Seaford Rock United 4-1 St Pat's CY
LSL Saturday Major 1
Seaford's unlikely promotion push got a big boost as they produced a dominant performance to see off direct rivals Pats CY on a beautiful afternoon in Rockfield Park.
The Penguins had the upper hand from start to finish, and ought to have taken the lead inside five minutes when Paul Tansey found Conor Geoghegan unmarked six yards out, but Geoghegan failed to make a proper connection. The midfielder is usually far more clinical with his head, as Pats would soon discover.
The next big chance fell to Mike O'Neill after a brilliant combination between Al Kennedy and Stephen Canavan to put him through on goal, but O'Neill was unable to beat Luis Berenguer. Then Canavan battled past two defenders to square the ball for a tap-in for Lewis Cawley, only for a cruel bobble to scupper the chance.
Seaford continued to pour forward. O'Neill found himself clean through again,, but this time selflessly squared the ball for Ryan Scollard to finish in the unguarded net, only for Glen O'Connor to slide in with a brilliant saving tackle.
Finally, the Penguins made the breakthrough on 28 minutes when another Tansey corner found Geoghegan, whose header was deflected in, but the advantage was fleeting, because just four minutes later O'Connor's free kick took a huge deflection and looped up over Oisin Geoghegan and into the net for 1-1.
But there was a third goal in just seven mnutes as Kennedy's clever free kick picked out Geoghegan yet again, and he looped a header over the onrushing Berenguer to restore Seaford's lead.
Pats struggled to create much from play but O'Connor's enormous throw-ins were a major asset, but Seaford defended them staunchly, with fullback Darragh Roche to the fore.
Ge0ghegan almost completed his hat-trick in stunning fashion early in the second half, but his attempted chip dropped just wide of the post but it was Scollard who eventually made it 3-1, pouncing on a defensive error to smash home his sixth of the season.
Pats rallied and applied some pressure, but the closes they came was when Roche and Tansey both made goalline blocks in the same attack, after Oisin Geoghegan had made an initial save.
After the visitors had been reduced to ten men, O'Neill made the points safe with a simple finish from close range after being teed up by man-of-the-match Geoghegan.
The victory makes it five league wins on the spin for the Penguins, with three more must-win games remaining as they chase a third consecutive promotion.
Seaford: Oisin Geoghegan, Darragh Roche (Ian Nolan, 83) , Paul Tansey , Fionn Geoghegan, Al Kennedy, Conor Geoghegan ,Sam Browne (Jimmy Hussey, 65) Mike O'Neill, Ryan Scollard (Chris Monk 73) Lewis Cawley (Killian Campion, 83), Stephen Canavan (Jack Burke, 70)
St Pat's CY: Luis Berenguer, Conor Kavanagh, Glen O'Connor, Paul Healy, Lee Harrison (Jake Tilson, 33), Shane Heffernan, Niall Foley (Aaron Bailey, 59), Alvares, Aaron McMillan, Jake Gregg, Jamie Bradshaw
Rockfield Park, 26 March 2022
The Penguins had the upper hand from start to finish, and ought to have taken the lead inside five minutes when Paul Tansey found Conor Geoghegan unmarked six yards out, but Geoghegan failed to make a proper connection. The midfielder is usually far more clinical with his head, as Pats would soon discover.
The next big chance fell to Mike O'Neill after a brilliant combination between Al Kennedy and Stephen Canavan to put him through on goal, but O'Neill was unable to beat Luis Berenguer. Then Canavan battled past two defenders to square the ball for a tap-in for Lewis Cawley, only for a cruel bobble to scupper the chance.
Seaford continued to pour forward. O'Neill found himself clean through again,, but this time selflessly squared the ball for Ryan Scollard to finish in the unguarded net, only for Glen O'Connor to slide in with a brilliant saving tackle.
Finally, the Penguins made the breakthrough on 28 minutes when another Tansey corner found Geoghegan, whose header was deflected in, but the advantage was fleeting, because just four minutes later O'Connor's free kick took a huge deflection and looped up over Oisin Geoghegan and into the net for 1-1.
But there was a third goal in just seven mnutes as Kennedy's clever free kick picked out Geoghegan yet again, and he looped a header over the onrushing Berenguer to restore Seaford's lead.
Pats struggled to create much from play but O'Connor's enormous throw-ins were a major asset, but Seaford defended them staunchly, with fullback Darragh Roche to the fore.
Ge0ghegan almost completed his hat-trick in stunning fashion early in the second half, but his attempted chip dropped just wide of the post but it was Scollard who eventually made it 3-1, pouncing on a defensive error to smash home his sixth of the season.
Pats rallied and applied some pressure, but the closes they came was when Roche and Tansey both made goalline blocks in the same attack, after Oisin Geoghegan had made an initial save.
After the visitors had been reduced to ten men, O'Neill made the points safe with a simple finish from close range after being teed up by man-of-the-match Geoghegan.
The victory makes it five league wins on the spin for the Penguins, with three more must-win games remaining as they chase a third consecutive promotion.
Seaford: Oisin Geoghegan, Darragh Roche (Ian Nolan, 83) , Paul Tansey , Fionn Geoghegan, Al Kennedy, Conor Geoghegan ,Sam Browne (Jimmy Hussey, 65) Mike O'Neill, Ryan Scollard (Chris Monk 73) Lewis Cawley (Killian Campion, 83), Stephen Canavan (Jack Burke, 70)
St Pat's CY: Luis Berenguer, Conor Kavanagh, Glen O'Connor, Paul Healy, Lee Harrison (Jake Tilson, 33), Shane Heffernan, Niall Foley (Aaron Bailey, 59), Alvares, Aaron McMillan, Jake Gregg, Jamie Bradshaw
Rockfield Park, 26 March 2022