Match Report: Seaford Rock United 5-3 Clontarf
LSL Sat Major 1B
Seaford picked up their first win of the season with a brilliant comeback victory over Clontarf, featuring an incredible five-minute hat trick from Harry Crowe.
In sodden conditions at Rockfield Park, Seaford made a bright start, with plenty of attacking possession. Clontarf had an early strike disallowed for offside, before Seaford's Mike O'Neill tested the visiting keeper with a powerful header from James O'Neill's cross, and only a brilliant block by Tarf captain David Vos prevented O'Neill from converting his own rebound.
The reds grew into the game as the half progressed, with Ciaran Dorny shaking the crossbar on 34 minutes after being set up by Jay Hester. Moments later, Dorny forced Eoin English into an impressive parry, but Gary Martin was on hand to fire home the opening goal.
Seaford equalised early in the second half when brilliant one- and two-touch play down the right between Neil Harrington, James O'Neill and Paul Lydon created an opening for Crowe, whose effort was blocked, but Stephen Johnson-Barker thumped the rebound into the net for a goal on his first team debut.
A brilliant reflex stop by English prevented Clontarf from restoring their advantage within seconds of the restart, but English could do nothing to stop Dorney's stunning curler from 25 yards, and when the same man slotted home to make it 3-1 on 56 minutes, Seaford faced an uphill battle.
But despite their poor start to the campaign, Seaford's firepower has never been in doubt, and they pulled one back through Luke Kelly on 68 minutes, who netted at the second attempt amidst a frenetic goalmouth scramble following Paul Tansey's deflected shot.
The real turning point of the match was the home side's double substitution on 74 minutes, including the introducion of Darragh Connolly on the left wing, enabling Crowe to return to his favoured striking berth. Within ten minutes, he'd bagged himself a hat-trick to turn the match on its head.
First, Kelly surged through midfield to release him with a through-ball, which Crowe smashed into the roof of the net from a tight angle. Moments after the restart, James O'Neill pounced on a defensive error to round the Tarf keeper before selflessly teeing up Crowe to put Seaford in front. And Crowe's third was a masterpiece, taking the ball out of the sky with a sensational chest control before finding the corner of the net.
Clontarf rallied late on, rattling the crossbar for a second time, before forcing English into an impressive low save from a free kick, but for once Seaford held firm defensively to secure the three points.
Seaford: Eoin English; Jim Nolan, Paul Tansey, Adam Finnegan, Luke Kelly; Neil Harrington (Mark O'Brien 76), Mike O'Neill, Harry Crowe, James O'Neill (Steve Kane, 86); Paul Lydon (Darragh Connolly, 76), Stephen Johnson Barker. Goals: Johnson-Barker (58), Kelly (68), Crowe (79, 81, 83)
In sodden conditions at Rockfield Park, Seaford made a bright start, with plenty of attacking possession. Clontarf had an early strike disallowed for offside, before Seaford's Mike O'Neill tested the visiting keeper with a powerful header from James O'Neill's cross, and only a brilliant block by Tarf captain David Vos prevented O'Neill from converting his own rebound.
The reds grew into the game as the half progressed, with Ciaran Dorny shaking the crossbar on 34 minutes after being set up by Jay Hester. Moments later, Dorny forced Eoin English into an impressive parry, but Gary Martin was on hand to fire home the opening goal.
Seaford equalised early in the second half when brilliant one- and two-touch play down the right between Neil Harrington, James O'Neill and Paul Lydon created an opening for Crowe, whose effort was blocked, but Stephen Johnson-Barker thumped the rebound into the net for a goal on his first team debut.
A brilliant reflex stop by English prevented Clontarf from restoring their advantage within seconds of the restart, but English could do nothing to stop Dorney's stunning curler from 25 yards, and when the same man slotted home to make it 3-1 on 56 minutes, Seaford faced an uphill battle.
But despite their poor start to the campaign, Seaford's firepower has never been in doubt, and they pulled one back through Luke Kelly on 68 minutes, who netted at the second attempt amidst a frenetic goalmouth scramble following Paul Tansey's deflected shot.
The real turning point of the match was the home side's double substitution on 74 minutes, including the introducion of Darragh Connolly on the left wing, enabling Crowe to return to his favoured striking berth. Within ten minutes, he'd bagged himself a hat-trick to turn the match on its head.
First, Kelly surged through midfield to release him with a through-ball, which Crowe smashed into the roof of the net from a tight angle. Moments after the restart, James O'Neill pounced on a defensive error to round the Tarf keeper before selflessly teeing up Crowe to put Seaford in front. And Crowe's third was a masterpiece, taking the ball out of the sky with a sensational chest control before finding the corner of the net.
Clontarf rallied late on, rattling the crossbar for a second time, before forcing English into an impressive low save from a free kick, but for once Seaford held firm defensively to secure the three points.
Seaford: Eoin English; Jim Nolan, Paul Tansey, Adam Finnegan, Luke Kelly; Neil Harrington (Mark O'Brien 76), Mike O'Neill, Harry Crowe, James O'Neill (Steve Kane, 86); Paul Lydon (Darragh Connolly, 76), Stephen Johnson Barker. Goals: Johnson-Barker (58), Kelly (68), Crowe (79, 81, 83)