Match Report: Seaford Rock United 2-2 Castleknock Celtic
LSL Saturday Premier 1
Seaford got the point they needed to ensure survival in the division, plunging their opponents to the brink of the drop.
It was the second consecutive meeting between the two sides on either side of the relegation battle. Seaford knew two points would be enough to secure safety, and after Shane Gilroy's late equaliser in Porterstown Park a week earlier, it was the home side who started brighter, as Gilroy fed Ryan Scollard to fire just wide inside the first five minutes.
It wasn't long before Scollard opened the scoring, racing on to Rory O'Huiginn's flick-on before outmuscling Carl McGowan and smashing the ball past Paddy Howard. Seaford might have doubled their lead when Peter Tierney laid in Conan Murphy, but the winger's shot was inches wide.
Instead, it was Castleknock who drew level.against the run of play, as their most impressive player Liam Atkinson fired a rocket of a shot inside Robbie Moran's near post, and shortly before half time McGowan made it 1-2 with a fine header into the top corner.
The crucial point of the match arrived midway through the second half. From a swift breakaway from a Seaford corner, Liam O'Neill the chance to add a third when put clean through, only for Moran to make a fine fingertip save. That wasn't spotted by the referee, however, and instead of a corner kick, Seaford were able to launch another attack, from which Scollard was tripped by McGowan in the box, enabling the young striker to net his ninth of the season from 12 yards.
Desperately needing a goal, Castleknock made most of the running late on, and nearly snatched a winner in the final two minutes when Cian Kelly found Atkinson on the edge of the box, but his toe-poke finish was blocked by Moran, and Seaford held on for the draw..
Seaford: Robbie Moran, Darragh Roche, Jim Nolan, Cian McGuinness, (Matty Sheehan, h/t) Eoin Mahon, Piers Shelton, Rory O'Huiginn (Alan Clarke, 85), Peter Tierney (Grégoire Liget, 60), Conan Murphy (Carl Doyle, 68), Shane Gilroy, Ryan Scollard .
Castleknock Celtic: Paddy Howard, Eoghan O'Donoghue (Tony O'Leary, 78), Sean Conroy, Philly Conlan, Carl McGowan, Jimmy Kiernan, Mark Kelly (Julian Carro, 83), Liam Atkinson, Cian Kelly, Liam O'Neil, Paraic Corry (Scott Browne, 63)
Rockfield Park, 9 March 2019
It was the second consecutive meeting between the two sides on either side of the relegation battle. Seaford knew two points would be enough to secure safety, and after Shane Gilroy's late equaliser in Porterstown Park a week earlier, it was the home side who started brighter, as Gilroy fed Ryan Scollard to fire just wide inside the first five minutes.
It wasn't long before Scollard opened the scoring, racing on to Rory O'Huiginn's flick-on before outmuscling Carl McGowan and smashing the ball past Paddy Howard. Seaford might have doubled their lead when Peter Tierney laid in Conan Murphy, but the winger's shot was inches wide.
Instead, it was Castleknock who drew level.against the run of play, as their most impressive player Liam Atkinson fired a rocket of a shot inside Robbie Moran's near post, and shortly before half time McGowan made it 1-2 with a fine header into the top corner.
The crucial point of the match arrived midway through the second half. From a swift breakaway from a Seaford corner, Liam O'Neill the chance to add a third when put clean through, only for Moran to make a fine fingertip save. That wasn't spotted by the referee, however, and instead of a corner kick, Seaford were able to launch another attack, from which Scollard was tripped by McGowan in the box, enabling the young striker to net his ninth of the season from 12 yards.
Desperately needing a goal, Castleknock made most of the running late on, and nearly snatched a winner in the final two minutes when Cian Kelly found Atkinson on the edge of the box, but his toe-poke finish was blocked by Moran, and Seaford held on for the draw..
Seaford: Robbie Moran, Darragh Roche, Jim Nolan, Cian McGuinness, (Matty Sheehan, h/t) Eoin Mahon, Piers Shelton, Rory O'Huiginn (Alan Clarke, 85), Peter Tierney (Grégoire Liget, 60), Conan Murphy (Carl Doyle, 68), Shane Gilroy, Ryan Scollard .
Castleknock Celtic: Paddy Howard, Eoghan O'Donoghue (Tony O'Leary, 78), Sean Conroy, Philly Conlan, Carl McGowan, Jimmy Kiernan, Mark Kelly (Julian Carro, 83), Liam Atkinson, Cian Kelly, Liam O'Neil, Paraic Corry (Scott Browne, 63)
Rockfield Park, 9 March 2019