Match Report: Seaford Rock United 4-2 Newbridge Town
LSL Saturday Major 1C
Seaford made hard work of it on their return to action for 2024 before eventually sealing all-three points against nine-man Newbridge.
The Penguins got on the front foot early on, with Desmond Eiffe curling a shot against the crossbar inside the opening five minutes, but they had to wait until the midpoint of the half to hit the front. Makeshift fullback Conor Fennell was the architect, as the left a trail of opponents in his wake before being brought down in the box, and he converted the penalty himself to open the scoring, just as he had done when the sides previously met in the first week of the season.
Despite seeing a man sent off, Newbridge maintained a threat on the break, and when Ross Ward found himself clean through, Oisin Geoghegan flew off his line to block the effort, the ball almost rebounding into the net via Fennell's shins.
But Seaford made it two on 31 from a slick move, as Oli Wright and Dan Willis exchanged a one-two before Wright squared for Shane Halpin to convert from a yard out.
The half concluded in bizarre fashion as from a Seaford corner, players from both teams seemed certain the ball had gone out of play from a goal kick only for the referee to wave play on even after a Newbridge defender had briefly caught the ball with in his hands, and the visitors went straight down the other end to equalise through Oluwadara Oke, who produced a composed finish past Geoghegan.
And having looked dead and buried Newbridge found themselves level on 50 minutes when luckless Zitian Xiang;s attempted header back to Geoghegan looped over the Seaford stopper and into the net.
It threatened to get even worse for the hosts, despite their numerical advantage, as twice Ward got free off the left wing only to fire just wide of the near post.
But Seaford retook the lea with a quarter of an hour to play. Sam Browne's towering header rebounded from the crossbar onto the goalline, where Halpin slid in to make sure.
With seven to play, two Seaford subs combined to add a fourth, as Niall Holleran found Eoin Kenny to convert, and another red card out paid to any hope of a Newbridge comeback despite their spirited performance.
Seaford: Oisin Geoghegan, Conor Fennell (Oisin Mallon, 78), Zitian Xiang, Sam Browne, Eoin Mahon, Mate Salacan (Luke Moynihan, 72) Oli Wright, Desmond Eiffe (Niall Holleran, 78) Shane Gilroy Dan Willis (Eoin Kenny, 72) Shane Halpin (Espoire Lutete, 78)
Newbridge Town: Robert Abbott, Daire Coleman, Aidas Kibas, Leon Doyle, Paul Roberts, Josh Minihan, Corey Corkish, Luke Brennan, Oluwadara Oke, Dean O'Toole, Ross Ward. Subs: Aaron Clancy, Adam Balmer, Jack Donohoe, John Corkish
Rockfield Park, 20 January 2024
The Penguins got on the front foot early on, with Desmond Eiffe curling a shot against the crossbar inside the opening five minutes, but they had to wait until the midpoint of the half to hit the front. Makeshift fullback Conor Fennell was the architect, as the left a trail of opponents in his wake before being brought down in the box, and he converted the penalty himself to open the scoring, just as he had done when the sides previously met in the first week of the season.
Despite seeing a man sent off, Newbridge maintained a threat on the break, and when Ross Ward found himself clean through, Oisin Geoghegan flew off his line to block the effort, the ball almost rebounding into the net via Fennell's shins.
But Seaford made it two on 31 from a slick move, as Oli Wright and Dan Willis exchanged a one-two before Wright squared for Shane Halpin to convert from a yard out.
The half concluded in bizarre fashion as from a Seaford corner, players from both teams seemed certain the ball had gone out of play from a goal kick only for the referee to wave play on even after a Newbridge defender had briefly caught the ball with in his hands, and the visitors went straight down the other end to equalise through Oluwadara Oke, who produced a composed finish past Geoghegan.
And having looked dead and buried Newbridge found themselves level on 50 minutes when luckless Zitian Xiang;s attempted header back to Geoghegan looped over the Seaford stopper and into the net.
It threatened to get even worse for the hosts, despite their numerical advantage, as twice Ward got free off the left wing only to fire just wide of the near post.
But Seaford retook the lea with a quarter of an hour to play. Sam Browne's towering header rebounded from the crossbar onto the goalline, where Halpin slid in to make sure.
With seven to play, two Seaford subs combined to add a fourth, as Niall Holleran found Eoin Kenny to convert, and another red card out paid to any hope of a Newbridge comeback despite their spirited performance.
Seaford: Oisin Geoghegan, Conor Fennell (Oisin Mallon, 78), Zitian Xiang, Sam Browne, Eoin Mahon, Mate Salacan (Luke Moynihan, 72) Oli Wright, Desmond Eiffe (Niall Holleran, 78) Shane Gilroy Dan Willis (Eoin Kenny, 72) Shane Halpin (Espoire Lutete, 78)
Newbridge Town: Robert Abbott, Daire Coleman, Aidas Kibas, Leon Doyle, Paul Roberts, Josh Minihan, Corey Corkish, Luke Brennan, Oluwadara Oke, Dean O'Toole, Ross Ward. Subs: Aaron Clancy, Adam Balmer, Jack Donohoe, John Corkish
Rockfield Park, 20 January 2024