Match Report: St James's Gate 1-2 Seaford Rock United
LSL Sat Major 1B
Seaford narrowly prevailed in an extraordinary match at Iveagh Grounds to keep their slim promotion hopes alive.
The visitors turned in a superb display in every aspect apart from finishing, and ought to have been well out of sight before St James's Gate attempted an unlikely comeback in the final quarter of an hour,
There was a sign of things to come inside the first ten minutes when Alan Brennan's ball over the top saw both Harry Crowe and Francis Mulhall beat the offside trap with just keeper Adam Roche to beat, but Crowe's usual ruthlessness eluded him, and Roche managed to keep his shot out.
Crowe was also denied a goal by an offside call .before he opened the scoring on 21 minutes. James O'Neill's right wing cross was brilliantly cushioned at the back post by Mulhall, allowing Crowe to bury a volley from ten yards, netting his 24th of the season to set a new club record.
O'Neill was inches from doubling the lead minutes later after another Mulhall set-up, before Crowe set off on a barnstorming frun from the halfway line, smashing a shot at goal which Roche could only parry away, and from the rebound Mulhall teed up Chris Monk, but the Scot prodded his finish just wide from close range.
Gate hadn't mustered an attack worthy of the name, as Seaford controlled the first half with a revamped 3-4-1-2 formation to deal with the enormous pitch at the Iveagh Grounds. Shortly after the break, Paul Lydon headed wide from Monk's whipped cross, just before Mulhall made it 2-0. The goal was made by man-of-the-match O'Neill, who bamboozled an opponent before squaring the ball for Mulhall to nod in his third in two.
It seemed like a question of how many the visitors would record, with O'Neill's slide-rule pass putting Lydon clean through, only for the Galway man to slip the ball just past the post, before Piers Shelton forced a brilliant save from Roche with a 25 yard rocket.
But the relegation-battling hosts were desperate to get something from the game, and starting pouring forward. Seaford keeper Dylan O'Reilly made a sensational save to keep out substitute Robert Douglas on 72 minutes, but could do nothing to prevent the same man making it 2-1 moments later as he converted from close=range.
Gate were now in all-out attack mode, leaving five attackers upfield, with others streaming forward in support. Douglas almost netted an incredible equaliser after dribbling past Alan Brennan and Darren Grealish, but O'Reilly made a brilliant stop with his feet.
At the other end, Seaford looked like scoring every time they recovered the ball. Their best chance fell to wing-back Paul Tansey, who blazed over with the goal at his mercy after a fine run and cross from sub Steve Kane. But the green's chance was gone when Jamie Doyle was dismissed for a vicious tackle on Tansey in stoppage time, Seaford comfortably repelling the final couple of attacks to cling on for three points.
Seaford: Dylan O'Reilly; Alan Brennan, Fionn Lawlor, Darren Grealish; Paul Tansey, Chris Monk, Piers Shelton, Paul Lydon (Mike O'Neill , 67); James O'Neill; (Steve Kane, 67), Harry Crowe, Francis Mulhall (Carl Doyle, 80). Goals: Crowe (21), Mulhall (56)
St James's Gate: Adam Roche, Shane Murphy (David Doyle, 45), Sean Halpin, Esmond Murphy, Trevor Boyle, Jamie Doyle, Dean Power, Adam Brophy, Killian Callaghan, Callum Flynn (Wes Fallon, 59), James Murphy (Robert Douglas, 59). Goal: Douglas (73)
Iveagh Grounds, 6 May 2017
The visitors turned in a superb display in every aspect apart from finishing, and ought to have been well out of sight before St James's Gate attempted an unlikely comeback in the final quarter of an hour,
There was a sign of things to come inside the first ten minutes when Alan Brennan's ball over the top saw both Harry Crowe and Francis Mulhall beat the offside trap with just keeper Adam Roche to beat, but Crowe's usual ruthlessness eluded him, and Roche managed to keep his shot out.
Crowe was also denied a goal by an offside call .before he opened the scoring on 21 minutes. James O'Neill's right wing cross was brilliantly cushioned at the back post by Mulhall, allowing Crowe to bury a volley from ten yards, netting his 24th of the season to set a new club record.
O'Neill was inches from doubling the lead minutes later after another Mulhall set-up, before Crowe set off on a barnstorming frun from the halfway line, smashing a shot at goal which Roche could only parry away, and from the rebound Mulhall teed up Chris Monk, but the Scot prodded his finish just wide from close range.
Gate hadn't mustered an attack worthy of the name, as Seaford controlled the first half with a revamped 3-4-1-2 formation to deal with the enormous pitch at the Iveagh Grounds. Shortly after the break, Paul Lydon headed wide from Monk's whipped cross, just before Mulhall made it 2-0. The goal was made by man-of-the-match O'Neill, who bamboozled an opponent before squaring the ball for Mulhall to nod in his third in two.
It seemed like a question of how many the visitors would record, with O'Neill's slide-rule pass putting Lydon clean through, only for the Galway man to slip the ball just past the post, before Piers Shelton forced a brilliant save from Roche with a 25 yard rocket.
But the relegation-battling hosts were desperate to get something from the game, and starting pouring forward. Seaford keeper Dylan O'Reilly made a sensational save to keep out substitute Robert Douglas on 72 minutes, but could do nothing to prevent the same man making it 2-1 moments later as he converted from close=range.
Gate were now in all-out attack mode, leaving five attackers upfield, with others streaming forward in support. Douglas almost netted an incredible equaliser after dribbling past Alan Brennan and Darren Grealish, but O'Reilly made a brilliant stop with his feet.
At the other end, Seaford looked like scoring every time they recovered the ball. Their best chance fell to wing-back Paul Tansey, who blazed over with the goal at his mercy after a fine run and cross from sub Steve Kane. But the green's chance was gone when Jamie Doyle was dismissed for a vicious tackle on Tansey in stoppage time, Seaford comfortably repelling the final couple of attacks to cling on for three points.
Seaford: Dylan O'Reilly; Alan Brennan, Fionn Lawlor, Darren Grealish; Paul Tansey, Chris Monk, Piers Shelton, Paul Lydon (Mike O'Neill , 67); James O'Neill; (Steve Kane, 67), Harry Crowe, Francis Mulhall (Carl Doyle, 80). Goals: Crowe (21), Mulhall (56)
St James's Gate: Adam Roche, Shane Murphy (David Doyle, 45), Sean Halpin, Esmond Murphy, Trevor Boyle, Jamie Doyle, Dean Power, Adam Brophy, Killian Callaghan, Callum Flynn (Wes Fallon, 59), James Murphy (Robert Douglas, 59). Goal: Douglas (73)
Iveagh Grounds, 6 May 2017