Coill Dubh AFC 1 Arlington FC 5
Coill Dubh were looking to build on last week’s victory away to Naas United when they welcomed Arlington to Cusack Park on a damp Friday evening. Arlington started the match brightly and within three minutes were ahead, when the flight of a thirty yard freekick from the touchline by Arlington's Jake Nicholl deceived Luke Anderson in goal. In the fourteenth minute the Dubh's earned a corner, it was quickly taken and 1-2 between Jack O'Brien and Dylan Hannon allowed O'Brien to unleash a superb curling effort from the edge of the area. Evan Grattan in the Arlington goal would make a superb diving save to keep Arlington in the lead. Arlington would double their advantage in the eighteenth minute, a long ball to the outside of the area was well controlled by Shane Nealon but his subsequent low effort cannoned off Billy McNamee into the path of the onrushing Olu Solanke. After bursting into the box, he squared the ball past Luke Anderson into the path of Ceilum Maher who tapped it into an empty net. Arlington would make it 0-3 on the twenty eight minute. Another long ball into the box was spilled by Luke Anderson and Arlington punished with Olu Solanke slotting home into the empty goal. In the thirty seventh minute a superb twenty five yard strike from Shane Nealon was slammed onto the crossbar and then back into play. The ball fell exactly to Olu Solanke who got his second of the evening when he shot first time leaving Anderson with no time to react. A minute after the restart Joe Bowers sent a fantastic ball over the top of the Arlington defence and Ryan Murran latched on, he evaded the efforts of the Arlington defence and sent the ball back to the edge of the six yard box where Evan Moore was waiting. Moore made no mistake with his volley and first goal of the season giving the Dubh's faithful something to cheer in the torrential rain. Arlington would further extend their lead just before half time. The Dubh's lost possession in centre midfield and a looping ball from Jake Nicholl found Shane Nealon who expertly chipped an onrushing Luke Anderson from the edge of the area. The score at half time, Coill Dubh 1 - 5 Arlington.
The Dubh's would introduce the experienced Aeneas Murphy, Barry Noone and Emmett Donoghue after the half time break, the latter making his first appearance of the season for the first team. In the fifty ninth minute a corner from Emmett Donoghue found Evan Moore just outside the near post, his backwards header forced a parry from Grattan in goal. The ball then fell to Aeneas Murphy whose volley was blocked by the Arlington no.3. On the hour mark, Ceilum Maher broke through the Dubh's defence and fired a shot that was destined for the top corner only for Luke Anderson to divert the effort with a fingertip save on to the crossbar. The match ended as Coill Dubh 1 - 5 Arlington. Best for the winners were keeper Evan Grattan, receiving man of the match.
Rathangan AFC 0 Clane United FC 2
Both teams had a few half chances in the first half but most of the game was played in the middle third of the pitch so it stayed 0-0 to the break. Clane started the second half well and Dean Comiskey scored a superb goal in the fifty third minute to make it 1-0 to the visitors.
Dean Comiskey was awarded a penalty with five minutes remaining and calmly dispatched it to make it 2-0 to Clane . Clane keeper John Ball had to make a great save from a deflected shot near the end to keep his clean sheet. Best for the winners were Dean Comiskey with a man of the match performance, Eoghan Maguire, James Ralph, Mark Kelly and Stephen Dunne also handing in outstanding performances.
Clonmullion FC 2 Newbridge Hotspurs FC 2
This game was played in October like conditions with the wind and rain ruining any chance of a free flowing game. The home side thought they had taken the lead after only three minutes when a Nathan Robinson free kick was parried by keeper Reece Winders into the path of Jody Dillon but the linesman raised the offside flag. With fifteen minutes gone Hotspurs had their first chance when Mikey Murphy passed to the other Mikey, Rooney who tried to chip home keeper Michael Lawless but he read the attackers intentions to comfortably gather the ball. Five minutes later Garry Comerford latched on to a headed Benny Doyle clearance and laid it off to the overlapping Keane Cully but he blazed over from the edge of the box. On the half hour Mark Cully was again involved when he received a quick free kick from Robinson and crossed to Benny Lawlor but he couldn't generate the power in the shot to beat Winders. Clonmullion were pressing hard for the opener and Jay Connell should have headed the opener when he got on the end of a brilliant corner kick from Comerford. Ten minutes before half time the Newbridge outfit went close when Rooney set up Scott Donoghue but he fired just over the bar but it was a sign of things to come as a minute later Donoghue did hit the target but Lawless repelled his effort only to fall to Greg Kelly who made no mistake to put his side 1 up. Almost immediately the home side had the chance to level after Chris Chanders anticipated a Robbie Higgins header back to his keeper but Winders spread himself well to smother the effort. The visitors almost doubled their lead when Winders launched another long ball down field and Murphy hit a fearsome volley which crashed off the underside of the crossbar and away to safety with Lawless beaten all ends up.
Clonmullion came out with all guns blazing in the second half and when Comerford chipped a free kick to the back post Dillon rose highest to head back to strike partner Chanders but his volleyed shot was well saved by Winders. Comerford then played a neat one two with Mark Hughes and then passed on to Dillon who flicked it on to Chanders who was denied by a brilliant last ditch tackle by Tomas Hennessy. Then on the fifty second minute Donoghue intercepted a stray Cully pass and weaved his way passed two missed tackles to put his side two up. Shocked into action The Mull pressed relentlessly and another Comerford free kick picked out Cully at the back post to head home and halve the deficit. With twenty five minutes remaining Chanders chased down what looked like a lost ball and earned his side a corner. Again it was that man Comerford to expertly deliver the set piece which Connell rose highest to power home for the fifth game in a row. Manager Barry Hughes brought on Johnny Fennell and Lee Foley out wide to offer more pace going forward and it was a Foley cross that found Dillon in the area but his header flew just over. Then a quick Foley throw in saw Dillon combine with Chanders who played a lovely through ball to Fennell on the opposite side but Winders parried the shot onto the post and away to safety. In added time Fennell put Chanders through on goal but the industrious Hennessy tracked him all the way and done just enough to put the striker off balance and avert the danger. Not a night for the purist and a share of the spoils for the second time this season. Best for Hotspurs were keeper Winders, defender Doyle, midfielder Hennessy and Donoghue and Kelly in attack. Best for Clonmullion were Lawless and Connell at the back Comerford in midfield and Chanders and Dillon battled hard all night in awful conditions.
Suncroft AFC 5 Ballycane Celtic FC 1
Suncroft picked up a much needed three points from their tie against fellow strugglers this season Ballycane Celtic on Sunday morning. Ben Kinsella opened the scoring with twenty five mins played, Martin Brennan's through ball found Kinsella cutting in from the left and his first touch setting him up for the neat finish to follow. The home side added a second soon after when a speculative shot from Brennan rebounded and Paddy Flood reacted quickest to slot home from close range. Josh Lee made it 3 - 0 just before the break when his well struck corner caught the Ballycane 'keeper out and flew straight into the net.
A slow start to the second half from both sides meant very little goalmouth action. Suncroft would get their fourth with sixty fifth mins played, Flood was fouled inside the area and Dylan Connolly slotted home the resulting spot kick. The home side seemed to take their foot off the gas after the fourth goal and Ballycane began to create some openings themselves and were rewarded with a deserved goal in the seventy third minute. An excellent free-kick from a full thirty yards out which 'Croft 'keeper Keggy McDonnell could only watch as it found the top corner of the net. Suncroft went on to add a fifth in the dying stages, Eamon Doyle's clever pass finding Connolly who beat his man and fired home his 12th goal of the season.
In a game that was far from a classic, the home side had their best performers in Eamon Doyle on his return from injury, Kieran Sheedy, Dylan Connolly and the evergreen Paddy Flood.
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