Spartak Dynamo FC

Lads,

At present, by my count, and according to the Red C poll, we have the following definites:

Anto Doyle, Dan O’Connell, Steve Grier, Peter Redmond, Martin Costello, Ross Kelly, Edo Maino and Jason Doyle.

There are a number of maybes :
Shea McClafferty, Brian Stafford, Graham Breen , Neil McGowan, Neill Bolger, Keith Kelly, Paul Kinsella, Seamus McCahill, Jason Northey, Colum O’Sulliivan, Leon David, Cathal Clancy, Dave Browne, Fintan Grace

I may have missed one or two, so feel free to comment and add your name.

So at present we cannnot go ahead and book flights or finalise arrangements until sufficient “maybes” commit to “definite” status. To make the trip feasible we need around 15 travelling.

Feel free to add your name to the maybes or definites by commenting on this post.

This weeks winner of the Spartak lotto is Anto Doyle. His number 32 came up in last nights lotto draw.

19.3.12
Spartak 3, Ballyfermot Utd 2

A Bank Holiday friendly with Phil Nolan’s outfit gave a good run out for a Bank Holiday Monday.

Spartak created a load of first half chances before tiring significantly in the second period as the visitors fought back with two goals from the spot.

Spartak’s goals arose from some good movement, and finishing, from midfield where Seamus McCahill scored two and won the penalty which Mick Greene converted. Mick also supplied the assist for the first, when Seamus took his chance adroitly to turn in a free kick . Ross Kelly and Derek McGoldrick both spurned decent chances, however Adam Doran somehow contrived to stay off the score sheet despite a host of opportunities and some fine approach work.

A useful work out.

Form Report
Peter O’Toole 7 Chris Hogan 6 Mick Greene 7 Paul Kinsella 7 Dave O’Kelly 7 Seamus McCahill 8 Niall Lennon 5 Dermot Dooley 7 Derek McGoldrick 5 Ross Kelly 5 Graham McEnroe 6
Subs: Neill Bolger 5 Adam Doran 5 Ken Buckley 6

Apologies for the delay – Jason Doyle is the Week 2 winner in the Spartak Lotto. The winning number in last Wednesdays draw was 2. €110 on the way to you Jay.

End of season trip is pencilled in for Swindon on 25th – 27th May. Our man Rob Smith in Swindon is working on the details.

Expected costs are about €60 for flight plus £25 per night for hotel and maybe £10 for bus transfer.

Extra costs might include insurance for Ross’ shoe and there may be some expenditure on refreshments and a low fibre (or kebab based) diet.

Comment if interested. We will finalise details over coming weeks.

111.2.12
Spartak 2, Alpine Express 2

Peter O’Toole cried off with the vomiting bug on Saturday; but on learning that all 3 other keepers were unavailable, he rose from his sick bed to help out his team mates, and made a telling contribution with a vital second half stop.

The Sky Blues started the game a little shakily; with Peter arriving late, Steve Grier played in goal for the first ten minutes and it took Spartak a long time to settle. Alpine took full advantage and scored after 11 minutes from a suspiciously offside position after some poor Spartak defending. On 24 minutes Seamus McCahill was dispossessed and the ball played past Anto Doyle into the winger who took his chance well to double the advantage. A lack of central defensive cover was apparent.

On 41 minutes the sky Blues at last put together a fine move; Seamus McCahill’s pass sent Graham McEnroe away down the left and his cross found Graham Breen. However the first touch was heavy and the defender lashed it out for a throw. From the throw, Breen flicked it on and the no.6 finished the job! 1-2.

Spartak huffed and puffed in the second half without creating any clear chances; a few decent frees and corners were wasted due to the static nature of the Sky Blue attackers.

Just when it looked as if Alpine would hold out, that man Breen popped up on 82 minutes. Picking up a loose ball 30 yards out, Breener thought of flicking it up on to his head, but instead pushed it out of his feet and fired a low drive to the corner past the diving keeper; his joyous yelps were heard for miles around.

Not a great performance but another point gained in the fight for survival.

Form Report
Peter O’Toole 7 Anto Doyle 5 Dave Browne 6 Alex Kenny 6 Steve Grier 6 Graham McEnroe 6
Neil McGowan 6 Seamus McCahill 6 Dave Thomson 6 Graham Breen 7 Thom O’Driscoll 6
Subs: Paul Kinsella 6 Ken Buckley 5 Conor Canavan 5

The Annual General Meeting of the CLub will take place on Monday 26th March in the Eden.

The meeting will commence at 9 pm and is open to members who have paid annuals by Dec 31st last, committee members and life members.

The business of the meeting shall be as follows:

1. Ascertainment that a quorum is present
2. Reading and approval of the minutes of the last AGM.
3. Report of the Chairman
4. Financial Report
5. Elections and balloting
6. Any other business.

This weeks lotto bonus ball winner is Mick Greene (me) The winning ball 5, came up in the Wednesday lotto draw and as a result I’m €110 better off. Not bad for €5. Get in!

There are still some balls available for next weeks draw. Check out the Lotto tab for available numbers.

4.3.12
Spartak 4, Brighton Celtic 0

With resources stretched due to injury, illness and a certain Saturday wedding, Spartak did enough to bag the three points in a comfortable win over Brighton.

A few players clearly felt the impact of a full 90 minutes on a fairly heavy pitch, and the pace in the second half fell considerably as legs became heavy.

The Sky Blues had a few penalty shouts, the clearest of which was when Graham McEnroe was tripped in the box; otherwise early efforts were confined to a weak Glen Burke header and a shot from distance by Dave Browne which was well wide.

Glen Burke won a challenge and set McEnroe away on 24 minutes, and Graham Breen neatly tucked away the cross. Two minutes later Dave Thomson poked home after a Steve Grier throw was deflected into his path.

Grier than made a timely goal line clearance to prevent the visitors getting back in the game before a nice move between Thomson and McEnroe in the 39th gave Burke the crossing opportunity; when Breen’s effort rebounded Neil McGowan nodded home.

The second half was played at a more leisurely pace with Spartak missing a couple of chances; Dave Thomson will regret not adding to his total with a one on one effort which was too tame and another, after dispossessing the defender but shooting weakly wide.

The fourth goal in the 60th minute saw McGowan fire a fine long pass to the right; Breen beat the full back and crossed for McEnroe to finish the scoring.

A satisfactory result; fitness issues persist with some players.

Form Report (per Barry Crowe for a change)

Brian O’Keefe 7 Anto Doyle 7 Dave Browne 6 Steve Grier 8 Keith Kelly 8 Graham McEnroe 7 Neil McGowan 8 Glen Burke 7 Dave Thomson 8 Graham Breen 8 Thom O’Driscoll 7
Subs: Paul Kinsella 6 Conor Canavan 6

26.2.12
Spartak 1 Brendanville 3

Without ever playing well, Spartak created enough chances from set pieces in the first half to be well ahead at half time; instead they finished the half a goal down.

Glen Burke, on another day, night have finished the half with a hat trick, while Seamus McCahill also shot over from close range.

Brendanville created a couple of chances and got the vital goal on 14 minutes when the Sky Blues failed to pick up the thrower and the cross found a gap at the back post which made it easy for the striker.

The home side were bedevilled by poor distribution from the back throughout which frustrated many passing moves. The playing surface was a disgrace to Dun Laoghaire Rathdown – the pitch was bumpy with grass uncut for months despite the warm weather.

A free kick following an eccentric refereeing decision found a visiting player at the back post on 52 minutes and he nudged the ball home. Spartak reduced arrears on 58 minutes when Ciaran Keogh’s corner was deflected in by a defender but in general were reduced to long range efforts, one of which, by Neil McGowan , was spilled by the keeper but retrieved just in time.

A break out goal on 85 minutes sealed the win for a Brendanville side who were solid and rode their first half luck.

Spartak paid dearly for a sleepy start, lack of midfield work rate and poor passing by defenders with time to do better. A disappointing performance.

Form Report
Peter O’Toole 5 Dave Browne 5 Ciaran Keogh 5 Steve Grier 5 Alex Kenny 7 Keith Kelly 5 Neil McGowan 6 Glen Burke 6 Seamus McCahill 5 Graham Breen 6 Ger Byrne 5
Subs: Dave Thomson 6 Graham McEnroe 5 Anto Doyle 5 Conor Canavan