Spartak Dynamo FC

30.9.12
Spartak 2, Sallynoggin Pearse 3

A gift goal 8 minutes from time gave the visitors the points after Spartak had made all the running in the second half.

Some games go to the team which has the fewer chances, and this was one of those.

Spartak were disrupted when Jason Northey pulled up in the warm up, and Steve Grier took his place between the sticks. While Steve took off a few good saves, this game will be remembered for his poor passing out from the back. The winning goal came when, taking a goal kick and trying to find Keith Kelly out wide, Steve mishit his pass to a forward, on the edge of the box, who duly capitalised.

The first goal was similar – Steve’s clearing kick travelled 30 yards and when the ball was lobbed back in towards the unprotected goal, Dave Browne’s header was directed centrally and went straight to another visiting striker, who had a simple task. On a positive note, Jason Northey has kindly offered kicking lessons to Steve.

This was Spartak’s best game so far for chances made; Conor Maguire was a constant menace up front and will hardly play as well again without scoring.

Spartak should have led early on but Conor Maguire’s effort which beat the keeper struck a defender and looped on to the top of the net. Steve Walsh fired wide and Graham McEnroe’s surge into the box was halted by a tackle. McEnroe’s cross was then turned in by a defender for the Sky Blues’ equaliser; but some weak midfield tracking allowed the visitors to play through for an effort which Steve Grier saved well but the rebound was converted.

It was a different Sky Blue team which emerged after the interval; the visitors were pushed back and the balance of play swung completely in Spartak’s favour. A first time pass by Maguire put McEnroe in for a sweetly struck equaliser; then Steve Walsh fired just wide.

Conor Maguire then fastened on to a long ball and from out wide wriggled his way past two defenders in a solo effort but was foiled by a good save from the keeper when a finish would have been a candidate for goal of the season.

Niall Hanratty’s blazing shot was goalbound but was blocked, at some personal expense, by a defender; then Hanratty shot just wide when teed up by Stuart Love. Maguire then had a good chance saved.

Then, in a pivotal moment, McEnroe opted not to put Steve Walsh in for a clear run at goal and the chance was lost.

Sallynoggin gave notice of their intent when hitting the post on a break, but they then got out of jail courtesy of that late goal.

The general display was good , particularly when dominating the third quarter, and Keith Kelly’s return to fitness is a welcome one.

The reality is that after three games, and nul points, the concession of soft goals makes the task of winning games doubly difficult. And this was one game which should have yielded three points.

Form Report
Steve Grier 5 Keith Kelly 7 Aodhan McCahill 7 Alex Kenny 8 Dave Browne 6 Ken Buckley 6 Graham McEnroe 6 Niall Hanratty 7 Stuart Love 6 Conor Maguire 8 Steve Walsh 6
Subs Paul Kinsella 5 Jason Northey

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