24.2.13
Seafordrock 6, Spartak 4
A game Spartak should have had wrapped up turned against them with a key dismissal in the 46th minute.
With Steve Grier able to play only after the expert ministrations of Niall Tilly, and Messrs Thomson, McGowan and Farrington missing for a variety of reasons, Spartak went down to only their second defeat in the last ten games against their higher ranked opponents in the Lummy O’Reilly Cup. With Marlay snow covered, the match was switched on the morning and both teams headed to Rockfield Park.
A superb attacking performance was ruined by the concession of goals which should have been easily avoidable.
It took just two minutes for the Sky Blues to take the lead, when Derek Ruxton turned a Dave Browne throw into the path of Steve Walsh, who scored at the second attempt. But the locals were level when a corner, struck low, evaded Thom O’Driscoll and Niall Hanratty to travel across goal and was finished via the crossbar despite Jason Northey getting a finger to the close range effort.
Steve Grier headed over from Niall Hanratty’s free and on 14 minutes Niall Hanratty scored via a deflection to restore the lead. Jason Northey took off a save which was strictly for the cameras as Seaford had a long range shot.
Spartak continued to look dangerous in attack with sweeping moves as Hanratty, McCahill and Ruxton worked well in the middle with Maguire and Walsh always dangerous and during this purple patch Steve Walsh might have added to his total on two occasions, forcing saves from the home keeper.
Some sloppy passing at the back by Dave Browne and Paul Kinsella saw Niall hanratty concede a free which flew wide.
On 43 minutes Spartak scored a magnificent goal to go 3-1 up. Derek Ruxton intercepted and then drilled a 40 yard pass to Conor Maguire, isolated on the left; Conor held it up well against superior odds, and then added the flourish by picking out Steve Walsh’s run through the middle. A neat finish by Steve completed a fine move.
Just before and after the break proved crucial; the home side reduced arrears when a looping shot beat Jason Northey after some untidy defensive work, but the real drama came in the first minute of the second half. A home attack was thwarted by a couple of saves by Northey; then a local forward fired towards goal. Paul Kinsella was covering the goal line and looked well placed to head clear; but for some inexplicable reason he became the villain of the piece when he raised his hands to save, resulting in a straight red card and a penalty. While Jason Northey got his hand to the spot kick, it was not enough to keep it out.
So from 3-1 up to 3-3 and a man down.
The Sky Blues regrouped and a glorious move by Conor Maguire and Seamus McCahill gave Steve Walsh a clear chance running in from the right, but his effort was wide. Then on 55 minutes Conor Maguire gave Spartak the lead again by drilling a free kick into the top corner.
Conor was then fouled in the box but the ref was not interested.
The goalfest continued on 75 minutes when Seafordrock equalised with a soft shot with Jason Northey unsighted. The ten men were showing signs, not surprisingly, of fatigue and at 4-4 would have settled for extra time. Not to be. On 85 minutes the striker accelerated past Dave Browne and clipped the ball past the advancing Northey; an attempted goal line clearance only resulted in an air shot. 4-5!
Spartak had no option but to press forward and the 6th goal to the home side saw Dave Browne fouled while attempting to clear, but the goal was allowed.
A bittersweet match which saw Spartak play some exhilarating football but in which they were undone by individual defensive errors.
Form Report
Jason Northey 6 Paul Kinsella 4 Aodhan McCahill 6 Steve Grier 7 Dave Browne 6 Derek Ruxton 8 Thom O’Driscoll 5 Seamus McCahill 7 Niall Hanratty 6 Conor Maguire 8 Steve Walsh 8
Subs: Ken Buckley
