Arklow United A 0
St Anthony’s 2
Arklow Credit Union Park
Eoin Horkan
Two goals in the last twenty minutes saw the Kilcoole side keep their title ambitions alive in Arklow on Friday night.
Within two minutes of the opening whistle the visitors nearly took the lead when Cian Davis unleashed an effort that was well kept out by Dean Flood Hayes. From the outset St Anthony’s were controlling this tie. On the ten minute mark Dan Lacey broke away and tried to round the United goalie managed to touch the ball away to save a certain goal. After this early dominance the home side battled back and after a fine solo run from young winger James McBride that ball fell to Oisin Keegan whose volley flew over the bar. This was a slight reprieve as the opponents were managing to create a number of chances. In almost a carbon copy of the Arklow chance a cross from Michael Gray found Lacey but with the goal at his mercy he managed to put the ball over the crossbar.
The rest of the half belonged to the home side as Keegan and Matt Dempsey started to wrestle back the control of this tie. They nearly managed to take the lead from a dead ball but Niall Delahunt couldn't keep his volley under the bar. The chances were coming quicker now from United as Zack Kilbride produced a fantastic solo run down the wing. He cut inside but his effort managed to graze the top of the bar.
The crowd were getting restless as they couldn't understand how no one had broken the deadlock.
The last couple of chances of the half stayed with the home side, a Shane Connolly free from the corner was inches from hitting the top corner.
Thai last chances both sides would go in at the break ruing the chances they had missed.
Within minutes of the restart United should have taken the lead but Aaron Parle Kinsella’s header managed to fly over the crossbar with nobody within three yards of him. On the counter attack Steven Kavanagh broke away but Conor Clark stood strong in the Kilcoole side's goal.
The last twenty minutes of this tie belonged to Anto’s as they went searching for the decisive goal in this tie.They managed to get a corner which fell to Peter Bure the net rattled but the ball hit the sid netting as the Kilcoole crowd that they had taken the lead.
Minutes later Lacey broke away from the United defense as he was about to unleash a shot he was fouled by the defender who was trying to make up the ground. Up stepped Kevin O’Connor who put the ball into the corner sending Flood Hayes the wrong way.
The home side's final chance to level the tie fell to substitute Mark Nolan whose volley was well saved by Clark. It looked like the penalty was going to be the difference until the final play of the game. St Anthony’s broke away with Dan Lacey who controlled the ball before cutting in on the end line, then chipping the ball into the top corner on the full time whistle.
Arklow United:Dean Flood Hayes,Shane Connolly,Conor Blainey,Niall Delahunt,David O’Neill,Stephen Kavanagh,Zack Kilbride,Oisin Keegan,Mark Dempsey,Aaron Parle Kinsella,James McBride.
Subs Used:Mark Nolan Aaron Parle Kinsella,Graham Watts for Stephen Kavanagh,Darren Dempsey for Mark Dempsey,Aidan Cox for James McBride
St Anthony’s;Conor Clark,Louis Thomas,Javi Hernandez,Mikey Counihan,Peter Burke,Blake Ryan,Cian Davis,Jamie Murray,Dan Lacey,Kevin O’Connor,Michael Gray.
Subs Used: Matthew Kennedy for Javi Hernandez,Jamie Riro Ruda for Cian Davis,Danny Webb for Jamie Murray.
Referee:Dominique Lachaussee
