11-Apr-2006

Limerick FC 1 Kildare County 0

It was a case of - shooting boots left at home and points left behind - as one defensive error in a game they dominated from start to finish saw County leave Hogan Park empty handed last (Tuesday) night.

The Thouroghbreds should have been on their way to victory as early as the ninth minute when Darren McKenna outpaced the Limerick defence and found himself clear in front of goal with plenty of time to pick his spot and stroke past Keeper Noel Mooney.

Instead the striker elected to carry the ball forward allowing the keeper to advance and block the effort. The ball rebounded between Stephen Cooling and Stephen McCrossan, who got in each others way and the ball was hacked away to safety.

Two minutes later a Dave Scully volley was well saved by Mooney. County were enjoying the lion�s share of possession in midfield but the ploy of playing Darren McKenna as a loan striker did not work. Limerick�s only real chance of the first half fell to Colum Heffernan whose effort was cleared by Dave Scully. On the stroke of half time a left-footed effort by Stephen Cooling whizzed inches wide.

There was plenty of cause for optimism at this stage and as expected County started the second half as they finished the first with a John Reilly effort being cleared away for a corner by Pat Purcell. A succession of corners were won but with no return. Alan Byrne did come close with a header from a Thomas Morgan corner in the 55th. minute.

Disaster struck for the Thoroughbreds in the 70th. minute when a rare mistake by full back Barry Clancy saw Derek McCarthy play a one two with Robbie Kellegher before smashing the ball across the face of Brendan Kennedy�s goal and into the bottom left corner of the net.

This score rocked Kildare and they came close to going further behind but for the intervention of Ian Malone, whose well-timed tackle saw the ball taken off the toe of Paul Rose, who had the goal at his mercy. The last twenty minutes saw Kildare created chance after chance.

McCrossan was just wide with a drive from outside the box. Stephen Cooling was just off target after a knockdown by Alan Byrne. A dipping volley from John Reilly was just over and in the final minute of time added on substitute Derek Delaney almost created an opening but desperate defending by the home side saw the ball cleared to safety The result sees Limerick climb to second place behind Leaders Shamrock Rovers, when a win for the Thoroughbreds would have seen them take up a similar position.

County:BKennedy, O Mara, Clancy, Malone, A Byrne, Scully, Cooling, McCrossan, Reilly, Morgan, McKenna: Subs: Delaney (for Morgan 71), Gibbs (for Malone) 83), Slattery (for Scully 87), Lawless, Donnelly

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