Asdee win tight north derby

DENNY DIVISION 1B Listowel Celtic B 1 Asdee Rovers 2

THIS was a game between two sides that needed to win to get their season up and running and it turned out to be a close game at Pat Kennedy Park on Sunday morning that was delicately balanced right up to the final whistle.

The home side were on top territorially in the first half and Asdee were playing a route one game launching high balls into the box at every given opportunity.

However a very strong second half performance by Asdee secured the three points and in the process took their unbeaten run to three games.

Chances were at a premium in a scrappy first half with Celtic doing most of the attacking but Asdee were very dangerous on the counter attack and from set piece situations.

Celtic went close to opening their account in the 13th minute when a Jack Boland cross found Niall Downey but his effort on goal was taken off the line by Peter Mc Mahon.

Then down the other end Darragh Keane latched on to a Joe Lynch free kick but his volley missed the target.

Celtic engineered two good chances in the 30th minute but Adam Cronin shot wide when he should have hit the target while a rasper of a shot from the same player was only inches wide.

Asdee had a half chance just before the break but Joe Lynch did not have enough power in his shot to trouble the Celtic goalie Shane O’Sullivan and the sides went in scoreless at half time.

Asdee moved up a gear in the second half and they had a good chance when Martin Collins raced on to a Thomas Pierce free kick from the halfway line but his shot was inches outside the post.

A foul on Niall Downey then gave the home side a chance and it was taken quickly by Adam Cronin to Niall Downey and his shot from outside the box took a cruel deflection off a defender and wound up in the roof of the net.

Their lead only lasted five minutes with Martin Collins using his strength and height to win the ball in the goalmouth and knock it back to Peter McMahon and he applied a great finish.

Now both sides brought on a number of subs in the hope of getting a winner.

Asdee were now carrying the biggest threat and they began to put a significant amount of pressure on the Celtic rearguard.

They forced 3 successive corner kicks in the 82nd minute but they were unable to get the break through they sought.

This changed two minutes later when sub Seamus O’Sullivan was pushed in the box as a free kick came in and referee Willie O’Gorman had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

Joe Lynch rifled the ball to the top corner of the net with great precision and now Asdee could scent that a win was on the cards.

To their credit Celtic piled on the pressure to try and snatch a draw but despite getting a few free kicks and corner kicks the Asdee defence held solid and they ended up deserving winners at the end.

Celtic were reduced to 10 players five minutes from the end when Adam Cronin was red carded for an altercation with an opponent. LISTOWEL CELTIC: Shane O’Sullivan, Mikey Moriarty, Thomas Doherty, Eddie Brown, Adam Cronin, Sheldon Neill, Jack Sheahan, Brendan Angland (Jo Jo Grimes, 65 mins), Jack Boland (Adam Mulvihill, 75 mins), Liam O’Connor (Marius Jurca 63 mins), Niall Downey (Stephen Foran 77 mins).

ASDEE ROVERS: Owen Tydings, John Horgan, Joe O’Brien, Peter McMahon, Kenneth Tydings (John Martin Horgan, 58 mins), Joe Lynch, Darragh Keane, Martin Collins, Paudie O’Neill (Seamus O’Sullivan, 71 mins), Thomas Pierse (James O’Brien, 82 mins), Eamon Leahy (Darise Barry, 78 mins).

REFEREE: Willie O’Gorman