Keavney’s the star for ruthless Rovers
TOM Keavney was the star of the show for Bridge Rovers as they put Duncannon to the sword in their Youth Division 1 encounter in The Bogside on Saturday.
The talented Keavney put in a breath-taking display, helping himself to five goals in a clinical performance.
It wasn’t a one-man show, however, with the Castlebridge boys impressing all over the field as they attacked in droves from the off and never allowed the visitors to get any real foothold in the game.
It took the hosts nine minutes to make the breakthrough, when Darragh Malone played a pinpoint through ball and Tom O’Connor got a touch to divert it past goalkeeper Mark Waters.
Waters was again picking the ball out of his net six minutes later when Tom Keavney burst through and drilled a shot into the far corner.
Keavney grabbed his second on 20 minutes, finishing confidently after some wonderful approach play involving Hugh Manley, Gloudie Makieve and Darragh Malone.
The lively number ten almost completed his hat-trick on 29 minutes when he struck the crossbar, and at the other end Devin WallWalsh came agonisingly close to opening the Duncannon account when his shot came back off the far post after he had done well to make space for the shot.
Gloudie Makieve forced a fine save out of Mark Waters in the 34th minute and Keavney’s third goal arrived a minute later, when he ran on to Darragh Malone’s pass and clinically dispatched a shot out of the reach of the netminder.
A minute later it was 5-0, with the irrepressible Keavney bagging his fourth, sliding Tom O’Connor’s pass to the net.
Kieran White pulled a goal back for the seasiders three minutes after the interval, arrowing an accurate strike out of the reach of goalkeeper Adam Kelly, and the netminder was called into action to deny James Walsh in the 58th minute.
However, Bridge Rovers completely took the wind out of their sails moments later when Darragh Malone latched on to a long throw from substitute Matthew Kavanagh and rolled it to the net.
Duncannon had a chance to pull one back in the 68th minute, but Kieran White saw his penalty saved by Kelly, and Keavney again showed his predatory instinct in the 74th minute, racing through and calmly rounding the goalkeeper for his fifth.
Substitute Tiernan Malone had the final say for an impressive Bridge Rovers, gathering a pass from Darragh Malone before showing great composure to cut inside and confidently finish.
BRIDGE ROVERS: Adam Kelly, Pádraig Jordan, Hugh Manley, Luke Enstone,
Evan Carr, Darragh Malone, Tom Scallan, Nathan O’Rourke, Gloudie Makieve, Tom Keavney, Tom O’Connor. Subs. - Matthew Kavanagh for Manley, Tiernan Malone for Keavney. DUNCANNON F.C.: Mark Waters, Deivid Ovsianirouas, Josh Whelan, Evan Dwyer, Adam Waters, Ryan Molloy, Devin WallWalsh, Kieran White, Kevin White, James Walsh, Ethan Keogh. Subs. - Corey Cullen for Walsh, Brian Cooke for Keogh, also Sam Foley. REFEREE: Jimmy O’Neill.