Round-up of all the action from the local soccer league
Byrne and Eyre both net hat-tricks in resounding win
AN absolute clinic from Ashford Rovers’ front pairing of Danny Byrne and Robbie Eyre blew St. Peter’s Bhoys out of the water in Fassaroe on Friday evening.
Byrne and Eyre had wrapped up a hattrick apiece by the time they were called ashore in the 60th minute having already done more than enough damage to the weary Bray side. It was an onimous start to the tie when Eyre fired his side ahead after three minutes but Byrne was a man on a mission midway through the first half as goals on 22, 29 and 31 had him dreaming of another matchball.
But perhaps it has now been shared as ex-Roundwood ace Eyre struck twice more in the second period on a dream night’s work for the Ballinela Park outfit.
The most worrying aspect of Ashford’s opener, arriving after just three minutes, was that it was overdue - such was the visitors’ ravenous start to proceedings.
Byrne deserves plenty of credit for a sublime flick that found the galivanting Anto Byrne. The right-back bundled his way past his man and with men queing up in the middle, he found Eyre who made no mistake.
There could have been an almost instant leveller when Chad Ryan met Daniel McCann’s corner but his downward effort came back off the crossbar.
Rovers’ Fiachra Ryan beat Ethon Crinion to Brendan Manning’s corner but saw his header loop onto the roof of the net.
Shane Dunne went on the rampage in the 17th minute as he burst forward and tossed Nathan Canavan out of his way but his powerful drive was straight down Crinion’s throat. On 22 minutes, Danny Byrne was felled and his ex-team mate Jamie Kelly protested to David Jameson that there was no foul.
His mood was further soured when Shane Dunne’s vicious delivery was somehow lamped into the top corner by an outrageous header from Danny Byrne.
Six minutes later, another free proved to be Peter’s downfall again. Killian O’Carroll was booked this time and Robbie Eyre’s 25-yard thunderbolt left the crossbar rattling. When the ball fell, Byrne was waiting all alone to nod it in.
Within two minutes, Byrne secured his treble. Eyre was caught late after shooting in the penalty area and Byrne employed a lenghtly and deceptive run-up before clipping it down the middle to make it 0-4.
The hosts restored some pride before half time when Darren McAteer powered home from a corner but the tie was completely killed off 40 seconds into the second period when Byrne pounced on sloppy play from the home defence before putting it on a plate for his striker partner who dispatched his second. Byrne should have grabbed a fourth when a short backpass sent him clean through but Crinion blocked his effort before superbly tipping over Eyre’s follow-up.
Eyre would have his crowning moment on the hour mark though as an inch-perfect cross from the right flank found him at the far post and he expertly side-footed it back across goal and into the corner.
It would be he and Byrne’s last action as they were sacrificed to give Chris Sillery and Cian O’Hannain some game time.
It also meant the captian’s armband was handed to Shane Dunne but he was sidelined on 62 minutes, meaning his reign as captain lasted only 100 seconds.
Despite being five goals behind, the Saints didn’t shy away and Chad Ryan pulled a classy goal back in the 65th minute when he collected the ball on the edge of the area and skipped past his man before drilling to the bottom corner.
O’Hannain, one of the Rovers replacements, seemed intent on making the most of his opportuinity. He took advantage of shaky defending to make it 7-2 in the 67th minute and 10 minutes later he got beyond the last man, rode a lunging tackle and kept his cool to slot past Crinion.
ST. PETER’S BHOYS: Ethon Crininon; Carl Troy, Darren McAteer, Ger Watters, Nathan Canavan; Sean Devlin, Noel Stevens, Killian O’Carroll, Daniel McCann; Chad Ryan, Jamie Kelly. SUBS: Sean McAteer for D. McAteer (65); Mark O’Sullivan for Canavan (65).
ASHFORD ROVERS: Cathal Moody; Anto Byrne, Brian Coen, Mick Taylor, Karl Earls; Kaelim Broughan, Brendan Manning, Shane Dunne, Fiachra Ryan; Robbie Eyre, Danny Byrne. SUBS: Chris Sillery for Byrne (60); Cian O’Hainnin for Eyre (60); Ross Brown for Dunne (62). REFEREE: David Jameson.