Howard to the ‘four’
Greystones score magnificent seven to see off Celtic
GREYSTONES UTD AKLOW CELTIC B 7 4
GREYSTONES UNITED had the electric Kyle Howard to thank as the on-fire forward’s four goals helped them survive a second-half Arklow Celtic comeback on their way to victory in an 11-goal thriller on Sunday afternoon.
Howard scored two goals in the first-half, including a spectacular lobbed finish, as the Seahorses romped into a 4-1 half-time lead.
However, Arklow rallied in the second, and would get to within a single goal of completing the comeback at 4-3.
Ultimately, it would be Greystones who would come away with the three points, as Howard scored his third and fourth goals in the second-half to help them on their way to the win.
In what was a frankly bizarre game of football, Greystones dominated the first-half.
The home side wouldn’t have to wait long for Kyle Howard to open the scoring, as he poached home from Cillian Brosnan’s cross.
Howard, alongside Dave O’Sullivan, caused Arklow all sorts of problems all game with their pace and movement.
The two would combine for what they thought was a second goal, only for Howard’s strike, at the end of a well-worked move featuring Richie Carroll, Mark Lynch, and O’Sullivan, to be chalked off for offside.
It wouldn’t take long afterwards for them to double their advantage, however.
Howard’s cross from the right was missed by Brosnan, only for Mark Lynch to arrive at the back post to convert and make the score 2-0.
Shortly thereafter, it was 3-0 in favour of the hosts. A long ball up the middle from Cillian Brosnan found its way through the Arklow defence, where Dave O’Sullivan was on-hand to race into the area and squeeze the ball under the on-rushing Adam Kinsella.
O’Sullivan had another goal ruled out for offside, but Kyle Howard would steal the headlines with an astonishing fourth goal of the day.
Another long ball through the middle broke past two Arklow defenders. Much like O’Sullivan, Howard raced in on-goal, before he magnificently lifted the ball up-and-over the standing Kinsella.
Craig Kinsella’s goal on the stroke of half-time made it 4-1 and would foreshadow the extraordinary events that would unfold in the second-half.
While dominant in the first-half, Greystones manager Derek White admitted that his side suffered from a case of complacency in the second.
Before one knew what had happened, Arklow Celtic had dragged Greystones back to within a single goal, as Craig Kinsella’s second and a goal from Edwin Walker brought the sides to within a goal of being level at 4-3.
Fortunately for ‘Stones, Kyle Howard still had goals left in the tank, and would seal his hat-trick, with Dave O’Sullivan scoring his second of the day following a goalmouth scramble to push the score out to 6-3.
Arklow would close to within one through Lester Carroll, but it would end up being Howard’s day, as he swept home his fourth to seal the dramatic 7-4 win for his team.
Denis Burke; Sam Gammell, Jamie Plant, Mukoro Gberevbie, Joseph Gerrard, Oisin Keogh, Dave O’Sullivan, Richie Carroll, Kyle Howard, Cillian Brosnan, Mark Lynch.
GREYSTONES UNITED:
Adam Kinsella; Danny Lai, Mark Wolohan, Lester Carroll, Cillian Donegan, Tiernan Lockhart, Paul O’Connor, Edwin Walker, Kevin O’Regan, Craig Caufield, Craig Kinsella.
ARKLOW CELTIC: REFEREE:
Dominick Lachaussee.