Barry’s extra special winner
FRIDAY MAY 25th Over 35 Group B:
SATURDAY MAY 26th Reilly Cup Final:
SUNDAY MAY 27th Fitzsimons Cup semi-final:
Prem Div/Div 1 Promotion/Relegation play off:
THURSDAY MAY 31st, 7.30 Over 35 Group B: VETERAN striker Barry Kavanagh popped up with an extra-time winning goal that secured another season of Premier Division football for Duleek after an entertaining play-off decider at the Tollstone on Sunday afternoon.
First Division opponents Athboy Celtic went into the game with the benefit of playing a Tully Bookmakers Cup semi-final two weeks ago, but Duleek had been inactive for more than a month - partly because of their appeal over the eligibility of Ardee Celtic’s Stuart Reynolds in a league match against them.
A successful appeal would have ensured Duleek’s safety from relegation without the need for a play-off, but their protest was eventually dismissed by the Leinster FA last Wednesday, citing the lack of any evidence that Reynolds had played for any other club in any other league.
That cleared the way for this game to go ahead, and understandably Duleek were slow to get into their rhythm as a physically strong Athboy side started more promisingly and grabbed the breakthrough goal inside 10 minutes.
Gradually, Duleek began to find their passing game and a quick-fire
Duleek Athboy Celtic 3 2
double coming up to half-time saw them take a 2-1 lead.
A quickly taken free kick by James Burke found Cormac McGroggan and his cross was nodded in off the post by Karl Dyas, and five minutes later McGroggan got on the scoresheet himself to put Duleek ahead, firing to the roof of the net from 10 yards after Matthew Noone’s shot was parried by the Athboy keeper.
After the break the home side had a few opportunities to kill off Athboy’s challenge, but the visitors hung in and then struck for a 75th-minute equaliser somewhat against the run of play.
Shortly after that Duleek were adamant they should have had a penalty when McGroggan went one-on-one with the Athboy keeper and went down in the resulting challenge.
Being a last-man tackle, the goalkeeper might also have been sent off, but the referee decided he was happy with the challenge and let play continue.
With no further goals, the playoff progressed to extra time, and it was Duleek who restored their lead in the first period when a good interchange between James Burke and Noone saw the latter square the ball into the path of former amateur international Kavanagh who scored from close range.
Reflecting on the victory, which ensures Duleek retain their Premier status, manager Pete Brennan said: ‘It was a big relief.
‘At one stage we were looking very safe, but we didn’t have a big squad and we lost three key players in Caelan Duff, Gareth Toal and James Guilfoyle and that put us in a bit of trouble as other teams near the bottom started picking up points.
‘In the end we were happy enough to get the play-off, and then things dragged on because of the appeal and it was difficult to get fellas motivated at training while that was going on.
‘I preferred to stay up the way we did rather than because of an appeal.’
DULEEK: Alan Byrne, Chris McDonnell (Jamie O’Leary), Mick Conroy (Colin Woods), Gary Nugent, Jamie Flaherty, Bryan Murphy, James Burke, Karl Dyas (Alan Wilton), Matthew Noone, Cormac McGroggan, Barry Kavanagh.