Passage Too strong
PARK UNITED JUNIORS Passage 4 Park United 2
On Friday night last Park juniors travelled to Passage looking for their second league win of the season after claiming their first win the week previous at home to Wilton. On a cold brisk night Park’s job was never going to be easy when the Passage team sheet showed former Cork city players Liam Kearney and Mark O’Sullivan and in my view a little unfair at this level as Passage who were formerly a senior club were regraded back down to junior.
Park had to face up to it and that they did. The game started at a fast tempo but it was the home side that looked the more dangerous. They nudged in front on 15 minutes and to be honest we gifted them the opportunity. Mins later great Park play saw them win a corner and when Park’s man of the match Daire Brennan swung it in Tommy Dalton was inches away from finding the net.
We had another great opportunity mins later when Jack O’Shea put Brennan through. he did all the hard work but watched agonisingly as the keeper saved with his foot. Park were well on top at this stage, Mark Bane, Paddy Hanrahan and Mikey Keating working their socks off in the middle.
This Passage side are a good outfit though and they bounced back with Park keeper Jack O’Brien making 2 excellent saves to keep Park in it. Then from a corner on 25 minutes a Passage player got above Eamon O’Connor and glanced a header in over Jack in goals making it 2-0. Park never lay down and silenced the home crowd 5 mins later. Daire Brennan, who was having a magnificent game, dispossessed their right back and bustled through on goal and beat the keeper with a low drive. It was game on again but would you believe it with 1 minute to the break we gifted Passage their 3rd goal when ex-City player O’Sullivan was allowed the freedom of the pitch and when he teed up a fellow Passage player, his low drive gave Jack O’Brien no chance, making it 3-1 at the break.
The second half saw both sides battle it out with little being created. Park knew the next goal was going to be vital and kept possession in search of a second goal. Passage are a strong seasoned team though and they curtailed any attack that Park posed. Then with 20 gone we conceded a sloppy 4th. Jack O’Brien threw the ball out to Sean O’Connell who was put under pressure by Mark O’Sullivan straight away. He dispossessed O’Connell and raced clear and dinked a perfect ball over O’Brien in goals making it 4 1 to the home side. Park freshened things up from the bench then with Kevin Finn replacing Shane Murphy, and minutes later Darren Caplice came on for the injured Eamon O’Connor. The fight in the Park team never died and again the tenacious Brennan got us back in it when he notched his and Park’s second on 75 min. Keith O’Connor and Cameron Keane were introduced and we could have been in for a grandstand finish if O’Connor’s head could have met a perfect cross from Darren Caplice.
The home side made some switches as well to balance play and wore down a Park side that couldn’t find a way through. Reece Heaphy, returning from injury, came on for the last 5 minutes but time wasn’t on our side and in the end we suffered another defeat against a team that are punching above their weight in this division. The prospect of a local derby v Fermoy this weekend was going to be a good pick me up after this game but Covid restrictions have now put paid to any of that for 3 weeks at least.
Team: O’Brien, O’Connell, E O’Connor, Davern, Murphy, O’Shea, Bane, Keating, Hanrahan, Dalton, Brennan. Subs: Finn, K O’Connor, Caplice, Keane, Heaphy.
BIG RESULT FOR PARK UNITED YOUTHS Park United 4 St Marys 2
On Saturday we hosted unbeaten and top of the table St Mary’s at home in the league. The first half hour was a tight affair with few chances for either side. Then a kick out from Adam O’Keeffe set Zach McCarthy free who played in Stephen Kenneally who finished into the bottom corner. Park created a few more chances before half-time but failed to convert them.
Five minutes into the second half a free kick from St Mary’s was saved by Adam O’Keeffe but the St Mary’s striker was on hand to put away the rebound. On 75 minutes a great run by Stephen Kenneally saw him get to the by-line and put in a great cross which was volleyed home at the near post by Aidan O’Shea. Five minutes later Stephen was sent off for two very harsh yellow cards. This really got Park going and we scored two goals in the next 5 minutes. First a great move involving Oisín Fenton and Leon Murphy set up Dion Roberts to finish into the corner from the edge of the box and then Colin McNamara broke through a couple of tackles and curled his shot into the top corner from 30 yards out making it 4-1 to Park.
In the final minute of normal time Dion and a St Marys defender were shown a red card each. With the last kick of the game St Mary’s scored their second but Park held out for a deserved 4-2 victory.
Squad: Adam O’Keeffe, Oisín Morrissey, Padraig Harrington, Padraig O’Flynn, Jamie Fogarty, Ryan Donegan, Aidan O’Shea, Colin McNamara, Stephen
Kenneally, Leon Murphy, Zach McCarthy, Jake Fox, Luke O’Mahony, Dion Roberts, Liam McMillan, Oisín Fenton, Adam O’Grady, Evin Hyland, Tadhg Nolan and Cathal Barry
WEEKLY LOTTO
Jackpot €5,950. Our weekly lotto draw took place in Jackie O’Brien’s on Monday night last and the numbers drawn were 3-6-8-25. We thank you the public again for your great support. See lotto results elsewhere in paper. Tickets available from usual outlets or from our door to door seller John Ryan.
SYMPATHIES
Park United AFC expresses its deepest sympathies to the family of the late Joan O’Shea, Lower Cork St. May she rest in peace. Our prayers and thoughts are with you at this difficult time.
FIXTURES
All fixtures for every age level are now postponed due to Covid level 3 regulations for a period of 3 weeks at least.