The Park secure promotion to Premier A after anxious win over Castlegregory Celtic

CHARLEVILLE CHEESE PREMIER B

Castlegregory Celtic 1 The Park 2

AFTER winning a crucial game mid-week Castlegregory faced the acid test at Paddy Goggin Park on Sunday when the locked horns with fellow title contenders The Park in a game which, as the Abba song goes, the winner takes it all, with both sides requiring a win to clinch their place in the decider.

If the game ended in a draw both sides would be out of the title race and Killarney Celtic B and Ballyheigue Athletic would meet in the decider.

There was a big Killarney Celtic presence at the game as if it ended in a draw Celtic would be in the final so they were praying that the sides would end up with a share of the spoils.

This game had a cup final atmosphere to it and with so much at stake the game began at a frantic pace in very challenging conditions with a strong wind heavy showers of rain and difficult underfoot conditions were not conducive to playing attractive football.

However both sides had only one mission in mind and that was to win the game at all costs and the stakes could not be any higher as the winner would qualify for the league final and be promoted to Premier A.

Both sides rose to the challenge admirably and it turned out to be a tight game that was in tender hooks right up to the final whistle.

In awful conditions The Park came up with a game plan that yielded the result they required.

The Park’s deadly striker and team coach Donagh O’Brien has been banging in goals all season but he done it on the big stage out in West Kerry on Sunday scoring the two goals that sent his side into the league final.

The Tralee side bridged a nine-year gap in the process returning to the top flight of Kerry soccer again.

The visitors got off to a dream start going ahead after just 3 minutes.

A free-flowing attack provided an opening for James Fisher who released Donagh O’Brien.

He headed towards goal, evading the centre back and lifted the ball over the Castlegregory keeper for a finish of the highest quality.

The home struck back 10 minutes later when a long range effort by Cian O’Grady got caught in a swirling cross field gale and after bouncing inside the box it deceived the Park goalie and wound up in the back of the net.

The home side put a spell of attacks together after this that produced scoring opportunities but The Park keeper Gavin O Brien brought off a few vital saves.

The game was wide open at the break and The Park began the second half in the offensive and created a few scoring chances which they failed to avail of.

The match winning goal came on the hour mark when Kyle Bustard made a great run down the right wing, got around the left back at the end line and delivered a superb ball across the face of the goals where deadly striker Donagh O’Brien showed his true goal scoring pedigree with a great finish from close range.

There still was a lot of football to be played after this with plenty of time for Castlegregory to make a recovery.

The home side done every trick in he book to try and engineer an equaliser but it was to no avail with the Park defence turning on a master class of defending and they ran out deserving winners.

After a great season it was a disappointing end of the season for Castlegregory not making it to the final but they have come a long way over the past few seasons and things are looking good for them going into the future.

Manager Ken Twamley and his assistant Donagh O’Brien have done a wonderful job with the team with a young squad of talented players who will get even better when they get more experience under their belts.

The team never had such responsibility on their shoulders as on Sunday when facing a good Castlegregory side in their home patch but they stepped up admirably, turning in a great team performance that resulted in a great victory.

The club has the biggest underage structure in the KDL and with a good B team as well the future of the club is looking very optimistic and they should be good enough to hold their own in the top- flight of Kerry soccer.

One man who was thrilled with this win on Sunday was the legendary Christy Leahy who has been involved in the club all his life and he is looking forward to seeing the team playing in Premier A again next season.

THE PARK SQUAD: Gavin O’Brien, Cian O’Neill, James Rusk, Luke Dennehy, Robert Vasiu, Conor O’Callaghan, Dean Scanlon, James Fisher, Donagh O’Brien, Kyle Bustard, Charles Solomon, Greg Scanlon, Luke O’Regan.