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LAOIS U-21 FC 'B' - O'Dempsey's clinch title in style

Paul Delaney opened the scoring for Crettyard-Killeshin after a nervy opening few minutes and although Barry Kelly converted a free to briefly equalise, O'Dempsey's were looking decidedly out of sorts and their opponents took full advantage.

After a spate of wides from both sides Damien Lowry's excellent early fielding was causing O'Dempsey's all sorts of problems and he fed Attride who fired over a fine score on the quarter hour mark. Captain Adrian Byrne then produced a moment of real quality by sending over a magnificent score with the outside of his right boot. Moments later Lowry added a free and after keeper Craig Comerford pulled off a fine save from O'Dempsey's Barry Kelly, Crettyard-Killeshin swept upfield and fed Eoin O'Shea who calmly nudged his side further ahead.

It was beginning to look like it wasn't going to be O'Dempsey's night. Twice in quick succession the crossbar denied Barry Kelly after John Condron and Sean O'Reilly got their wires crossed to send the rangy full-forward through and Crettyard-Killeshin looked set to take a healthy four-point lead into the dressing rooms at the break. That was until two scores in the dying stages of the first period turned the game on its head. Perhaps with their minds already on the half-time breather, Crettyard-Killeshin completely switched off and again Barry Kelly broke free. His quick ball across the goal was met by Seanie McMahon who buried his shot home, and captain Robbie Kehoe then delightfully found Kelly again unmarked and he swept over the equaliser.

A shell-shocked Crettyard-Killeshin left O'Dempsey's waiting out on the field for a few minutes before the restart but they themselves were subsequently left high and dry by a blistering O'Dempsey's who strung a succession of second-half scores together that left their opponents visibly dazed. The writing was already on the wall by the time Killian Walsh's foot-block on McMahon left Peter O'Neill with no option but to award a penalty, a kick that Tomas Slevin duly dispatched. Ciaran McManus quickly added a point from close range and then Barry Kelly took control.

His point six minutes in to the second period left O'Dempsey's leading by five and he and McManus both added another point apiece before Tomas Slevin ghosted past three would-be defenders to drill a low shot past Craig Comerford.

Damien Lowry registered his side's first score of the half with 15 minutes remaining but such was the extent of O'Dempsey's dominance, the chances of a comeback were astronomical, even after Eoin O'Shea somehow placed his shot into roof of the O'Dempsey's net past a sea of opponents and teammates.

Ciaran McManus got O'Dempsey's back into the scoring routine after a five minute drought and despite a superb long-range score from Damien Lowry, O'Dempsey's maintained total control.

SCORERS - O'Dempsey's: Tomas Slevin 2-0 (1-0 penalty), Barry Kelly 0-5 (two frees), Ciaran McManus 0-4, Seanie McMahon 1-0; Crettyard-Killeshin: Eoin O'Shea 1-1, Damien Lowry 0-3 (one free), Adrian Byrne, Stephen Attride and Paul Delaney 0-1 each

O'DEMPSEY'S: Padraig Bannon; Conor Kavanagh, Richard Whelehan, Bobby Sweeney; Tadgh Matthews, Robbie Kehoe, Eoghan O'Hara; Rory Bracken, Tomas Finlay; Ciaran McManus, Ed Kelly, Seanie McMahon; Eamon Melia, Barry Kelly, Tomas Slevin. Subs: Liam McNamara for Melia (50 mins), Eoin Finlay for McManus (57 mins), Ciaran Haberlin for McMahon (57 mins), Paddy McNamara for Matthews (59 mins)

CRETTYARD-KILLESHIN: Craig Comerford; Killian Walsh, Kevin Ryan, Dillon Lawlor; Sean O'Reilly, Kevin McEvoy, John Condron; Alan Brennan, Eoin Brennan; Eoin O'Shea, Adrian Byrne, Stephen Attride; Paul Delaney, Damien Lowry, Ronan Phelan.Subs: Tony Pender for Ryan (35mins), Shane Lowry for Phelan (40mins), Trevor Brennan for O'Reilly (51 mins)

Referee: Peter O'Neill (Portlaoise)

Published Date: 04 August 2010
By Staff Reporter for The Leinster Express