Preseason Friendly: Ballymun Utd 4-2 Duleek FC Ballymun came out - TopicsExpress



          

Preseason Friendly: Ballymun Utd 4-2 Duleek FC Ballymun came out on top in a hard fought victory over Duleek at their North Dublin complex on Friday evening. After leading for most of the game, Duleek were undone by 3 Ballymun goals in a frantic 8 final minutes of the game. The win ensures that Dave Rodgers’ tenure in charge of the Mun remains unbeaten from 2 preseason games. Ballymun started the better in this tie and had most of the early possession in the first 10 minutes with Danny Murphy causing problems on the right wing and John Deegan looking solid in their centre midfield engine room. The first goal however came against the run of play on eighteen minutes when Duleek’s Dylan Carney picked up the ball in centre midfield, spotted the Ballymun keeper off his line and and struck a struck a spectacular strike into the net from near the halfway line to make it 1-0. Duleek could have been 2 in front just a minute later but Chris Pollis blasted his opportunity over the bar from close range. Almost immediately after, Ballymun’s Barry Kavanagh, who played with Duleek last season raced clear on the his old teammate’s defence and slotted past the helpless keeper to even the game up at 1-1. Kavanagh’s goal prompted both teams to life and an epic end to and battle ensued with Duleek perhaps shading the exchanges and having the better chances. On thirty-six minutes they converted one of those chances when the impressive Ray Hammond controlled a flick on from a long ball and coolly slotted the ball into the left corner to make it 2-1 and that is how the half ended up. Ballymun made wholesale changes at half time and their team seemed to improve because of them. Just like the first half they dominated the first 10 minutes of the half with Noel Downey looking dangerous and causing problems up front. Duleek did have a good period shortly after with their best chance falling to player/manager Tony Grant whose shot from from twenty yards out just fizzed wide of the post on sixty minutes. For the majority of the half Ballymun seemed to dominate their Meath & District League opponents but they could just not find that killer instinct to draw level and failed to convert some decent chances. With eighty minutes on the clock and Ballymun still in having the better of the possession, it looked like Duleek may have been the ones to score with one of their fleeting breaks up field. SLICE OGHowever, a Ballymun corner was sliced into his own net by a Duleek defender to make it 2-2 and to set up an exciting finish to the game. Ballymun laid siege to the Duleek goal and another corner broke to Chris Sheridan who blasted the ball home to make it 3-2 to the Mun on eighty-six minutes. Ballymun were not finished there and further pressure got them a fourth when a delightful Noel Downey chip produced a fingertip save from the keeper. The ball fell back to Downey who played in Barry Kavanagh to score his second against his old teammates and wrap up the game at a deserved 4-2 to Ballymun. The result builds upon Ballymun’s recent victory over Ballymena Utd and shows a vast improvement on last season’s displays. While this performance was in no way as good as that victory, it does show that we can expect a good challenge to the Sheriff / Kilbarrack dominance from Ballymun in the coming AUL Premier A season!
Posted on: Fri, 26 Jul 2013 22:32:01 +0000

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