Clane keep the pressure on league leaders
Aggie Gibbons on the ball for Kildare Town during their 4-1 defeat to Rathangan in the So Fresh Entertainment Womens Division last week Photo: Mick Anderson
SENIOR DIVISION TEAM FOCUS
Clane came into this game knowing three points was a must to keep up the pressure on league leaders, Naas United.
After ten minutes Clane opened the scoring when James Ralph pulled the ball back to the edge of the box to Dean Comiskey to fire the home side into an early lead.
Despite dominating early on, Old Fort got back into the Daryl Ntumba’s shot was inches from crossing the line but there was no stopping soon after when debutant Josh Akanji lobbed into the net.
Just before half time, Byron McGuirk turned the game on it’s head when he put the visitors 2-1 up when he beat the onrushing home keeper with a clever lob.
Clane came out strong in the second half dominating the ball and creating chances. Ten minutes into the second half, Cathal Geoghegan headed Clane level from a Stephen Leavy cross.
With time ticking away, Clane finally took the lead again when Geoghegan again headed home from another Leavy cross and then with ten minutes remaining Comiskey scored his second and his side’s fourth to wrap up all three points.
Rathangan came away with the points after a one sided second half at Canal Road to make it four wins in a row.
Sam Horgan tapped home in the 12th minute to open the scoring but Kilcullen were back on level terms in the 28th minute through a stunning long rang strike from Dean Conroy that rattled the bottom of the crossbar before hitting the net.
Kilcullen then took the lead before half time with another cracking goa, this time Jamal Meslouhi finding net with an outrageous overhead kick.
Jay Dempsey opened the second half goal glut for the home team when he pounced on the rebound after Colin Scanlon’s shot was saved.
Lee Moore and Jack Moore then netted before Moore completed his hat-trick in the 81st minute. Cannon rounded off an impressive second half with the last goal of the game to leave the score at 6-2 at the final whistle.
LEAGUE CUP
Arlington having the better start creating chances through the middle with chances from Adam Burns and Shane Nealon. Despite the best efforts of Nealon, Ceilum Maher, Adam Burns and Ian Higgins, Clonmullion took the tie courtesy of goals from a brace from Chris Chanders and one each from Cody Mulhall and Benny Lawlor.
League Shield
Hotspurs came out on top of this Newbridge derby but it was by no means a forgone conclusion with all the goals coming in the final 12 minutes.
After a tight affair, the game changed when Town’s Richie Kelly the Masters in front but all that seemed to do was to wake Hotspurs up.
Tommy Walsh scored the equaliser four minutes later and thenThomas Hennessy threaded a superb pass through to the run of Eoin McGrath and he finished to make it 2-1 to the visitors. Town looked devastated but picked themselves up to go again regardless, however with stoppage time approaching Hotspurs killed the game off.
McGrath grabbed his second after a sweet ball across the box from Scott O’Connor.
