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You are > Home > Soccer: Crystal win thanks to late pen
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Friday, December 03, 2004
Soccer: Crystal win thanks to late pen
By: Adrian Flanagan
Permanent TSB Under 12 League
WATERFORD CRYSTAL 2 SOUTHEND UNITED 1
A LATE penalty from Kevin Feely gave Waterford Crystal all three points against a very gutsy Southend United outfit at the Crystal Complex on a bitterly cold Saturday morning last.
After the home side took the lead in the early stages of the match, the visitors drew back level from a free kick before the late drama, which saw Feely converted a late gasp penalty kick.
But, they can certainly thank their keeper David O’Leary, who produced a top class save to deny Stuart Mitchell of Southend a certain goal in the second half.
The youngster dived full length to save and this will without doubt go down as one of the saves of the year that even any keeper in the world would have been proud of.
It has a goal written all over it and without question it was a match winning save in its own rite.
When referee John Keegan sounded the final whistle, the visitors were heartbroken at defeat and the manner, in which they lost the game.
CRYSTAL SCORE FIRST
They could have no complaints whatsoever about the penalty decision as Keegan got it spot on when Stephen Roche was sent flying inside the area after he had made a good run.
Crystal took the lead very early in the game, with a little help from the post. Richie Walsh was the player that scored the goal after he picked up a pass and his shot from inside the penalty area went in off the post and this gave the home side the perfect start for victory.
They had been struggling of late due to GAA matches and it has to be said that Crystal are not a bad side when all their players are fit and raring to go.
On the other hand, they gave away some needless free kicks in dangerous positions and the visitors punished them with an equalising goal after 12 minutes of play in the first half.
Shay Dempsey fouled Stuart Mitchell as he made a beeline for goal and Eoin Madigan sent the resulting free kick to the back of the Crystal net over the head of the unlucky David O’Leary, who just couldn’t get to the ball.
Southend are also a team that are making giant leaps forward after some excellent results during the early part of the year.
Waterford Crystal had a chance to go back in front after 18 minutes when Kevin Feely set up centre forward Stephen Roche with a fine pass but his left-footed shot was well held by Southend keeper Graham Coady at the first attempt.
The grass on the Crystal second pitch was very high and it didn’t help when it came to playing football.
GOAL FEST
An excellent move from the home side after 23 minutes nearly resulted in the third goal of the first half but thankfully from a Southend point of view the ball went wide.
Feely pass found Adam Heyslip, who picked out Patrick Mungenga wide on the left, he cut into the penalty area but his shot from a tight angle when inches wide of the target.
The only other chance of the half came in the final seconds when Stuart Mitchell tired his luck from an acute angle following a pass from Danny Myles but the effort never troubled the Crystal keeper at all as it went over the crossbar.
Chances were few and far between in a second half and was mostly played in the Southend half but their defence was brilliant clearing up everything that the home side had to offer.
Southend did have the chance to go back in front when centre forward Mitchell was in a one on one situation with the keeper.
Andrew Ryan played in the youngster with less than three minutes after the restart but keeper David O’Leary a fantastic save and this spurred the home side into action.
After 44 minutes, Crystal had a good chance to go back in front for the second time in the game.
Neither Stephen Roche nor central defender Kevin O’Leary could find the net with a header following a corner kick from Richie Walsh as it seemed that both players got in each others way and the ball went over the bar.
They did in front from the spot in the dying minutes of the match after Roche had been fouled in the area and Kevin Feely gave keeper Graham Coady no chance with the resulting spot kick.
WATERFORD CRYSTAL: David O’Leary, Lee Thornton, Shay Dempsey, Kevin O’Leary, Stephen O’Neill, Kevin Feely, Mark Phelan, Adam Heyslip, Richie Walsh, Stephen Roche and Patrick Mungenga (Stuart Quilty ‘43)
SOUTHEND UNITED: Graham Coady, Christopher Dempsey, Mark Hearne, Richie Fitzpatrick, Dylan Drohan, Billy Ryan (Dale Waters ‘51), Eoin Madigan, Danny Myles, Andrew Ryan (Stephen McCabe ‘47) and Stuart Mitchell
Referee: John Keegan (Hibernians)
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