ST PETERS 4 KILLEIGH FC 1
John Dingle
A strong showing in the second half from St Peters saw the top flight club avoid a potential giant killing act in the second round of the Counties Cup at McCarthy Park last Sunday afternoon.
Lowly Killeigh FC posed some problems but the hot favourites eventually prevailed to advance to the third round of the prestigious cup competition.
The Saints were quickly on the attack when the tie got underway but found it hard to break down dogged opponent’s intent on creating a cup shock. Two corner kicks and a Jordan Carr shot which was saved all came before the quarter hour mark had arrived. Killeigh earned their first corner on 19 minutes but generally were in defensive mode as the half progressed.
Carr had a further shot blocked while Josh Donoghue drilled a free kick wide for Killeigh. The Saint’s Cian Fallon had a shot saved but the home team had their goalkeeper to thank for keeping them on level terms with 28 minutes played.
Liam Langton’s goal bound strike from in front of the target was pushed over the bar by Darcy Lawless. Amazingly, Killeigh had another good chance to break the deadlock on 37 minutes. This time, a free kick from Ian Keating was scooped behind by Lawless.
The Saints then took full advantage of the keeper’s heroics to take the lead just before the half time break. Fallon sent in a cross from the left and Gary Kelly finished off the move as a Killeigh defender desperately tried to prevent the ball from crossing the goal line.
The lead was doubled on 48 minutes as Corey Jinks shot to the net from Gary Kelly’s left wing cross. A potential cup shock from Killeigh was all but killed off after 57 minutes with a third home goal when John McCrossan’s left footed strike was deflected past the helpless Killeigh keeper into the net.
The Offaly outfit were not about to fold though and threw life back into the tie just after the hour mark. A corner taken by Ian Keating was headed powerfully to the net by Rob O’Neill. The Saints remained in control however as two corners and a shot from Mark Sherlock kept Killeigh on the defensive.
The scoring was completed on 73 minutes when the Killeigh keeper fumbled a crossshot from the right by Johnny Kiernan, on his debut, into the net, the substitute’s goal all but ending the home team’s action.
The deficit could have been further reduced as substitute Jamie Ballesty fired over from the left and Langton was again denied by Lawless. The visitors ended the game on the offensive as two late corners enabled them to hold their heads high when the final whistle sounded after two additional minutes had been played.
The Saints got the job done, as expected, and they now look to make further progress in the competition and try to lift a cup they last won back in 2010.
Next up for the Saints is a local league derby against Willow Park in the CCFL Senior Division at DPD Park this weekend.
