KENNEDY CUP GROUP 4
Limerick Desmond (0) 1 Liam McCartan
North Dublin (0) 1
Limerick Desmond played their second game of the 2011 Kennedy Cup at twelve noon on Tuesday against another team from the capital 2009 finalists North Dublin. The game opened at a lively pace with a Nathan Clancy free kick on two minutes cleared by the Dublin defence and they countered quickly down the right wing with a cross into the area being headed goalwards by their centre but Richard Hayes pulled off a full length save to deny them the lead goal. Dublin created the next opening when their winger Christopher Dardy attacked down the left wing and he was fouled on the edge of the year and following a long delay in play the free kick was taken but Padhraic O’ Connor read the danger and cleared with ease. Darby was involved again within minutes when he cut in from the left wing and squared to Aaron Elliot and he hit the ball first time but Hayes denied them with an excellent leg stop but the lineman on the far side had flagged as the ball had gone out of play. Desmond opened up the Dublin midfield with Mambouana finding the over lapping Jack O’ Donoghue who spotted the run of Nathan Clancy who was fouled in the process and the resulting free kick was delivered by Mambouana but Seamus Flanagan had wandered into an offside position and the danger was cleared. Dublin’s James Casey did well to beat the close attentions of Jack O’ Donoghue but his shot hit the side netting and it was Desmond turn to create the next opportunity when Liam McCartan linked up with Flanagan but his shot also hit the side netting. The teams retired at the break deadlocked.
The second half began with Desmond on top and they took the lead inside five minutes when Mambouana done extremely well to win possession in the middle of the pitch and he played a slide rule pass to McCartan who had made an intelligent run in behind the defence and he rounded the keeper and slotted home from the acutest of angles. Desmond were well in command and a free kick by Padhraic O’Connor to Jack O’ Donoghue was delivered to Nathan Clancy but his shot rebounded off a Dublin defender and hit Clancy and the ball trickled wide. Dublin were fortunate to win a free kick on forty two minutes but Desmond defended well to clear the danger and two minutes later a Desmond free kick resulted in Clancy hitting the side netting. On forty eight minutes Flanagan done well to create space for himself on the edge of the area but his shot was saved comfortably by Lee Doyle. Dublin changed their formation in search of a goal to keep alive their chances of reaching the quarter final of the Kennedy Cup and with nine minutes remaining they were thrown a life line when they won a free kick some twenty five yards out which was expertly delivered by Ryan Corbally to the penalty spot and their centre forward Adam Murphy stooped to head into the corner of the net. Desmond responded well to the set back and within two minutes Seamus Flanagan attacked down the left wing and crossed across the six yard box but McCartan failed to get the required touch and Doyle gathered with ease. Limerick Desmond suffered a scare with minutes remaining when Dublin won a corner it some how managed to find it’s way to the back post where Adam Murphy got his head to the ball but Hayes was well positioned to save. Both sides created one chance before full time with Padhraic O’ Connor releasing Edward Sheehy and the latter played a through ball behind the Dublin defence for Flanagan to run on to but the keeper beat him in a race for possession and with the final action of the game Kyle Hayes cleared at the back post following a Dublin corner.
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