Late Falvey goal wins title for Falvey's Bar
PREMIER FINAL IC Photo 2 Falveys Bar 3
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THE main event of this year's Killarney Athletic/ Killarney Credit Union 7a-side tournament did not disappoint. The first half was a tepid affair however, with both sides seemingly sizing each other up and waiting for the other to slip up.
As with most of their games, IC started the stronger but a contrast in styles soon emerged. IC lorded possession and tended to attempt to score from distance, while Falveys looked to pierce holes in the IC defence using their guile and experience.
The skilful Dara O Sé along with Shane MacSweeney and Seán Costelloe probed away for Falveys, but Fionn Fitzgerald and Shane O'Neill, backed up by David Neeson in goal, were more than up to the task of keeping them out. Daithí Casey and Brendan Falvey had their share of the ball for IC but nothing could separate the sides in the first half of an hour's football.
It took 11 minutes of the second half for IC Photo to carve out the opener. Fitzgerald took possession of a through ball from Donie Murphy and easily beat Tony Lyons in the Falveys' goal. There was an immediate sense that IC would push on and convert more of their possession but this lasted a mere minute or two because Fitzgerald turned villain at the other end when he upended O Sé to give Falveys a penalty. Costelloe coverted for 1-1 and this time Falveys took the initiative with O' Sé going close and substitute Paul O'Connor shoring things up at the back. They didn't bank on Casey though. He got on the end of a ball from the combative but driven Brendan Falvey and belying the deceptively languid style of his, he flicked the ball up and finished to the net with aplomb – 2-1 to IC. Almost inevitably, Falveys fought back and after an innocuous looking shot from MacSweeney was parried by Neeson, the ubiquitous Johnny Carey popped up to equalise at the far post – 2-2.
Falveys could sense victory now and Carey and O Sé applied their experience to win a corner. Veteran Paul Griffin picked out centre half Karl Falvey and his diving header found the net, 3-2 to last year's finalists.
IC Photo did their utmost to secure an equalizer but Tony Lyons marshalled his men well to keep them out and the Killorglin men triumphed 3-2 in the end of what was a super contest right up to the final whistle. Well done to both teams for some great entertainment! Man of the Match: Johnny Carey Player of the Tournament / Kieran Cahillane Senior Player of the Tournament Award: Shane O'Neill.
IC PHOTO: David Neeson, Shane O'Neill, Donie Murphy, Daithi Casey, Ryan O'Carroll, Brendan Falvey, John Falvey, Fionn Fitzgerald, Niall O'Connell, PJ Lawlor.
FALVEYS: Dara O Sé, Johnny Carey, Karl Falvey, Ross Sheehan, Paul Griffin, Paul O'Connor, Danny O'Sullivan, Tony Lyons, Sean Costelloe, Shane McSweeney.
