Ferrybank win relegation battle
Ferrybank striker Meschac Babatu celebrates his opening goal against Tycor in the Premier League at Abbeylands on Friday night. All Photos: Paul Elliott
Ferrybank striker Osasere Ohenmwen scored what proved to be the winning goal as Ferrybank took all three points in this win over Tycor as both teams clashed in a relegation dog fight at Abbeylands. Both teams hit stages in the game when they dominated, Ferrybank in the first half and Tycor in the second half. However it was the home team who scored twice in their period of domination and in the second half as Tycor got on top they could only find the net on one occasion.
It was Ferrybank who opened up the game on the attack as they dominated the early stages, on 10 minutes a good move down the left as Meschac Babatu cut inside the Tycor defence but his effort clipped the top of the crossbar. On 17 minutes Josh Aimiuhi burst into the Tycor box but his first time drive flew over the bar. On 21 minutes Ferrybank striker Tyler Dunphy wrong footed the visitors defence but from the edge of the box he pulled his shot wide of the near post. On 23 minutes the home team took a deserved lead, Evan Tierney overlapped down the right and crossed into the box, Josh Aimiuhi took the ball with his back to goal and teed up Meschac Babatu who hammered the ball into the net from ten yards. Tycor had a chance at the other end on 25 minutes, Jack Power crossed to the far post to Jamie Walsh but he drove his effort just over the crossbar. On 27 minutes Ferrybank doubled their lead, Ferrybank attacked down the left and Milosz Matros flicked the ball into the path of Osasere Ohenmwen who fired a low drive past Tycor keeper Dylan Nolan. On 35 minutes Ferrybank striker Tyler Dunphy beat the Tycor off side trap and took the ball past the keeper before side footing the ball towards the empty net but Aaron Stenson recovered to clear the ball off the line.
The game took a remarkable turn one minute into the second half, Ferrybank keeper Evan Mullally made a mess of a routine clearance as he played the ball straight to Tycor striker Jack Power who walked the ball into the empty net. Ferrybank lost Josh Aimiuhi to a first half injury and then Tycor lost Charlie Power in the second half and both looked nasty as Power needed the help of a stretcher to leave the field. Tycor had a chance to equalise on 58 minutes, Jack Power flicked a header into the run of substitute Jack Kiely but his shot on the run flew over the crossbar.
Ferrybank hit Tycor with a quick counter attack on 54 minutes, when Milosz Matras played in Tyler Dunphy but Dylan Nolan saved well at his near post. Tycor took control of the game as we passed the hour mark, the visitors were well on top but failed to test Evan Mullally in the Ferrybank goal. The home team had a couple of late chances as they got behind the Tycor defence, Meschac Babatu had the first one on 80 minutes as he played a clever one two with Tyler Dunphy but his effort was easily saved by Dylan Nolan. Two minutes later Tyler Dunphy cut in from the left and found Babatu free in the box but Nolan made another fine save with his feet. The three points should see Ferrybank safe from relegation, Tycor are still in the mix at the bottom of the table but another three points from their two remaining games should also see them safe.
FERRYBANK AFC: Evan Mullally, Evan Tierney, Nick Cass (John Moran Keogh ‘88), Mark McKinney, Rory Simpson, Josh Aimiuhi (Trevor Madigan '35), Andri Bors, Milosz Matras, Meschac Babatu, Tyler Dunphy, Osasere Ohenmwen.
TYCOR AFC: Dylan Nolan, Cormac Ryan, Dean Troy, Connor Rochford, Aaron Stenson, Glenn Hawe, Charlie Power (Jack Kiely ‘49), Dylan Dixson, Jack Power, Michael Hearne, Jamie Walsh.
REFEREE: PJ O’Keeffe.
Assisted By Paul Butler and Eamonn Sexton.
