Tramore keep the pressure on
Callum Barry of Tramore and Sam Croke of Portlaw clash in the Premier League at Ozier Park on Tuesday night last.
Tramore kept the pressure on Villa at the top of the Azzurri Premier League table with this comfortable win over Portlaw United at Ozier Park on Tuesday night last.
Portlaw raced into an early lead, but soon afterwards, the game took a dramatic turn as assistant referee Richie Brazil went down with a calf injury that saw referee Noel Purcell revert to linesmen from both clubs.
With Gary Fitzgerald soon arriving at the ground, he went in as an assistant referee, so the game went back to a referee and two assistants with 23 minutes on the clock in the first half.
The game was only two minutes old when Portlaw took the lead, Peter Woods got clear down the left wing, and he whipped in a dangerous cross that flew across the face of the goal, and in came Sam Croke at the far post to side foot the ball into the net from six yards.
On 14 minutes, Tramore’s Cian Flanagan played the ball over the top of the Portlaw defence for Charlie Binions, but the striker lifted the ball over the keeper and also over the bar.
Minutes later, Binions played in Regix Madika, but Portlaw defender Tighearnan King got across to make a goal-saving tackle. On 28 minutes, Tramore were hit by another setback when they lost star striker Charlie Binions to injury.
On 40 minutes, Portlaw went close to increasing their lead. Peter Woods took on the Tramore defence and cut inside before firing a right-footed effort that just cleared the bar.
Five minutes into first-half injury-time, Tramore levelled the tie. Sam Sheppard swung in a left-wing corner kick, the flag kick travelled all the way to the far post, and in came Jack Deegan to send a powerful volley high into the roof of the net.
From the start of the second half, Portlaw decided to retreat into their own half and defend from there. Tramore took full advantage as they took Regix Madika out of the front line and gave him a free role, and this move worked as a threat for the seasiders. On the hour mark, Kealan Graham played a neat ball into the run of Madika, but Sam Croke got back to clear off the line.
Tramore took the lead on 64 minutes when Jack Deegan broke out of defence and whipped the ball across the face of the Portlaw goal, and in came Cian Flanagan to sweep the ball into the net.
Four minutes later, Tramore scored again. Regix Madika won the ball and took one stride, and from 35 yards, he sent a powerful strike that flew into the net beyond the diving Stefan McCurley to put his side in control of the contest.
On 80 minutes, the Graun Park outfit added a fourth goal when Conor Butler played a clever one-two before bursting into the box to slide the ball home past the Portlaw keeper.
Just before the full-time whistle, Leigh Quilty’s side added goal number five. Portlaw defender Darren Rockett left his back header shot, and Zach Shanahan nipped in to lift the ball over the stranded McCurley and into the empty net.
Stefan McCurley, Jack Kennedy, Darryl Walsh, Tighearnan King, Darren Rockett, Kealan Kiersey (Josh Kay 90), Conor McHugh, Alfie Keane (Sam Deevy 77), Jordan Myler (Michael O’Grady 80), Sam Croke, Peter Woods.
Gavin Buckley, Jack Deegan, Aran O’Brien (Tommy Fanning 67), Conor McGough, Charlie Binions (Sam Duffy Niblock 28), Sam Sheppard (Zach Shanahan 77), Kealan Graham, Regix Madika, Cian Flanagan (Sean Fitzgerald 81), Calum Barry.
Noel Purcell, assisted by Luke Brennan and Richie Brazil (Gary Fitzgerald 23).
