Villa make it a magnificent seven
It's all smiles for Villa's Aaron O'Connor after he scored against Ferrybank in the Azzurri Premier League at workLAB Connors Park. Photos: Paul Elliott.
Villa kept their Azzurri Premier League title ambitions on track as they picked up their seventh league win of the season and three points against Ferrybank in their clash played at workLAB Connors Park on Tuesday night last.
The home side were quick out of the blocks and they hit two early goals to put Ferrybank on the back foot and this gave the men from across the Suir a mountain to climb. To be fair to the visitors they never backed down from the fight and stayed in the game until the final whistle.
From the opening whistle, Conor Coad’s side pressed Ferrybank back into their own penalty area. In the opening minute and with their first attack, Cian Browne played a ball out wide to John Tamen, who whipped in a first-time left-wing cross for striker Alex Phelan, but he was unlucky to see his right-foot effort fly wide of the far post.
Villa struck the front on five minutes. Cian Browne got free down the right before sending in a cross, and the ever alert Phelan was first to react as he found the net beyond the diving Ferrybank keeper Simon Burns.
There was no rest bite for the visitors as Villa swept forward again to double their lead on nine minutes. Conor Kilgannon got himself into a great position on the right of the penalty area and his perfectly weighted cross found the inrushing Aaron O’Connor who steered a right foot volley past the stranded Burns.
The game settled down after the fast start by the home team and slowly Ferrybank were able to get some players into forward positions, but it was the home side that were back on the attack on 20 minutes. Jeff Da Silva swung in a right-wing cross and James Kennedy tried a left foot bicycle kick that just cleared the crossbar.
Ferrybank had their first chance to get back into the game on 22 minutes, Nick Cass fired a free-kick to the far post, but Sean Flynn was just off target with a far post volley.
The second period was only minutes old when Villa went close to putting the game to bed. Shane O’Brien pressed Ferrybank keeper Simon Burns into a poor clearance that fell to Jeff Da Silva, but he pulled his right-footed strike wide of the far post.
Ferrybank came more into the game as the second-half progressed, Oisin Griffin was sound in defence with Milosz Matras competitive in mid field and Tyler Dunphy showed pace upfront. However Villa were never in danger of losing the game and Simon Burns did well to keep out efforts from Shane O’Brien, Aaron O’Connor and Conor Kilgannon.
Inside the last ten minutes Villa went in search of goal number three. Conor Whittle got behind the Ferrybank defence after a flick from Shane O’Brien, but Burns was quick off his line to save at the strikers feet. Ferrybank had a late chance in the dying minutes when Oisin Griffin whipped in a free-kick from the left that found the head of Josh Fenton as his header only found the arms of Villa keeper Craig Dunphy.
Craig Dunphy, James Kennedy, John Tamen (Evan Ryan 80), Dylan Stickel, Conor Kilgannon (Enis Ibrahimi 80), Conor Whittle, Aaron O’Connor, Jeff da Silva, Cian Browne, Matas Grinius, Alex Phelan (Shane O’Brien 16).
Simon Burns, Aaron Stenson, Oisin Griffin, Sean Flynn (Josh Fenton 46), Mark McKinney, Sam Hudson Hamm, Milosz Matras, Gavin Purcell (Evan Tierney 85), Tyler Dunphy, Nick Cass ( David Smith 77), Larry Canavan (Sam Duggan 68).
Richie Brazil assisted by Eamonn Russell and Luke Brennan.
