Gene weaves a spell as Camp draw with Dynamos

TRALEE DYNAMOS 1 CAMP UNITED 1

CUP holders Tralee Dynamos were expected to see off the challenge of Camp United - who have been showing indifferent league form all season - in this Castle Bar League Cup semi-final at Mounthawk Park on Sunday, but they were actually hanging on at the end as Camp deservedly earned a draw.

It was far from inspiring stuff by Dynamos who were very poor at midfield with Mark Fitzgerald, Billy Stack and Edward Duggan badly missed and only Kevin McCannon and Samier in the first half performed.Camp United who have won three league games all season are a different side in the cup and rivalry between these two sides goes all the way back to 1994 when they were involved in an epic Greyhound Bar Cup final that took two games to decide.

Dynamos have no one from that era playing but Brendan McCormack, Johnny O’Driscoll, Gene Farrell and Kieran O’Driscoll are still playing for Camp and last season when they met in the league final it took two games and extra-time to separate the sides.

Dynamos opened brightly and won a number of frees but they wasted all four, with James White never looking like scoring and in the 12th minute when Samier was fouled 25 yards from goal Paul Daly’s free kick was deflected behind by a team mate.


Dynamos were threatening to score and eventually they made the breakthrough in the 24th minute when Kevin McCannon’s long ball was left by Paul Farrell to his brother Patrick, and with the keeper on the way out, Damien Diggins clipped the ball over his head for the lead goal.

It should have been doubled two minutes later when Patrick Farrell’s poor kick-out went straight to Adrian McHugh 25 yards out and he smashed a shot against the crossbar with a gaping goal to aim at and really this was a let off for Camp.Adrian O’Donnell and Gene Farrell looked dangerous when they got the ball for Camp but Cassidy and O’Rahilly were very strong for Dynamos.

Camp had a glancing header by O’Don-nell from a corner flash inched wide in 31st minute with Polowczyk nowhere and then O’Rahilly was booked after a running battle with O’Donnell.On the stroke of half time, Adrian O’Don-nell looked to be through but O’Rahilly got back to make a brilliant tackle and concede the corner while at the other end Damien Diggins should have done better than blaze wide when Maher put him through.

Dynamos led 1-0 at the interval and were the better side but Camp looked dangerous on the break.Camp should have equalised within two minutes of the restart when Crotty allowed a ball to go past him and Kieran O’Driscoll was within inches of making contact, which would have resulted in a goal.Then came the miss of the game when Kevin McCannon slipped and Gene Farrell was through on goal with only Polowczyk to beat in the 54th minute but he pulled the ball inches wide.

Dynamos seemed stung into action and they were denied twice by keeper Farrell who made a good save from McHugh and then in the 58th minute McCormack was on the line to save the day when he cleared after Diggins shot, looked destined for the net. Then the inevitable happened and Camp equalised in the 65th minute when Brendan O’Driscoll floated in a free kick that Polowczyk only half cleared and Gene Farrell was on hand to shoot low the Dynamos net and make up for his earlier miss.

Dynamos responded and in the 72nd minute Eoin Cassidy, up from the back for a corner headed inches over.James White then had chance as he met a ball on the left-hand side but his weak shot was easily smothered by the keeper. In the 76th minute Camp had a great chance of grabbing the lead when a Vincent O’Driscoll through ball found Johnny O’Driscoll, who had sprung the Dynamos off-side trap, and looked certain to score as he bore down on goal. However, just as O’Driscoll was about to pull the trigger, Maurice O’Rahilly came from nowhere to make a superb tackle and again saved his side.

O’Rahilly and Cassidy were immense as Dynamos were under the cosh at midfield and Camp were looking very dangerous from free kicks and corners as the Dynamos keeper is inclined to stay on his line which meant that the central defenders had to work overtime.

Camp finished the stronger with Farrell and O’Donnell having a couple of half chances and in injury time a Brendan O’Driscoll corner landed on the cross bar with the keeper struggling and Diggins had to turn the ball behind as Johnny O’Driscoll was ready to pounce. Maurice O’Rahilly was awesome for Dynamos while Brendan O’Driscoll is a class act at left back for Camp.

Tralee Dynamos: R Polowczyk, D Crotty, E Cassidy, M O’Rahilly, P Daly, I Maher, K McCannon, Samier, J White, A McHugh, D Diggins

Camp United: J Farrell, S O’Mahony, P Farrell, B McCormack, B O’Driscoll, T Farrell, V O’Driscoll, K O’Driscoll, D O’Neill, A O’Don-nell, G Farrell: Subs: J O’Driscoll for K O’Driscoll, S Fox Farrell for V O’Driscoll.

Referee: G Kruis