Dennys Premier League
Killarney Celtic 0, Tralee Dynamos 2

TRALEE Dynamos resumed where they left off last season as they chalked yet another league win after a high quality game in the Denny Premier B at Celtic Park, Killarney on Sunday.

Dynamos, who went through last season with a perfect record of 20 wins from 20 league games, and who only dropped two points the previous season, continued their unbeaten run against a strong Celtic side. In their last 41 league games Dynamos have won 40 and drawn one, a quite impressive feat by any standards.

The last time both sides met in the KO Cup last June controversy reigned when Dynamos won the game but inadvertently played a player who should have been serving a suspension and the Killarney side objected.

Both sides were subsequently thrown out of the competition and after a couple of appeals the final went ahead without them but on Sunday last the contest was sporting as all was forgiven and forgotten.

Dynamos were without Kevin Lucey and Adrian McHugh who both have taken a break from the game for the moment but Mark Fitzgerald who last season played with Lisselton Rovers, has rejoined the team he started his football with. Lucey is resting an injured knee while Adrian McHugh is threatening to retire and as the Tralee sides top scorer, they will be hoping that he will rethink and maybe give it another season.

Celtic had a new goalkeeper in Cha Doherty – who plays in goal for the Kilcummin football team – and he had a good debut, making a number of fine saves. The Killarney side also have a new manager in Billy Austin who has been involved at different levels with the club since he moved south. Billy is a very good organiser and strict disciplinarian so Celtic will be hard to beat this year.

The opening exchanges saw Killarney Celtic gain control with their 4-5-1 formation causing the Tralee side problems. David Hayes won a lot of ball at midfield while John Doyle and Adrian O’Donoghue worked hard as usual with Jimmy Falvey alone up front looking dangerous on the counter attack.

Dynamos took some time to get their passing game together and it took some strong play from centre back Maurice O’Rahilly and Eoin Cassidy to keep the home side at bay. Celtic should have scored after five minutes when Jimmy Falvey got through but his shot was turned over by Derek O’Shea at the expense of a corner.

John Doyle came close for Celtic but shot straight at O’Shea while Samier almost scored for Dynamos but his effort was superbly saved by Doherty.

Dynamos began to carve openings and Alan Nagle had to put in a good tackle to deny Edward Duggan in the 30th minute but with both defences on top, scoring chances were at a premium and the sides retired scoreless at the interval.

The second half was end to end stuff as both sides went in search of the opening goal that would surely prove decisive in a game of so few chances.

The opener duly arrived in the 53rd minute but it was rather fortuitous as Billy Stack beat his marker on the left and cut inside before sending over a crosscum- shot that seemed to deceive Cha Doherty and the ball ended up in the Celtic net.

The goal seemed to settle Dynamos and they took over despite the efforts of O’Donoghue, Daly and Doyle but Celtic were clearly rattled.

If Celtic could have hung on for 10 minutes they might have weathered the storm but within seven minutes Tony Hennessy cut through the Celtic defence before beating Doherty with a well struck effort and there was no way back for Celtic.

Celtic never gave up, with young Jimmy Falvey catching the eye, but this is a seasoned and experience Dynamos defence and with Mark Fitzgerald adding further weight to the Dynamos resistance Celtic never looked like rescuing the points.

Overall, the game was full of enterprise and endeavour and very competitive for a season opener, and when the honours are being given out next May both sides could well be involved at the business end of the season.

Killarney Celtic: Cha Doherty, Brian Spillane, Alan Nagle, PJ Lynch, Gary Keane, John Doyle, David Hayes, Colm Daly, Adrian O’Donoghue, Denis Moriarty, Jimmy Falvey. Subs: Kieran Fogarty for C Daly, Cormac O’Sullivan for A Nagle, Paul Russell for Moriarty.

Tralee Dynamos: Derek O’Shea, Ronald Rogers, Maurice O’Rahilly, Eoin Cassidy, Darren Crotty, Tony Hennessy, V Samier, Kevin McCannon, B Stack, D Diggins, Edward Duggan. Subs: Mark Fitzgerald for McCannon, Ivan Maher for Diggins, James White for Hennessy.

Referee: Gurt Kruis