Lenamore Rovers 3 Tralee Dynamos 1

I SUPPOSE it had to end sometime but Tralee Dynamos did not expect that that their two and half year unbeaten league run would come to a crashing end on the banks of the Shannon on a sun-drenched Good Friday afternoon. Lenamore caused the upset of the season when they lowered the colours of the Tralee side at Ballylongford in the Denny Premier B Division.

It was a major surprise that Dynamos would lose their proud record but not entirely to those who have been watching the Tralee side play recently as they have been sending out distress signals yet regularly coming through in the end to win their games.

Lenamore Rovers are one of the youngest sides in the Premier league, being formed in 1995, while Dynamos of course are the oldest being around even before the KDL was formed.

Dynamos have not lost a league game of any description since they returned to Kerry from the Munster Senior League in September 2002, so their proud record stretches back over fifty games, sometime back in the mid-nineties when they made the bold move to play outside the county.

So full marks to Lenamore and team boss Michael Dennehy who masterminded this win and who had only won three of their thirteen league games all season – they needed victory to move clear of the relegation zone.

Lenamore were even without one of their top performers, Paddy Kelly, who is now plying his trade with Jack O’Connor but the Ballylongford lads rose their game and who knows it might be a sign that the Shannon Rangers are about to rise from the dead!

Lenamore were under the cosh in the first-half and fell a goal behind in the 32nd minute when two defenders and goalkeeper got their calls mixed up and this allowed Adrian McHugh to finish into the net.

Dynamos, who were without Eoin Cassidy, Mark Fitzgerald and Edward Duggan, were not creating too many chances as the Lenamore back four were playing excellent football with Adrian Walsh and Derek Nolan solid in the middle while full-backs Conor Flynn and DJ Keane were tenacious in the tackle.

However, Dynamos still led 1-0 at the break but were far from convincing at the back on a perfect surface.

Lenamore decided that the best form of defence was attack as they pushed forward and kept Dynamos on the back foot and their use of the high ball unsettled the Tralee side.

However, it was in the centre of the park that Lenamore laid the foundations for this win with Kieran Dennehy and Denis Kennelly winning lots of ball and Samier found the North Kerry tenacity not to his liking.

Lenamore equalised in the 65th minute when a long throw-in by Kieran Dennehy was headed on at the near post by his brother Tomas to the back post, where Eddie Mangan stole in to head home. Dynamos then introduced Damien Murphy at the back after a six month lay off – which was a tough ask for one so rusty – as Lenamore switched to a 4-3-3 formation.

The game swung in Lenamore’s favour and in the 77th minute, a high ball was sent in to the Dynamos’ danger area, where Tomas Dennehy flicked the ball over Murphy, ran around the centre back and chipped the ball over the advancing keeper for the lead goal.

Dynamos were now rocked to their foundations and lost their shape as Lenamore almost made it 3-1 when John McGrath caught out the Dynamos defence but when through on the keeper he shot wide. However, four minutes from time, McGrath was allowed to repeat the same move and this time he beat Tim Cotter to sink Dynamos and end their remarkable unbeaten run.

Teams:

Lenamore Rovers — L Donegan, C Flynn, A Walsh, D Nolan, DJ Keane, M O’Halloran, K Dennehy, D Kennelly, J McGrath, T Dennehy, E Mangan. Sub: B Mulvihill for O’Halloran (injured).

Tralee Dynamos — T Cotter, K McCannon, M O’Rahilly, E McGrath, D Crotty, B Stack, D Diggins, V Samier, J White, A McHugh, S M Ali:

Subs: M Lynch for S M Ali, D Murphy for J White ( inj)

Referee: S Templeman.