Greyhound Bar KO Cup Final

Greyhound Bar KO Cup Final:

Lisselton Rovers KO Dynamos after a night of high drama

Lisselton Rovers 5 Tralee Dynamos 1

An incredible game with an equally unbelievable score line as Lisselton Rovers, the team Michael Carr built put mighty Tralee Dynamos to the sword in this eagerly awaited Greyhound Bar KO Cup Final played at Mounthawk Park on Friday night. It was a game that had everything, plenty of passion, bitter rivalry, six goals and a plethora of cards, with Dynamos losing two key players who saw red, in this night of high drama.

Lisselton Rovers deserved this win on the night as they were strong when it mattered most and as it was their only chance of silverware, they took it with both hands They looked hesitant early on as Dynamos looked the better side with Mark Fitzgerald pulling the strings at midfield but having conceded two goals in a three minute spell, Dynamos lost their way and their discipline and when Mark Fitzgerald was sent off deep in first half injury time, it looked grim for the treble seekers.

Then after Dynamos got a goal back and looked to make a game of it but another foul up at the back, allowed Ger Lovett to make it 3-1, then when Maurice O’Rahilly was shown a second yellow, the game was up for Dynamos and Lisselton substitute David Tarmey hit two more to emphasize the difference between the sides.

The six Lisselton players that are playing with the Kerry Eircom U-21 side all showed the benefit of training and playing at a higher level and this was a sharpness Dynamos lacked. Another difference between the sides was essentially the difference in goalkeepers as Lisselton’s David Hennessy using his National League experience, was simply in a different class to Dynamos Polish custodian, Robert Polowczyk, who had a nightmare and his inability to communicate with his back four has long been spotted as a major weakness to be exploited by opposing managers. In this respect, Lisselton boss John O’Regan can take the plaudits as he took full advantage and from a Dynamos point of view, the decision not to use veteran Richard O’Brien may well not only cost Tralee side this cup, but the knock on effect , with O’Rahilly and Fitzgerald out for the Castle Bar League Cup may see them struggle to take a trophy, with a league final also to be played.

Lisselton Rovers with Donnacha Enright and Kevin O’Regan solid at the back absorbed all the early Dynamos pressure as Hennessy mopped up anything that Diggins or McHugh could throw at them. Hennessy saved from McHugh in the 21st minute and shortly afterwards, the keeper again saved from Diggins. Then the game changed as James Sugrue and Conway began to raid deep in Dynamos territory and in the 28th minute when a Sugrue corner was not dealt with, Colin rifled the ball beyond a static keeper. Worse was to follow two minutes later when Mark Fitzgerald gave away a free kick in front of goal, got booked in the process and when Stephen Conway took the free kick, the keeper spilled it into the path of Ki Ki Mulvihill who made it 2-0 as Dynamos collectively went to sleep at the back.

Darren Crotty replaced White for Dynamos as the distress signals were being send out but they dominated possession until the break, with Daly and Diggins missing good chances. Then on the stroke of half time, Fitzgerald picked up a second yellow for a tackle on Paul Walsh, and Dynamos talisman was gone. Dynamos started the second half well, and Adrian McHugh scored after Hennessy misjudged the flight of a cross and suddenly 2-1 and all to play for. It was end to end stuff with Cassidy outstanding at the back and Diggins causing Lisselton problems. Then in the 55th minute O’Rahilly picks up a needless yellow and two minutes later Lovett makes the game safe when he scores after a dreadful mix up between Daly and his keeper, which just about summed up Dynamos season. Samier was trying hard but Lisselton were too good and when O’Rahilly picked up a second yellow, with twenty minutes left, the game lost it edge.

L isselton ruled the roost with David Tarmey coming off the bench to score a brace as Dynamos had no answers with just nine men despite the heroic efforts of Cassidy, it was easy for he Rovers at the end.

A triumph for Michael Carr and manager John O’Regan who only took them over in the Spring and players like Conway, Sugrue, Enright, O’Regan, Mulvihill, O’Connor and Lovett were all stars on superb night for the club, while highflying Dynamos had their wings well and truly clipped and now, the big question is, can they recover for their two big games ahead.

Lisselton Rovers: D Hennessy, S Conway, B Sweeney, K O’Regan, D Enright, P Walsh, J Sugrue, A Murphy, G Lovett, C O’Connor, K K Mulvihill Subs: D Tarmey for Walsh, J Foley for C O’Connor, A O’Connor for G Lovett, T Foley for A Murphy.

Tralee Dynamos:R Polowczyk, K McCannon, P Daly, E Cassidy, M O’Rahilly, E Duggan, M Fitzgerald, S Benkoutain, J White, D Diggins, A McHugh. Sub. D Crotty for J White, R Rodgers for E Duggan,Pa Daly, Edgar McGrath,Richard O'Brien, Michael Lynch, Darren Power, Ivan Maher

Referee S O’Mahony.