Greyhound Bar KO Cup 
Depleted Dynamos edge past improving Mastergeaha 

Tralee Dynamos 3 Mastergeaha 1 
By Jordan Murphy 

It was a David v Goliath contest of sorts when last years beaten finalists Tralee Dynamos met a Mastergeaha side who have yet to win a game this season in the Greyhound Bar KO Cup at Cahermoneen on Sunday morning last but it had no fairytale ending this time around. 
Not that Dynamos were firing on all cylinders fielding only six of their starting eleven and two of them were playing out of position including Adrian McHugh who had to fill in as an emergency centre back in the absence of Maurice O'Rahilly, Mark and Brian Fitzgerald, Eoin Walsh and Eoin Cassidy. 
Young Ricky Nolan made his debut up front as Chris Kerins was also an absentee so in theory Mastergeaha must have thought they were in with a shout. In fairness the Killarney side are nowhere as bad as there as their results would suggest as they have just been leaking goals and despite playing some fine passages of football, they just do not possess the finishing power at this level to get the results their general play deserves. 
Mike O'Sullivan started his first full game since his long lay off due to a serious injury and this helped Mastergeaha and their first win may not be too far way. 
Dynamos laid the foundations for this win at midfield where young Jamie McIntyre and Samier were controlling matters while James Sugrue had an excellent game on the wing. 
In fact it was Sugrue who had the first chance of the game when he met an Edward Duggan cross on the volley but his effort was just wide of the target. Then Mastergeaha should have taken the lead in the 12th minute which could well have changed the course of the game when Alan Breen got through but his shot was well saved by Dynamos keeper Dermott Raggett. 
The visitors were made to pay in the 18th minute when Dynamos took the lead when youth player Ricky Nolan's cross found Duggan who had the simple task of knocking the ball into the Mastergeaha net with his knee. It was typical of the luck that Mastergeaha are enjoying but this often happens when you desperate for a result. 
The Killarney side should have equalized in the 25th minute when an Aidan Kerins free kick found its way to Alan Moynihan who flashed his header over the top. 
Then Kieran Fleming had to make a double save to keep Dynamos out in the 30th minute when he firstly he beat out a Duggan shot and then he showed cat like reflexes to get back up save the rebound from young Dolan. 
Dynamos were now pouring forward and in the 33rd minute Kevin McCannon making a welcome return to the red shirt, was forward to power a header past the keeper but Donald Dwyer took the ball off the line. Then a minute later Fleming who was definitely the busier of the two keepers, denied McCannon again from a header who got a glove to it and the danger was cleared. 
Dynamos pressure eventually told in the 36th minute when the excellent James Sugrue provided an inch perfect cross onto the head of Peter Williams who powered his header past a helpless Fleming and it was difficult to see how Mastergeaha could make a comeback. Dynamos led 2-0 at the break but they were not by any means secure as Mastergeaha had created a couple of good openings in that first half. 
To be fair, Mastergeaha never gave up in the second half and always played football which is to their credit. In fact in the 53rd minute Mastergeaha looked certain to get one back when a corner found the head of Kerins whose header was on the way to the net but Darren Crotty got across to clear off the line. 
Then minutes later Mike Sullivan got the ball past keeper Raggett but he could not beat Crotty who was alert to the danger and cleared to safety. Neither side created any clear cut openings until the 74th minute when Mastergeaha were thrown a life lin in the shape of a goal. 
It was a Kerins long ball over the top that found O'Sullivan racing through and when his initial effort was saved by Raggett, the ball fell to John Herlihy who had the simple task of tapping the ball into an empty net and at 2-1, Mastergeaha were not out of the contest. 
In fact Dynamos were under a bit of pressure in the closing stages as Mastergeaha threw caution to the wind as they went in search of the equalizer. However the home side defended well especially when they brought on Brian Fitzgerald despite not being fully fit, but he was strong when it was needed at the back. 
Then late on Billy Stack almost scored on the counter attack when Billy Stack raided down the wing and his cross beat everyone but came back off the cross bar. Dynamos then made sure of victory in the 92nd minute when once again Sugrue crossed for Adrian McHugh, who was not back at centre forward, to drill a well struck shot past Fleming. It was yet another brave effort from Mastergeaha but it came up short against a side who had too much experience and craft for them.

Tralee Dynamos 
D Raggett, K McCannon, D Crotty, A McHugh, P Williams, J Sugrue, Samier, J McIntyre, B Stack, E Duggan, R Nolan
Sub B Fitzgerald for R Nolan 
Mastergeeha 
K Fleming, D Dwyer, J Herlihy, T Cooper, C Lenihan, M Sullivan, A Kerins, K Bruton, J Devane, A Moynihan, A Breen
Subs: E Maher for J Devane, R O'Sullivan for A Moynihan