Padraig Harnett, Media Officer Tralee Dynamos

 TRALEE DYNAMOS 1 ST. PATRICK'S ATHLETIC 0

Tralee Dynamos move into second place in the table following this great 1-0 win over St Patrick’s Athletic in one of the best games seen in Cahermoneen for a long time.

It looked for a long time as if this would be the first 0-0 draw in Dynamos campaign. To be fair to the home side they were the better team all through and created all the best chances but it wasn’t until the 75th minute that the breakthrough came. Adrian Quirke got on the ball in the middle of the field and threaded a lovely defence splitting ball to Jamie McIntyre who had found space in side the box. David Fagan had no choice to bring him down and referee Stuart Templeman pointed to the spot.

Chris Kerins on target from the penalty spot.

A sign of the confidence of Dynamos came as a number of players wanted to take the penalty but Chris Kerins held onto the ball, placed it on the spot and drilled it down the middle as the keeper went to his right. 1-0 to Dynamos, another three points and another big scalp.

Dynamos made a change before the start of the game with Eddie Duggan suspended (even if it was James Sugrue who was sent of in the Bohs game but the referee in that game named Duggan in his report and wouldn’t change it!). First team coach Jason Fitzgerald brought in Peter McCarthy for his first start and he fitted in very well. Right from the off he was involved in a great move where he combined with Adrian Quirke to set up Eoin Cassidy who was off target with his effort.

Pat’s also showed they were well up for the game and following an Adrian Quirke foul in the seventh minute Stephen Lawless’s free kick was headed clear by the peerless Brian Fitzgerald who didn’t put a foot, or head wrong all day.

Alan McGrath had a shot in target for Pats in the seventh minute but Wayne Guthrie held on well while at the other end Jamie McIntyre set up Cassidy but Brendan Clarke made one of a number of his good saves on the day.

Dynamos could have taken the lead in the 15th minute when McCarthy put in a perfect ball for McIntyre but he shot over from inside the box.

In the 27th minute Brian Fitzgerald again showed his value to the team, heading over a James Sugrue cross at one end and heading clear a Pat’s free at the other within a minute. Dynamos were beginning to turn the screw and in the 36th minute Maurice O’Rahilly found himself well up the field. He put pressure on Pat’s Alan McGrath who mis-hit his clearance but McCarthy was just beaten to the ball by the keeper.

In the 41st minute Dynamos had two great chances to take the lead and indeed really should have done so. Chris Kerins sent over a cross, Eoin Cassidy out jumped the defence and headed the ball goal-wards only to see the ball come of the crossbar. With the keeper floundering Maurice O’Rahilly got onto the rebound but amazingly he also headed onto the crossbar and the Saints survived.

Chris Kerins himself had another shot on target shortly after this but the keeper held well and the half ended with Dynamos still on the attack but it remained scoreless after 45 minutes.

The second half opened as brightly as the first and Pats had the first chance. Anthony Costigan hit all Pat’s corners and most of their free kicks and was dangerous from the dead ball. This time he put the ball right under the crossbar and Guthrie did very well to punch clear under severe pressure.

Indeed Pats had three corners in the first ten minutes of the second half and Guthrie was equal to all of them. Dynamos rearguard will be very happy with their performance and kept Pat’s to long range efforts. In the 15th minute another good cross was put in by Jack Flynn and Guthrie came a long way to claim over the heads of defenders and attackers alike and with this kind of safe handling behind them the defence were never going to be breached.

At the other end Chris Kerins, Jonathan Burrows and Darren Crotty all came close to breaking the deadlock but the final ball just wouldn’t fall for Dynamos.

However the break did come with 15 minutes to go. It looked throughout the game that one goal was going to be enough to win it and so it turned out.

 This was a very good performance by Dynamos to get the better of a very fit, talented St Pat’s team that had League of Ireland player Bobby Ryan in their side.

 Jason Fitzgerald was delighted with his side’s performance. “Everyone played well on the day and even though we have a small squad, and were without a few players, those who came in jelled perfectly with the established players and certainly deserved to win the game. We now look forward to a trip to Tallaght to play Shamrock Rovers which should be a big occasion before its back to Tralee for the FAI Cup second round game on June 14th against Salthill Devon”.

There was a big crowd present on the day and with results like this the attendances should increase even more. This was the perfect advert for summer soccer, played on a very warm day but with enough breeze to make it comfortable, between two sides who really wanted to play football. Everyone went away happy, except St Pat’s who headed off on the long journey home without any points from this game. Fortress Cahermoneen once again witnessed a clean sheet, a goal for the home side and three more points for Tralee Dynmaos, what more could one want.

 On a sadder note, before kick off there was a minutes silence in memory of the late Jimmy Falvey, a player that many of the Dynamos had played against. The whole squad, management, committee and supporters of Tralee Dynamos pass on their sympathies to the Falvey family on this very sad occasion.

Dynamos: Wayne Guthrie, Maurice O’Rahilly, Brian Fitzgerald, Darren Crotty, Jonathan Burrows, Adrian Quirke, James Sugrue, Peter McCarthy, Jamie McIntyre, Eoin Cassidy, Chris Kerins. Subs: Adrian McHugh (on for Eoin Cassidy), Theo Diggins (on for Peter McCarthy, Eoin Fitzgerald, Ivan Maher, Timmy Cotter.

St Patrick’s Athletic: Brendan Clarke, Anthony Costigan, David Fagan, Stephen Lawless (replaced by Neil Brennan), Graham Dowling, Bobby Ryan, Andy Haran, Jack Flynn (replaced by John Long), Alan McAnn, Alan McGrath (replaced by James Coakley), Stephen Fitzpatrick. Subs not used: Luke Bray and Alan Last.