Spartak Dynamo FC

Hillcrest 1 Spartak 2

A late goal conceded by Spartak made for a nervous ending in a scrappy match on a bobbly pitch in Lucan.

A well flighted Neil McGowan free was firmly headed home by Seamus McCahill after just 3 minutes to give the Sky Blues a tonic start.

Spartak showed some sloppiness in defence and when Dave Browne gave away possession, Hillcrest drilled a cross along the six yard box which required only a touch.

A Hillcrest slip up gave Ger Byrne a clear opportunity but he shot weakly and the keeper gathered. The Spartak full backs, Glen and Fintan, were both staying at home and neither was using the ball well. On the single occasion that Glen made a burst, with plenty of support, he fired wastefully over and behind.

An error by the home centre half let Ger Byrne in on 50 minutes, and this time he made no mistake, beating the keeper neatly.

Seams McCahill had a shot tipped over following a Keith Kelly free, and then a great move by Kevin O’Toole and Tom O’Driscoll saw Neil’s volley blocked; the loose ball fell to Ger who could not adjust his body to force it home from close range.

As Hillcrest sought to get back in the game Glen cleared off the line and then when Dave Browne was beaten in the area, getting a bloody nose for his trouble, the home side fired a good chance wide.

Hillcrest finally scored when Spartak failed to clear and Paul Kinsella allowed the winger to cross to the back post for a bundled finish, with Glen and Seamus noticeably absent.

Spartak’s work rate throughout was decent, but the passing was off and the distribution from the back poor. Keith Kelly at centre half was a solid presence and covered well.

Form Report
Peter O’Toole 6 Glen Burke 5 Fintan Grace 6 Keith Kelly 8 Dave Browne 5 Kevin O Toole 5 Neil McGowan 6 Seamus McCahill 6 Stuart Love 6 Tom O’Driscoll 6 Ger Byrne 6
Subs: Steve Browne 5 Paul Kinsella 5 Anto Doyle Ken Buckley Tom Flanagan

Terenure College 1, Spartak 2

Two late goals prevented an embarrassing defeat against a poor Terenure College side, who managed virtually no attacks and only took the lead from a harshly awarded penalty.

The players in Sky Blue for the most part stubbornly refused to pass the ball in a timely fashion and, in the manner of the playground, ran with the ball until dispossessed. Neiher Derek MCGoldrick nor Dave O’Kelly could supply crosses and the front two of Niall Lennon and Niall Tilley found it hard going against the big home central defence.

The first half was of a poor standard, with the home side content to play kick and rush while the Spartak lads lost virtually all of the physical battles. Free kicks and throw ins were carelessly taken and frequently possession was lost cheaply. Spartak had a couple of half chances but nothing clear cut.

Terenure took the lead from the spot when Shane McInerney was penalised for handball.

Spartak raised their tempo, if not their guile, in the second period, but missed a glorious chance to equalise when a harshly awarded penalty was blazed over by Paul Kinsella.

The winning goal on 85 minutes was a thing of beauty and completely out of character from the rest of the game. A scintillating one touch move involving Dere McGoldrick, Steve Browne and Seamus McCahill was finished coolly by Dermot Dooley.
Earlier Seamus had equalised from close in after a scramble following a throw in, and Dooley had forced a fine save from a snap volley.
Spartak left Bushy Park breathing a collective sigh of relief.

Form Report
Robbie Hayes 5 Dave O’Kelly 5 Paul Kinsella 6 Martin Costello 6 Cathal Clancy 5 Shane McInerney 6 Dermot Dooley 6 Niall Hanratty 5 Derek McGoldrick 5 Niall Lennon 5 Niall Tilley 5
Subs Seamus McCahill 7 Steve Browne 6 Ken Buckley 6 Ross Kelly Jason Northey

Please post your team for Last Man Standing week 7. THERE IS NO AUTOMATIC PICK. A full list of fixtures is on the Last Man tab above. If you give a team that you have already chosen (or automatically chosen) you will get the next team available to you alphabetically.

Spartak 3 Laytown 2

Spartak overcame a poor start to win despite being reduced to ten men on the hour mark.
The opening twenty minutes saw poor distribution and little in the way of aggression from the home side with touches and passes betraying the long lay off. A stray ball by Niall Hanratty put Laytown on the attack and from the resulting corner the Spartak defence was flat footed as Laytown hit the post and netted the rebound.
A good cross by Derek McGoldrick gave Jose Vargas a chance close in but he failed to beat the keeper, and when Chris Hogan’s attempted shot was deflected into Jose’s path, again the keeper came out on top.
It was Chris Hogan who displayed calmness on the ball to start the move for the equaliser by feeding Niall Lennon down the right. The cross was touched by Jose to Derek, and when Derek’s effort was half stopped by the keeper, Jose was on hand to finish to break his scoring duck.
Niall Lennon had a good header saved but Laytown showed their intent with a free header from a corner, just wide, and when Dillon Burke tried to play offside when twenty yards ahead of his fellow defenders, it was time for another near miss by the visitors.
The second half began with a poor Cathal Clancy clearance and then with Hanratty caught in possession from which the Sky Blues had a lucky escape. Shane McInerney had a snap shot just wide at the other end. Spartak settled and began to get on top and on 57 minues Martin Costello scored his first goal for the club, nodding home Hanratty’s looped free kick.
Laytown responded and immediately had a big miss, blazing over after a series of missed tackles by the sky blues.
Dillon Burke was then red carded, at the edge of the box, despite winning the ball, on the hour and Spartak faced an uphill battle, particularly as Derek McGoldrick’s first action as replacement left back was to divert a through ball past Robbie Hayes into the path of a Laytown forward to equalise.
Spartak then got a deserved but fortuitous winner when an attempted clearance rebounded to the net off a startled Niall Lennon.
A prolonged rearguard action by the ten men then ensued which saw some desperate defending and some determined attacks by Laytown, who fell just short of equalising. At times Spartak were reduced to nine by injuries. Keith Kelly relieved the pressure with a couple of blinding runs and missed a chance at the end of one run. Niall Lennon, unused to the pace, went down several times with cramp, as did Derek McGoldrick, while Dave O’Kelly failed to last the second period with groin trouble.
A great three points and a hard fought win, but fitness issues persist.

Form Report
Robbie Hayes 6 Dave O’Kelly 6 Dillon Burke 5 Martin Costello 7 Cathal Clancy 7 Shane McInerney 7 Niall Hanratty 6 Chris Hogan 5 Derek McGoldrick 5 Niall Lennon 6 Jose Vargas 6.
Subs Glen Burke 6 Keith Kelly 7 Jason Northey no show.

Iveagh Celtic 0, Spartak 1.

A spectacular long range volley from Ger Byrne after just 14 minutes settled this match. Fintan Grace’s header found Stuart Love , whose fine through ball was hit first time, right footed (!) by Ger to the top corner from outside the box.
Spartak, in truth, were well below par, and were reliant on some last ditch defending to stay in the cup. Peter O’Toole was equal to everything thrown at him, with one really great second half save. Steve Grier headed and tackled troughout to repel attacks and the rest of the back four worked hard , after a shaky start, with Fintan Grace pulling off a great goal line clearance on the stroke of half time, after a series of blocks and just when an Iveagh goal seemed inevitable.
Iveagh announced their intentions with a terrific shot just over in the early minutes, and Spartak replied when good work by Thom O’Driscoll, Anto Doyle and Glen Burke led to Steve Grier’s shot being well parried.
After Ger’s goal, Spartak had a poor half hour spell. The front men could not hold the ball up, with Thom off the pace and Ger’s touch erratic. In fairness the front men got less support than ex President Mubarak in Cairo. At the back, errors and sloppiness led to Iveagh lobbing wide and striking the inside of the post. A couple of free kicks in dangerous areas were conceded and some desperate defending was needed.
While the Sky Blues improved slightly in the second half, it was still mostly Iveagh who owned the ball.
Neither Neil McGowan nor Keith Kelly could impose themselves in the centre, and while Stu worked really hard up and down the flank, his distribution wasn’t of the best at times. Anto Doyle struggled to get to the pace of the game, and he and Glen were a weak link down the right flank in the first half. So mostly it was a case of trying to stem the tide of opposition possession.
Two chances were created by Spartak in the second half, when Neil McGowan’s shot was saved and then the chance to clinch the game was missed on 80 minutes when from Seamus McCahill’s flick on neither Thom O’Driscoll or Stuart Love could apply the finish in a scramble close to the line.
A much relieved Spartak heard the final whistle which announced entry to the semi finals. Plenty of fitness work required.
Form Report
Peter O’Toole 8 Glen Burke 5 Fintan Grace 7 Steve Grier 8 Dave Browne 7 Keith Kelly 6 Neil McGowan 6 Anto Doyle 5 Stuart Love 7 Thom O’Driscoll 5 Ger Byrne 7.
Subs Seamus McCahill 6 Niall Tilley Paul Kinsella Martin Costello Will O Connell

Please post your team for Last Man Standing week 6. THERE IS NO AUTOMATIC PICK. A full list of fixtures is on the Last Man tab above. If you give a team that you have already chosen (or automatically chosen) you will get the next team available to you alphabetically.

COME ON LADS GET YOUR TICKETS SORTED – DON’T MISS A GREAT NIGHT

DRESS CODE IS SMART CASUAL (You should know to ignore Shane & Mick at this stage)

Saturday team: Shane McInerney

Sunday team: Paul McGowan

Over 35’s: Frank McNamee and Brian Stafford

Former players, managers etc can get tickets from Andy Dunne and a few others, see page tab above.

You can continue to reserve tickets below.

Please post your team for Last Man Standing week 5. THERE IS NO AUTOMATIC PICK. A full list of fixtures is on the Last Man tab above. If you give a team that you have already chosen (or automatically chosen) you will get the next team available to you alphabetically. 4 people did not post a team last week so they got the next available team. Only €130 collected so far, there should be €210. Anyone who has not paid by 14th Feb will be out. You can pay at training this week or at the matches next weekend.

The over 35’s are away this week and not at home as per the fixture in the paper.We are now down to play Garden County in the peoples park  Bray for a 2:oopm kick off.Training on Wednesday as usual in Blackrock at 8:45pm sharp so if anyone is talking to Burky or Ken please let them know we have moved to 8:45pm. Lads just another mention that if you have not got your tickets for the 40th Celebration on the 19th Feb please do so as everyone welcome.The club is expecting a big turnout from the over 35’s………….you can get your tickets off Frank, Jay or Brian Stafford………

In a weekend where all would be expected to turn out for matches, a hardy few braved the astro at the postal club in two sessions over the weekend. Too few interested in trying for honours this year? A poor reflection on many, and an attitude which needs to be improved.