Liffey Valley 2 Spartak 1
An abysmal first half performance threw away Spartak’s league chances and ended an eleven match unbeaten sequence. Up to this point Spartak had coped well with the loss through injury of Cibirka, Breen and McGowan but in this match their experience was missed. Needing to win to maintain the winning sequence to challenge for the title or just a point to clinch third place Spartak failed on both counts.
Spartak started in casual fashion and when Stuart Love was fouled just outside the box, Glen Burke’s careless free sailed harmlessly over the bar and served as a harbinger of Spartak’s approach to the first half.
Spartak’s back four did not operate well as a unit and took a cavalier approach to marking their men; Dave Browne made some great tackles but his distribution was much less effective. Glen Burke gave his man time and space to turn. Only desperate blocks and tackles by Kenny and Browne averted scores early on.
In central midfield Tom Flanagan, who had to go off at the break, and Kevin O’Toole never got to the pace of the game while out wide Will O’Connell was surprisingly ineffective in tracking his man in the first half and Stuart Love generally failed to trouble the home defence, while the front two of Graham McEnroe and Ger Byrne were isolated.
Liffey scored twice on 26 and 28 minutes. The first came from a throw which found Dave Browne badly positioned and the second from a free header from a corner. Liffey also blasted one off the post. Earlier on Ger Byrne had a chance cutting in from the right but the keeper denied him.
Spartak started the second half in better fashion with McEnroe and sub James Finn taking control of midfield and a neat move involving Finn and McEnroe put Glen Burke in to score on 47 minutes.
Ger Byrne’s cross was headed just wide by Love while Peter O’Toole made a good save at the other end. Dave Browne conceded a free for a vocal protest but Peter tipped over.
A bad tackle by their number 3 on Will O’Connell on 65 minutes led to a red card, and with Liffey down to 10 men Spartak exerted pressure. A lovely through ball by Graham McEnroe put Ger Byrne through; he elected to round the keeper but a heavy touch took the ball wide. Good approach play by Dave O’Kelly and Ger Byrne put Glen Burke in but he shot over from a decent position. Crosses from Love and Anto Doyle in good positions were wasted.
On 85 minutes Spartak had what seemed to be the equalising goal controversially ruled out; James Finn’s cross cum shot was met at the back post by Burke but the ref gave offside, when Burke had clearly ran from behind the ball.
The Spartak effort was too late. The game was effectively lost in the first half.
Form Report
Peter O’Toole 6 Glen Burke 5 Fintan Grace 5 Alex Kenny 7Dave Browne 5 Tom Flanagan 4 Graham McEnroe 6 Stuart Love 4 Ger Byrne 5 Kevin O’Toole 4 Will O’Connell 5
Subs James Finn 7 Anto Doyle 6 Dave O’Kelly 6 Rob Mahon
