Aisling Annacotty have extended the gap between themselves and Summerville Rovers to ten points this afternoon – thanks to two assists from Keegan Park and two goals from the league’s leading goalscorer, Keith Mawdsley.
Owing to their extra man in midfield, the home side dominated possession of the football throughout. Their most advanced central midfielder, Keegan Park, was intent on taking full advantage of this situation. Park picked up the ball in space behind the Summerville midfield on numerous occasions during the first-half. And within the opening five minutes, he had availed of this freedom to create Keith Mawdsley’s first chance of the day. Summerville striker, Darren O’Sullivan’s loss of possession in the Aisling half prompted a counter-attack, which led to Park feeding Mawdsley into feet. The red-hot striker took it left, past Cyril Maher, before firing wide off his left-foot.
Midway through the half, Park again picked it up between the lines on the break – off a pass from the excellent Jamie Shinners. This time he fed Evan O’Neill on the right, who beat Ian Maher far too easily, before lofting a cross for the man who passed it to him. Park headed over. Moments later, the other Maher – Cyril – took him out in the middle of the field and was lucky to escape a caution.
Only one team looked like scoring. Aisling also went close through a Mawdsley free header off a John Lysaght free-kick. And left-back Jonathan Somers rattled Alan Ahern’s near post too, before the unmarked Niall Hanley skied the resulting rebound. Summerville were living a charmed life.
Yet it was the visitors who took the lead, against the run of play. Aisling’s old issues with defensive transitions came back to haunt them as both Summerville full-backs were afforded the freedom of Annacotty’s final third to create the goal. Ian Maher’s cross from the left found Neil O’Brien unmarked at the back stick. Cian O’Longaigh, who had been switched up top midway through the half, got on the end of O’Brien’s cutback to sidefoot home.
Aisling weren’t about to suffer the injustice of going in behind at the break, however. Jamie Shinners broke forward from the back with five to go to feed the impressive teenager, Shane Donegan, on the right. Donegan’s cross found the equally effective wide threat of Evan O’Neill in the box. But Neil O’Brien added to his earlier assist with a vital last-ditch block to deny him.
The home side upped the pressure. John Lysaght went close from range, moments later – Alan Ahern tipping over acrobatically after one of many excellent Keegan Park set-piece deliveries had been cleared to the edge of the area.
Finally, two minutes from recess, Aisling had their goal. Park was again the provider, delivering a wonderful through ball down the inside-right channel. Keith Mawdsley matched it with an equally wonderful low first-time finish into the far corner.
Summerville continued to be forced onto the back foot in the second half. With centre-back, Sam Mullins, forced off early on, they had to juggle the left-side of their defence and began to struggle massively down that flank.
One of many wide runs from Keith Mawdsley led to a low cross from the left that found Donegan unmarked at the back post. Luckily for Rovers, Ahern stepped up again to save at point-blank range.
And midway through the half, confusion in the defensive line kept Keith Mawdsley onside wide on the right to collect a Niall Hanley pass. Mawdsley carried it on, only to drag his effort wide of the far post.
Amazingly, although he was threatening Summerville in an area of significant weakness for them, Donegan had been removed by this point. The chances from the right subsequently dried up for the hosts and the game entered a prolonged lull – in which both sides seemed happy with the point. The only real danger stemmed from the corner-kicks of Keegan Park – at least one of which should have been converted by Aisling.
Then, in the last five minutes, Mawdsley broke the offside-trap twice. First, he got on the end of great ball over the top from cousin, Ryan, before striking over with his left-foot. And then, moments later, Rovers were caught again. This time – surprise, surprise – it was Keegan Park who provided the lofted pass. And this time, Mawdsley made no mistake, powering home his strike from a central position.
Summerville ,therefore, remain marooned in tenth on six points, one point ahead of Mungret Regional and ten behind today’s opponents. They should have no complaints about today’s result. Although they enjoyed some good individual performances – particularly at the back from Cyril Maher, O’Brien and Ahern – they were comprehensively outplayed in midfield and, as such, didn’t create nearly as many genuine chances as their hosts. Having said that, they also would have expected more from some of their forward line, particularly Darren O’Sullivan, whose performance in general play this morning did not match his well-deserved reputation.
This is a big three points for Aisling, who will now feel that any worries of being pulled into the relegation mire are behind them. They have Keith Mawdsley to thank for that. The 18 year-old now has an incredible 13 goals in just ten league games. That’s almost two-thirds of the goals that his side have managed throughout the first-half of the league campaign. And given their defensive woes – specifically in front of what looks like a pretty solid back four – that contribution is absolutely crucial. Simply put, they’d be lost without him. Mawdsley is a pure poacher – the best natural finisher in the city by some margin. But, having said that, for his all-round contribution to general play, married to two fantastic assists, today’s man of the match award goes to Keegan Park.
Scorers
K. Mawdsley 44′, 89′; Cian O’Longaigh 29′
Man of the Match
Keegan Park
Limerick District League 