Kiernan penalty proves the matchwinner

On Saturday night last Mullingar Athletic AFC senior team were hosts to Edenderry Town FC at a very crisp and frosty Gainstown. Last week's exertions in the FAI Junior Cup saw Athletic's start this important CCFL Senior League game without influential midfielder, Kevin Keegan who sustained a bad groin strain that will keep him out for a few weeks.Apart from Kevin Keegan, manager Gerry Hynes was able to field an otherwise unchanged side with David Noonan coming in at right wing and Michael Fadian going to midfield to take up Keegan's position.On what was a very cold evening the first fifteen minutes of this game was a tame affair and it was on fifteen minutes that Edenderry forced the first corner of the game where a good delivery to the back post saw the Edenderry number ten rise to head wide from an acute angle.On twenty minutes Stephen Brennan, Mulllingar's right full exchanged passes with his right winger David Noonan before Noonan fired a good cross to the Edenderry six yard box where Dara Kiernan stole in to get his head to the cross. Kiernan's effort was parried by the visitor's keeper and turned round the post for a corner.At the opposite end of the pitch the Edenderry number ten fired in a fantastic cross to the Athletic penalty area, however central defender Stephen Markey was on hand to head clear. Two minutes later on the twenty eighth minute Mullingar received a real wake-up call when Stephen Markey was forced to clear the ball off the line and out for a corner.This near miss appeared to give Athletic a kick start and on thirty three minutes Brennan and Noonan combined down the right with Brennan firing a good cross to the back post where Michael Loran rose to head the ball just by the left hand upright.The home side took the lead however, when Mark Syron made the breakthrough forcing the ball home. On thirty five minutes the Edenderry number nine received a good pass in the left hand channel and he hit a superb low drive across the face of the Mullingar six yard box.The ball travelled under the advancing dive of the Mullingar ‘keeper and with the Edenderry number eleven lurking at the back post central defender William McGovern facing his own goals turned the ball outside the left hand post for a corner and a real let off for the home side.On forty minutes Mullingar forged the best chance of the first half when Michael Loran slipped a neat pass to his centre forward partner John Gavin to release him behind the Edenderry defence, however as the ‘keeper advanced swiftly Gavin delayed too long before shooting and the custodian was able to parry his effort for a corner.Right back Brennan decided to go it alone on forty two minutes as he picked up a ball inside his own half and cut infield across the face of the Edenderry eighteen yard box before he curled a left foot shot which was destined to go inside the opposition left hand post but for a full length dive by the Edenderry netminder who got strong hands to turn the ball around the post for yet another corner.With the half time whistle looming the Edenderry ‘keeper launched a long, aerial clearance that evaded Mullingar left full Mark Brady and fell into the path of the Edenderry number eight who crossed first time to the Mullingar six yard box. Mullingar's Stephen Markey got his head to the cross to clear only to see the ball deflected off the Edenderry number ten and back into the path of the number nine who reacted swiftly to hook the ball to the Mullingar net from five yards to level the score at 1-1 going into the break.Manager Gerry Hynes was forced take off Mark Brady at half time with hamstring injury. He brought on the experienced Dalibor Pesic at right back with Stephen Brennan moving to left back. Another substitution saw Enda Matthews come in at central midfield with Michael Fadian moving to centre forward and Michael Loran to right midfield where David Noonan on his way back from injury was the man to be replaced.Athletic started the second half with greater vigour and the creativity of Enda Matthews at central midfield he was pivotal in most of the best attacking movements. Matthews himself had a ferocious shot that looked goalbound, from twenty five yards deflected out for a corner on fifty two minutes. Two minutes later Dara Kiernan slipped Michael Loran in to beat the offside trap and Loran's shot from an acute angle was well saved by the Edenderry ‘keeper.With sixty five minutes gone on the clock Matthews threaded a neat pass into the run of Gavin who's run beat the offside trap and as Gavin rounded the advancing Edenderry ‘keeper he was taken down for a penalty. Referee, Paul Murphy was well placed to see the incident and instantly issued a straight red card to the Edenderry ‘keeper and awarded the penalty to Mullingar. Dara Kiernan stepped up and dispatched the penalty to the opposition net to give Mullingar a deserved lead.With Edenderry struggling with the loss of a player for the next ten minutes Mullingar should have increased their lead. On Seventy minutes Stephen Brennan took the ball down the left and squared a great ball infield to Dara Kiernan at the edge of the eighteen yard box. Kiernan's first time shot came very close as it clipped the top right hand corner of the Edenderry goals. Michael Fadian came close with a good headed ball from a Dara Kiernan left wing cross on seventy five minutes.As Mullingar were finding it difficult to get that elusive third goal Edenderry were getting a grip on their new shape and between seventy five and eighty two minutes they forced a number of corners that were well defended by the Mullingar back four. There was one moment of worry for Mullingar on eighty four minutes when a long range shot from the Edenderry number eight was seen late by Athletic ‘keeper Joe Martin and the effort was parried around the post for yet another corner.However this was to be the last real effort on the Mullingar goals from Edenderry and the match petered out tamely over the remaining minutes with Athletic claiming an important three points to take them into third place in the CCFL Senior league table.Next weekend the side head to the lions den of Kevins Boys FC for what is a very daunting fourth round Lenister Junior Cup game. All support will be welcome for the team on the day.Team: Joe Martin, Stephen Brennan, William McGovern, Stephen Markey, Mark Brady, Dara Kiernan, Mark Syron, Michael Fadian, David Noonan, Michael Loran, John Gavin. Subs: Dalibor Pesic for Mark Brady (inj), Enda Matthews for David Noonan, Kevin Dunleavy for John Gavin, Shane Kavanagh.