UCC 2 Grangevale 3

GRANGEVALE moved into second spot of Premier A after inflicting the first league defeat of the season on leaders UCC following their 3-2 victory at the Farm.

The windy conditions made it very difficult for both sides to settle on the ball, but after just minutes in, UCC’s defence failed to deal with a high ball and it was Billy Tabb who latched on to the loose ball before blazing over.

Then, when a decent effort from a free kick by Dave Barrett sailed over, Tabb knocked it back for Phil Sweetnam who miss-kicked his effort outside the box and when it spun back for Tabb, he lifted his effort over.

Grangevale were making good use of the wind to their backs and when Sweetnam crossed, Ross Kiely cushioned it back for Tabb who forced Eoin O’Donnell to push out for a corner.

From Barrett’s corner, Ben Jenkins rose to head straight into the arms of O’Donnell.

At the other end, Tom McNamara’s cross was headed clear, but into the path of James Crotty who cleared the bar with his effort.

Grangevale’s first arrived soon afterwards when hesitancy in the students’ defence presented Tabb with an opportunity and he availed of it promptly when he fired home across O’Donnell and into the far corner to hand Grangevale the advantage on 31.

The students put a neat move together with Liam Hogan playing it square for Heaney who picked out Crotty, but his low effort on goal lacked conviction and Kennedy was allow to pick with ease.

With just one minute to the break, Barrett shifted it on for Sweetnam who drilled into the far corner to send Grangevale into the break with a 2-0 advantage.

The students were rocked right back on their heels again just two minutes into the second period when Barrett fed Tabb to slam home his second and his side’s third.

O’Donnell came to the students’ rescue when he got there in the nick of time to prevent Tabb’s low cross reaching John Barry.

The students had a lot to do now as they trailed by 0-3, but they did reduce the arrears when Grangevale’s inability to deal with Liam Hogan’s cross provided James Daly with a chance and he took it by hammering home from 15 yards out on 10 minutes.

This injected plenty of energy into the students’ side and following good build-up play, a clearance reached the unmarked Hogan, but with the goal in view, he failed to get his shot away with conviction.

When Hogan’s low effort from an acute angle was cleared, it fell for Eoghan Heaney, but he too could not get enough force with his effort on goal.

From a corner, Grangevale failed to clear and it was Patrick Keyes who helped home with his head on 85, but despite desperate efforts by the students to secure a point, Grangevale held on in the end to three precious points.

UCC: Eoin O’Donnell, Jamie Keniry, Conor Quirke, Dominic Bolster, Eoghan Heaney, Conor O’Neill, Tom McNamara, Brian Boyd, Malachy Harte, James Crotty, Liam Hogan.

Subs: James Daly and Evan Dodd for Malachy Harte and Tom McNamara (50), Patrick Keyes for Dominic Bolster (76), Michael Connolly for Conor Quirke (88).

Grangevale: Ryan Kennedy, Gregg Barry, Aaron Baldwin, Ben Jenkins, Alan Buckley, Mikey Hennessy, Corey Harris, John Barry, Billy Tabb, Dave Barrett, Phil Sweetnam.

Subs: Ross Kiely for Corey Harris (17), Adam O’Regan for Mikey Hennessy (70), Diarmuid O’Neill for Aaron Baldwin (78), Timmy Hayes for Phil Sweetnam (85).

Referee: Paul O’Sullivan.