MSL soccer: Keelan Crowley scores twice as College Corinthians increase lead in premier league race after win over Carrigaline United

Carrigaline United 2

College Corinthians 4

COLLEGE CORINTHIANS reclaimed top spot in the Beamish Stout Senior Premier Division for themselves with a deserved 4-2 win away to Carrigaline United on Friday.

Corinthians went into this game level on points with Douglas Hall but with two games in hand, and with Hall not in action at the weekend, they opened a three-point gap ahead of their clash with the Hall at Moneygourney on Friday (7.45pm).

These two played out a scoreless draw at Castletreasure early last month when Corinthians felt afterwards that they had left all three points behind them, but they certainly atoned for that here.

The visitors started well and were the better team in the first half, indeed they probably should have been further ahead than their 1-0 half-time lead.

There were half chances for the visitors inside the first 10 minutes; Ian Turner fired wide with the outside of his right foot on the angle of the penalty area, while a Jack O’Brien cross from the right found Mark O’Sullivan, but Ben Graham easily held his header under pressure in the Carrigaline goal.

Corinthians continued to press their hosts and on 20 minutes, O'Sullivan met a Keelan Crowley corner on the right, but his header was cleared off the line for another corner. Crowley’s flag kick was cleared as far as Killian Cooper who hit the dropping ball from outside the box wide though not far off.

Carrigaline’s first attempt on goal arrived five minutes later when Ryan O’Regan’s effort from 25 yards flew narrowly wide.

Corinthians were asking most of the questions though, and Crowley was causing problems for the home defence; on 23 minutes the youngster showed neat footwork to get away from this marker and get a shot off from the edge of the penalty area which Graham did brilliantly to turn away.

Graham was called into action again five minutes later, producing an even better save when tipping over a fine strike from Cooper

Again, Crowley fired in an excellent delivery from the corner on the right and O’Brien got across his man at the near side of the penalty area and glanced a header narrowly wide at the far post.

Shortly afterwards Crowley tested Graham again, as the keeper made another good save for a corner.

The goalkeeper could do nothing about Crowley’s next effort, however, a 25-yard strike that flew into the top corner of the net for a deserved lead.

Carrigaline almost stole in for an equaliser with five minutes remaining in the half when Lamanov found space on the left wing before firing low across the box for the inrushing Andrew Cronin who just failed to get a touch that could have produced a goal.

Carrigaline needed a big improvement in the second period, and they started well, showing greater determination, and eight minutes in they drew level when Nathan Crowley’s ball into the box from the left fell for Richard Duggan and he forced the ball home past Gavin Ryan in the Corinthians’ goal.

Carrigaline had a bit of momentum at this point, and they were unlucky eight minutes later when Lamanov’s shot from just outside the penalty area appeared goalbound, but the ball struck Cronin, looped in the air, and Ryan gathered easily.

Shortly afterwards, though, Corinthians restored their lead when Kalen Spillane brought down O’Sullivan in the penalty area and Crowley obliged from the spot.

The momentum had switched Corinthians’ way again and they took a firm grip on the game. On 70 minutes they stretched their lead when Cooper beat his marker in midfield before releasing O’Sullivan on the left. Cooper burst into the penalty area to get on the end of O’Sullivan’s delivery and swept the ball home past Graham.

Cooper then had a long-range effort saved by Graham before having a hand in Corinthians’ fourth; this time sending Crowley free on the left and his low drive into the area was tapped home from close range by Destiny Okonkwo.

The points were in the bag at that point, but Carrigaline refused to give up and had an effort cleared off the line before Ryan had to make a good save for a corner, and they did reduce the deficit in the final minute when Duggan scored from the penalty spot.

CARRIGALINE UNITED: Ben Graham, Sean Byrne, Darragh Buckley, Kalen Spillane, James McSweeney, Ryan O’Regan, Arseni Lamanov, Richard Duggan, Andrew Cronin, Daragh Mulchinock, Nathan Crowley.

Subs: Derry Howard for McSweeney (70), Cian O’Flaherty for Lamanov (70), Aaron McCarthy and Adam Costello for Mulchinock and Cronin (both 73), Conor O’Farrell for Crowley (85).

COLLEGE CORINTHIANS: Gavin Ryan, Ian Turner, Jack O’Brien, Jack Anthony, Eric Cunningham, Deo Munza, Keelan Crowley, Karl Caulfield, Mark O’Sullivan, Killian Cooper, Destiny Okonkwo.

Subs: Matthew Broderick for Caulfield (54), Jack Dawson and Conor Bowdren for O’Sullivan and Okonkwo (both 80), Garan Manley for Cunningham (88), Adam Walsh for Turner (92).

Referee: Vincent Coonan, Kieran Hayes, Allan Martin.