MSL soccer: Leeside are senior second division champions after a big win over Fermoy

Leeside United 6

Fermoy 0

LEESIDE claimed the Beamish Stout Senior Second Division title on Friday after a comprehensive 6-0 victory over Fermoy at Little Island.

Alan Hogan was the star of the show; he hit a second-half hat-trick, but the hosts had many top performers on the night as they served up an excellent team performance.

For Fermoy, it was disappointing to miss out on promotion having topped the table for most of the regular season, before losing to Lakewood in a play-off for the automatic promotion spot before the division split into two sections. They couldn't replicate their performances after the split, with just one win from six games, with one more game to play.

Leeside finished fourth in the regular season but clearly kept their best until last, winning six of seven top-eight games, one fewer than they managed from their 13 games before the split.

The home side got off to a perfect start; they scored right after tip-off when, following a good passing move, left full-back Adam Horgan squared the ball inside for Fionn Keohane to finish.

Four minutes later Leeside could have doubled their tally when a kick-out from keeper Raymond Savage sent Hogan free, one one-on-one with Fermoy's Liam Coleman, but the netminder saved for a corner

Leeside continued to pour forward in search of an early second goal and a snap-shot from Adam Kelly went narrowly wide, while eight minutes later Hogan got on the end of a cross from the left, but his header struck a defender and went out for a corner.

Two minutes later Leeside nosed further ahead when Conor Barry was brought down just inside the penalty area and Happy Agbeleola sent Coleman the wrong way with his spot kick.

Fermoy did have a couple of chances in the first half; Lee Walsh got on the end of a delivery from the right to the far side of the penalty area but couldn’t direct his effort on target while Dale Dawson forced Savage to get down and make a smart save from a shot on the right side of the area.

From the keeper’s kickout his opposite number had to do likewise from another Hogan effort.

Hogan finished the game with a hat-trick, but he could have had more; he went close again on 39 minutes when Kevin Cody’s excellent cross from the right was met by the striker, but his header went wide.

For all their dominance, Leeside could have been just one ahead at the break only that Savage made a good save from Dean Jordan after the home side lost the ball cheaply in their own penalty area.

Hogan eventually got off the mark seven minutes into the second half when he rolled his marker on the left side of the penalty area and tucked the ball into the far corner with the outside of his right foot.

Leeside had one hand on the trophy at that point, but they still pressed for more goals.

The fourth arrived two minutes later when Hogan latched on to a breaking ball in the box to beat Coleman with a firm strike.

The Fermoy keeper was kept busy, making a couple more interventions before Leeside struck again on 63 minutes when Ashton Hannaway released Keohane on the left and he pulled the ball back for Hogan to tap home from close range and complete his hat-trick.

To their credit, Fermoy kept trying for an opening with Owen O’Neill forcing Savage to save for a corner.

With five minutes remaining, though, Leeside got a sixth when Jack Ford’s corner on the right deceived everybody and settled in the net.

LEESIDE: Raymond Savage, Kevin Cody, Adam Horgan, Ashton Hannaway, Richard Gettings, Conor Barry, Adam Kelly, Happy Agbeleola, Alan Hogan, Jack Ford, Fionn Keohane.

Subs: Greg O’Sullivan-Magner, Darragh Cogan, Daniel Gettings, Alex Delea, Micheál Delargey, Callum Lynch, Eoin Horgan.

FERMOY: Liam Coleman, Brian Carey, Alan Baragry, Cillian Fitzgerald, Adrian Clancy, Owen O’Neill, Seweryn Szostak, Nicky Kelleher, Dale Dawson, Dean Jordan, Lee Walsh.

Subs: David Chambers, Pedro Henrique da Silva, Christopher Ring, Aaron Dennigan, Adam Dennigan.

Referee: Darren O’Sullivan.