MSL soccer: Pearse Celtic close in on promotion after win over Leeside United

Pearse Celtic 4

Leeside United 1

Pearse Celtic took another step closer to promotion from the Beamish Stout Junior Fourth Division following their 4-1 over Leeside United at Lehenaghmore Park on Saturday.

The win continues an impressive run by the Togher side who haven’t lost in the league since September when they were beaten by Crosshaven A who trail the leaders by eight points, along with Mayfield United, though the latter two have a couple of games in hand on the leaders.

The Camden outfit still have to come Lehenaghmore Park, one of two games remaining for Pearse — the other being a trip to bottom side Ballinhassig where they will be expected to win — so promotion is within touching distance, though the destination of the title could come down that game against Crosshaven who also have to play Mayfield.

Pearse were comfortable throughout this encounter and could have added to their goals tally.

Following some early pressure the home side jumped in front after 10 minutes when Michael Cronin, who had seen an earlier effort saved, fired home from the angle of the penalty area on the left.

Pearse were asking most of the early questions and could have stretched their lead four minutes later when Jonathan Spillane rode a strong challenge on the left side of the area and had time and space to pick his spot, but he blasted his effort high and wide.

Spillane wouldn’t be denied though. Eight minutes later a neat pass from David Dumitru in behind the visitors’ defence on the right found the Pearse striker and he planted his shot in the far corner beyond Leeside keeper Calum Cerni.

It was 3-0 four minutes later when Cronin clipped in a nice cross from the angle of the box on the left; Dumitru’s header beat Cerni but came back off the crossbar and Spillane was on hand to bundle the ball over the line.

Spillane came close to completing his hat-trick just after the half-hour mark when Joe Cotter did well on the endline on the right side of the penalty area to put the ball into the danger area, Spillane got a touch at the near post, but Cerni blocked his effort and the loose ball was cleared.

Difficult

Leeside were finding it difficult to get into the game, but they did hit the net on 36 minutes minutes when Richard Hyde’s free kick from distance found Donal McCann who rose unchallenged in the box to head the ball past Pearse keeper Cian Allen.

Pearse were still very much in control however, and came close to restoring their three-goal cushion in the final minute of the half when Ryan O’Shea did well to make space for a shot on the edge of the penalty area which went narrowly wide.

Pearse continued to press after the break and seven minutes in Leeside had a scare when McCann headed a Paul Mullins free kick over his own crossbar for a corner with just inches to spare.

Two minutes later Pearse had another opening when O’Shea got on the end of a well-placed crossfield pass from the right to the left side of the penalty area, but with just Cerni to beat, he duffed his shot and the keeper saved easily.

The fourth goal arrived a minute later when Allen launched a ball forward; Leeside’s defence didn’t deal with it and let the ball bounce, allowing Dumitru to run in behind and score from a difficult angle.

Pearse continued to chase another goal and O’Shea fired narrowly over after doing well to make space for the shot, while Cerni denied Dumitru following another long kick from Allen.

Allen was called into defensive duties shortly afterwards when, after initially spilling a free kick, he blocked Sean Duffy’s follow-up shot in the box.

Pearse emptied their bench, with goalscorers Spillane and Dumitru among those making way, but the home side still provided a goal threat with subs Tony Dolan and Jason Creamer combining to set up O’Shea who volleyed over from inside the penalty area with a little more than 15 minutes remaining.

During that time Pearse controlled the game as Leeside failed to make inroads on the home defence in which Mullins excelled, picking up the Beamish Player of the Week award for his efforts.

PEARSE CELTIC: Cian Allen, Michael Lennon, Alex Hayes, Paul Mullins, Ricky Murphy, Joe Crotty, Michael Cronin, Wayne Murphy, Jonathan Spillane, Ryan O’Shea, David Dumitru.

Subs: Gary O’Shea for Murphy (h/t), Cian Buckley for Crotty(57), Tony Dolan for Spillane (59)j, Craig Roche for Hayes (66), Jason Creamer for Dumitru (72).

LEESIDE UNITED: Calum Cerni, Alan O’Mahony, Pedro Asensio Tobarra, Donal McCann, Gerard O’Mahony, Richard Hyde, Jake O’Mahony, Simon O’Mahony, Rory Bickerstaffe, Sean Duffy, Niall O’Sullivan.

Subs: Jack O’Regan for Tobarra (h/t), Jamie Gettings and Patrick Kriegel for Duffy and Bickerstaff (both 76).

Referee: Harun Oskan.