Leeside needed to play very well to beat Midleton in U18 Premier League encounter

Midleton 2 

Leeside United 3

JJ Foley’s hat-trick was just enough to get Leeside United over the line against a very resilient Midleton side and keep their title hopes alive in a very competitive Daly Industrial Supplies U18 Premier League encounter at the magnificent new 5G Astro Pitch at Knockgriffin last Friday night.

Leeside now move two points above Carrigaline United, however, the latter do have a game in hand and the title will come down to the final game of the season between both sides at Ballea Park in two weeks time.

The visitors, Leeside led by one goal to nil at halftime thanks to a JJ Foley effort three minutes before the break.

The Magpies levelled the game 1-1 with a Liam Lynch goal five minutes from the restart, however, Leeside were back in front 2-1 a minute later with another great finish by Foley. 

Conor Murrays side then went 3-1 up in the 58th minute and again it was that man Foley who hit the back of the net. 

In fairness to Midleton, they through everything at Leeside and pulled a goal back through Noah Nsengivumva in the 80th minute, however, they couldn’t find the net in the final ten minutes to get a deserved share of the spoils.

It was the home side who made the brighter start to the game and Roan O’Keeffe had two good opportunity’s to break the deadlock in the opening ten minutes, but Leeside Keeper Olan Buckley had to be alert to make brave saves on both occasions. 

Leeside then had a great chance five minutes later when Ronan Murray treated a slimline through ball for Foley to run on to, but the Magpies keeper Colm Noonan saw the danger and raced off his line to make a superb save at his feet. 

Craig Mostyn-St Leger was causing the Magpies all sorts of problems with his pace and trickery down the left wing and when he ghosted past two of Magpies defenders it took another fine stop by Noonan to keep the game scoreless. 

However, Leeside did they the lead 1-0 in the 42nd minute, Daniel Brennan won the ball in the middle of the park and released Foley and he made no mistake to strike hie effort low into the corner of the net.

The Magpies started the second half on the front foot and got their reward 50th minute when Liam Lynch danced his was into the box and stuck a powerful effort past Buckley in the Leeside goal to level the game 1-1. 

They didn’t have time to celebrate, as they were behind again 2-1 a minute later, Craig Nolan released Foley and he expertly finished with another quality strike. 

Things got worse for the Magpies as they were 3-1 down in the 57th minute, Jamie Coughlan won the ball just outside their box and when he found the man of the match Foley, he raced through on goal to finish in style to complete his hat-trick. 

The Magpies threw cation to the wind to try get back in the game by pushing men forward and they pulled a goal back to trail 3-2 in the 80th minute with a superb strike from the edge of the box by substitute Noah Nsengivumva. 

They came agonisingly close to levelled the game in the 88th minute, however, Ben Fitzgerald saw his powerful header crash off the butt of the post.

MIDLETON: Colm Noonan, Liam Lynch, Max Murphy, Luke McDonnell, Ben Fitzgerald, Alex McSweeney, Cillian Scanlon, Owen Noonan, Sean Og Madden, Cormac Mooney, Roan O’Keeffe.

Subs: James O’Meara for Mooney (ht), Noah Nsengivumva for Noonan (ht), Ryan Murphy for Lynch (61), Gabriel Ebu for O’Keeffe (61).

LEESIDE UNITED: Olan Buckley, Christopher Kelly, Ryan Lane, Scott Busteed, Daniel Brennan, Ronan Murray, James Greyem, Craig Nolan, JJ Foley, Jamie Coughlan, Craig Mostyn-St Ledger.

Subs: Alex Bolland for Grayem (63), Warren O’Mahony for Foley (72), Blake Wyse for Mostyn-St Ledger (72).

Referee: Rickey Parker.