Stedfast are lucan good
Markey’s men in title chase
February 8th 2000. The Star by Derek Wilcox.
Stedfast United 4 - Lucan United 0
The division 2B title race is now wide open after a superb display by
Stedfast when they beat league leaders Lucan 4-0 at Marley Park last Saturday.
Stedfast are now just two points behind the leaders with matches in hand and,
with Russell Athletic and DMC also in contention, this division looks certain
to go down to the wire. Goal heros for Stedfast last weekend were Donal Brady
and Kevin Dooley with two apiece. But man of the match must go to midfield
maestro Kevin Norris who had an outstanding game and ran the show for the home
side. In the 23rd minute Kevin Dooley squared a lovely pass to Donal
Brady but unfortunately his first touch let him down and the keeper gathered
safely. Brady made amends for that miss a minute later when he scored his first
goal of the match with a superb diving header after a delightful cross from Dooley.
Bizarre
Stedfast increased their lead in bizarre circumstances in the 30th minute. Dooley
whipped in a cross from the right and turned away in disgust with his effort to
pick out a team-mate but somehow Lucan keeper Conor Blount failed to gather the
ball and knocked it against the upright and into the net to make it 2-0. Lucan’s
Javier Garza knocked a delicate ball into the box in the 41st minute
to set up Steve Gannon but Stedfast’s two central defenders Cathal McNiffe and
Geoff Duncan combined well to block the danger. Norris was again the provider
in the 71st minute when his superb pass set up Brady. Brady turned his
marker to create an opening firing low into the corner of the net for his second
of the game giving Stedfast a three-goal cushion. The nearest Lucan came to scoring
was in the 75th minute. A long throw from the left by Declan Malone
picked put John Paul O’Brien in the box and he played the ball back to Gary Kavanagh
but his shot rebounded off the crossbar. Dooly made it 4-0 for Stedfast just before
the final whistle. Stedfast boss Karl Markey said "I was surprised and delighted with
the margin of victory".
STEDFAST
: Hugh McCann, Alan Walsh, Geoff Duncan, Scott Ellis, Donal
Deasy, Cathal McEniffe, Steve Whyte, Kevin Norris, Donal Brady, Mark Kenny, Kevin Dooley.
Subs : Harry Harrison for Mark Kenny (83rd min).
Subs not used: Paul Redmond, Brian Hannon.
REFEREE: Chris O’Neill.
