Rovers keep cool against Millstreet
Kanturk's Jeff O'Callaghan clears the ball with a sliding tackle in a crowded goal area during the fourth round FAI Junior Cup game between Kanturk and College Corinthians last weekend. Credit: PICTURES: BILLY MERNAGH
IN another hard fought derby encounter Rathcoole sent their Millstreet visitors home pointless after a late goal in the AUL Murphy's League 3A on Sunday morning last. This was always going to be a hotly contested affair but it was Los Zarkos who looked to have the upper hand early on. They went into the lead after 10 minutes when Martin Murphy connected with a corner only to see the ball come back off the crossbar, and bounce of at least one defender before ending up in the net.
Minutes earlier Mark Neville was not so lucky when his header, again from a corner, went wide of the mark while the Rathcoole keeper was stranded.
However, from there the visitors piled on the pressure and they had two or three real chances to go further ahead in the first half.
However, Rathcoole weathered the storm and the siege was lifted on 20 minutes when Richard Browne's shot from the edge of the box just about made it past the keeper for the equaliser.
For the remainder of the first and, indeed, for most of the second half nothing could separate the sides as both defences shut out all advances. Steadily, though, Rathcoole gained the initiative and heading for full time it was they who were in the ascendancy.
The winner, when it came looked like it was going Los Zarkos way as Mark Neville took a clear shot on goal. However, his shot was blocked and the resultant clearance caught everybody on the hop.
However, Rathcoole front man Conor Kelleher was quick to pounce and he slotted home past keeper Denny Twomey for the lead with five minutes to go.
This left Los Zarkos with precious little time to fight back for an equaliser , when it had looked like these near neighbours would share the points, but Mark Neville did get his head to one last gasp attack only to see his effort spin wide of the mark.
