Match of the Week: Kiltalown make it three wins from three

IT’S THREE league wins on the trot for Kiltalown FC after the return from the winter break, as they beat Rathmines Roosters in Whelan Park on a narrow 2-1 scoreline on Saturday afternoon reports John Mooney.

Tallaght side Kiltalown are starting to look like the side that started life in the UCFL Division 2 section and, if they keep this up, could make a late bid for promotion, but for now that’s in the distance.

This game on Saturday was a very cagey affair and only really came to life after the break, with the closest we came to a goal in the opening half was a shot that crashed off the bar from Roosters Michael O’Donovan.

However, the fireworks started five minutes after the restart of this tie when the visitors hit the front through Shane Adjei Samuels and, although it was early in the half, it set them up for their third win in the second half of the season.

It was a blow to the home side who have been finding wins hard to come by and, even though they were only one down, it looked like their confidence might dip.

Kiltalown FC beat Rathmines Roosters to make it three wins on the trot

It didn’t help their cause when the visitors added to their tally at the midway point in the half.

Martin McDonnell bared down on goal and as he pulled the trigger Stephen Brophy made a great save, but the ball fell kindly to Jay Halpin and he cooly dispatched the ball home.

At 2-0 I thought this could turn ugly for the Roosters but they dramatically turned the game around and within five minutes could have been on level terms, as O’Donovan saw his effort brilliantly pushed onto the crossbar by Nathan Byrne, who then denied Edward Murray by pushing his effort wide.

If anything those two efforts gave them a lift and with five minutes remaining they were thrown a lifeline, when Conor Cooney slotted home from just inside the area.

It made for a nervous ending for the visitors and the home side could have levelled the game in the dying minutes, as O’Donovan did everything right by outpacing a defender, controlling the ball but his final delivery hit the side netting, it really summed up his day and Kiltalown were the happier for it.