ROC come from a goal down to topple Blackforge

OLD RIVALRIES were renewed last Saturday, in Sacred Heart Tallaght, when ROC Celtic entertained Blackforge FC in their first league meeting this season, reports John Mooney.

Both these two won all on offer in the UCFL/AUL with the Forge bagging the Premier Division title and ROC two Challenge Cups and a Shield.

And it was ROC who gained the bragging rights when they came from a goal behind to win 3-1 with Darren Kelly being the hero of the day with a hat-trick.

Leon Lawlor had given the Forge the lead after five minutes but before the celebrations died down it was 1-1 when Kelly bagged his first of the afternoon.

Kelly notched his second on 53 minutes and made sure of the points in the 88th minute to keep ROC top of the pile.

Also in the Premier Quarryvale moved up to second with a 3-0 win away to St Mary’s Sandyford.

All three goals came after the break when Dylan Byrne, Aaron Gunnery and Adebayo Ogungbe scored for the Vale to leave them nine points behind ROC but have two games in hand.

In Division 2 Ronanstown are closing in on the title after making it nine wins from nine in the league, with a commanding 5-0 away win cover Rathmines Roosters.

Carl Grant set them on their way after 10 minutes but a dogged Roosters dug deep until the floodgates opened in the second half, when Troy Donoghue, Mark O’Neill, Jake Purcell and an own goal saw off the Roosters.

Two games in the LFA Junior Shield saw both Glenmalure Rovers and Kingswood Castle advance at the expense of Swords Manor and Hyde Park FC.

In a tight encounter in Newlands Cemetery the Castle netted the winner in the 83rd minute when a John O’Brien goal decided Hyde’s faith.

Meanwhile, over in Sacred Heart, Glenmalure Rovers came from behind on two occasions to beat Swords Manor 3-2 to book their place in the quarter final.

Swords opened the scoring early on and it took until the 45th minute for Rovers to get back on level terms, when Darragh Monks crashed home a Ryan Hyland corner.

The visitors regained the lead again just after the restart, but again Glenmalure hit back through the ever reliable Clayton Harte to make it 2-2.

That seemed to give them the kick they needed and on 70 minutes Nathan Reilly netted what proved to be the winner.