| 18/12/05 - Division 1A |
| Asdee (1) |
V |
AC Athletic (1) |
| Match abandonded 38 mins |
| Team: |
N Moloney
K McElligott
J Gorman
L McElligott
P O’Brien
M Farac 
M Walsh
P Carroll
R Wall
E O’Mahoney
M Higgins
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| Subs: |
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| Team: |
Cyril Dineen
John Fitzgerald
Mark Walshe
Conor Harty
Mark Dillane
Kieran Young
Eamon Fitzgerald
Barry Walshe
Stephen Goggin
John Mike Dooley
David Leahy
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| Subs: |
Shane Harty
Conor Diggins
John Madden
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Whatever Christmas cheer might be present in the shopping malls in the towns was distinctly absent on the shores of the Shannon Estuary on Sunday morning. A pulsating clash between two of the better teams in Division 1 descended into a brawl after which referee Karl Jenkins abandoned the match.
There was no preamble to the events late in the first half, almost exactly the opposite was the case. Asdee, sitting two places and points above the Causeway based side, had started the match at a lick, forcing their opponents onto the back foot, but AC Athletic love counterattacking football with the likes of Steve Goggin and John Mike Dooley looking for the chance to swoop on defensive errors.
For the first 25 minutes Asdee swarmed around the AC goals without really creating many clear cut chances. Cyril Dineen, in Athletic’s goals, handled free kicks with aplomb and punched away anything he felt less certain about. Throughout this period Conor Harty and the redoubtable Mark Walsh calmly went about their sweeping roles.
When Walsh was allowed more time he sent a series of penetrating through balls in Dooley’s direction which relieved the pressure.
The biggest scare the visitors had experienced was when Liam McElligott stole onto Mike Farac’s long free kick to head too close to Dineen at the near post. At this stage it was an excellent advert for lower division Kerry soccer. AC’s talented midfielder Eamon Fitzgerald was beginning to pick up the scraps and turn them into tasty snacks for his forwards.
Then, in a five minute period, the game moved from riveting to abandonment.
AC scored one of the best team goals of the season after Mark Walsh slipped the ball to Mark Dillane whose first time pass found Dooley free on the left. One glance up was all the striker needed to send a pinpoint cross onto David Leahy’s head and the winger planted his header firmly between Ned Moloney and the near post.
Asdee’s response was immediate. Their rangy striker Micheal Walsh appeared to be felled in the box. Referee Jenkins’ signals were confusing. Was this an indirect free for obstruction or a penalty? AC clearly believed Walsh was guilty of dissimulation or diving. It became apparent that the penalty had been awarded and Asdee centre half Mike Farac’s fiercely struck spot kick found the net off Dineen’s outstretched fingertips.
The ill-feeling between the sides was now tangible. In AC’s next attack an altercation began in the Asdee area. As players intervened both in the role of peacemakers and combatants the referee decided that the game was beyond control and signalled the abandonment of the match.
These two sides have good disciplinary records which, no doubt, Kerry District League’s Disciplinary Committee will take into account and there is no history of animosity between them. Nevertheless, these very rare incidents in Kerry soccer need to be addressed as no doubt they will. The pity was that it was one of the most gripping soccer matches played so far this season. It is meant to be a season of good will. Red mist descending at this time of year should come from Santa Claus and no other source.
(c) Kerryman 2005.
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Re-arranged Game
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