Kildare County 1-1 Monaghan United

**A face** · 20/03/2007, 10:52 PM

Kildare County 1-1 Monaghan United

Station Road
Referee: H. Whoriskey

Robbie Farrell kept his head to salvage a scarcely deserved point for Monaghan, with a late penalty at Station Road. Trailing to Philip Gorman’s first half strike and having survived Sean L’estrange striking a shot off their crossbar on 53 minutes, Monaghan got a break to snatch their point on 83 minutes.

Kildare keeper Austin O’Neill took down Brian Gannon and Farrell shot home from the spot. County had taken the lead on 14 minutes, when Gary Walsh controlled Paul Donnelly’s corner, to lay the ball off to Gorman, who fired home from just inside the box.

Taken from www.eircomloi.ie

**Magicme** · 21/03/2007, 8:16 AM

Not the fairest of reports tbh. Read this for a more balanced view.

Monaghan United travelled to Station Road on a wet and windy St Patrick's night and came home with a hard-earned draw thanks to a late Robbie Farrell penalty. The result maintains United's unbeaten start to the season.

With manager Mick Cooke banned from the touchline and dressing room for 1 game, Director of Football John Heffernan took charge of the team. It was a family affair, with son Thomas as first team caoch and another son Finbarr on United's right wing. United made just the one enforced change from the opening day fixture versus Wexford Youths, with Kieran Friel coming in at centre-back for the suspended Barry Burke.

On a cold, wet and very windy evening, it was difficult for either side to play football, and this was not a game that will live long in the memory. United played with the strong wind in their favour in the first half, but it was difficult to judge and several passes were overhit. United's best form of attack was from Darren McQuaid's kick-outs which were headed on by Robbie Farrell into the path of strike partner Brian Gannon. However, Gannon was unlucky not to get on the end of these flick-ons, and on the one occassion he got a chance on goal he was adjudged offside.

United had a shot from Peter D'Arcy which was not far wide before Kildare County took the lead in the 14th minute. A corner from the left was not cleared and Kildare's number 8 Walsh had time to pass to Philip Gorman on the right of United's box. The United defenders did not react and Gorman was allowed time and space inside the box to shoot past Darren McQuaid in goal.

In the reaminder fo the half a Robbie Farrell shot flew narrowly wide, while Farrell was denied by a good save from Austin O'Neill in Kildare's goal in a goalmouth scramble. However, a sluggish United were outfought by their counterparts who seemed hungrier for the ball and United did not take the opportunity to use the strong wind to their advantage.

The second half saw Stephen Finnegan come on for Kevin Williamson. Finnegan put in a strong performance in the middle alongside Brian McDonald with Peter D'Arcy moving to the left.

In a tight second-half there were few chances for either side. Kildare County thought they had doubled their lead when a superb volley from outside the box by Sean L'Estrange crashed off the underside of the bar. Former Shamrock Rovers' striker Padraig Amond headed home the robound, but he was adjudged to have been offside from the intial shot. Moments later, a curling shot from Amond went narrowly wide.

Kildare County suffered a blow when the outstanding Gorman had to go off with an injury after an hour.

In the 83rd minute the chance that always threatened from United's pacy front two came United's way. From a Kildare County corner the ball was cleared upfield and Brian Gannon raced onto a through ball. As he toe-poked the ball narrowly wide from just inside the box he was upended by the Kildare 'keeper O'Neill and referee Hugo Whoriskey awarded a penalty, booking O'Neill in the process. Despite a long delay whilst Gannon received treatment, captain Robbie Farrell showed no nerves as he calmly shot the spot-kick home.

Another United break upfield from a Kildare County set-piece saw Robbie Farrell release Finbarr Heffernan, and his cross was headed into the arms of the grateful O'Neill by centre-back Aaron Mooney who had raced the length of the field to join the attack.

At the other end, a diving header by Brian Gannon cleared a shot late-on, but McQuaid probably had it covered.

Teams - Kildare County: O'Neill; L'Estrange, McDermott, P Byrne, Stapleton; Donnelly (P Rigney 77), McCrossan, A Byrne, Walsh; Gorman (Barrett 63), Amond.

Monaghan Utd: McQuaid; Whelan, Friel, Mooney, Kerr; Heffernan (Toal 90), McDonald, D'Arcy, Williamson (Finnegan h/t); Farrell, Gannon.

courtesy of www.monaghanunited.ie

**Philly** · 21/03/2007, 10:41 AM

Yeah it was a hard earned draw because they had to watch County miss chance after chance before our keeper knocked Gannon for ten and you got a peno.

Who wrote that report?!
You?!

**Magicme** · 21/03/2007, 11:12 AM

No I didnt actually!

**Philly** · 21/03/2007, 7:55 PM

Leinster Leader

County slip up ... again
eircom League Division 1
Kildare County 1
Monaghan United 1
By Robert Catterson
DESPITE taking the lead just 14 minutes into their first home game of the season at Station Road on Saturday evening, Kildare County could only come away with a solitary point against Monaghan Utd.
A highly respectable draw at Tolka Park eight days previous in their season's opener should have put John Ryan's men in buoyant mood ahead of the visit of Monaghan Utd and the fact that the Thoroughbreds had won three of the four meetings between the two sides last season, they were expected to secure their first win of the campaign on Saturday night.
Ryan made just the one change from the drawn game against Shelbourne as Darren Stapleton came in to replace Paul Rigney and on a whole, this was a match which County should certainly have won.
After an enthusiastic start from County as a highly attractive turnout attended Saturday's opening home game of the season, they took the lead on 14 minutes with the game's first genuine scoring opportunity.
Philly Gorman, the scorer of their opening goal the previous week, was once again the hero here as he got on the end of Gary Walsh's instinctive headed ball, from Paul Donnelly's corner, to hammer home and break the deadlock.
That should have set County up with the chance to take this game by the scruff of the neck before the half time interval had even arrived but despite numerous opportunities created from the home side, they would fail to add to Gorman's strike. And of course, they would also regret it in the latter stages.
Two minutes before taking the lead, provider for the opening goal Gary Walsh had came close for County as his cross saw the Monaghan 'keeper nearly being caught out before scrambling the ball away to safety.
The visitors saw their first chance arrive on 25 minutes when Austin O'Neill did well to deny striker Robbie Farrell with a low diving block and that was the closest they would come throughout the opening 45 minutes.
For County, they continued to dominate and with seven minutes of the half left, they came close once again to doubling their advantage when again Gorman was at the end of another move. This time around Paul Donnelly's free kick into the Monaghan penalty area saw Gorman rise highest and with 'keeper McQuaid beaten, Gorman's effort was just inches away from a second County goal.
That was the closest they would come to adding to their lead in the first half as County sported a slender lead at the interval but the feeling was that they would have no problem in sealing this result after the break.
As expected, Ryan's men did pick up where they left off in terms of possession on the resumption and Amond should have hit the target on 51 minutes after being put through on goal by Donnelly. However, he failed to convert the chance from just 12 yards out.
The closest that County would come to sealing the three points arrived on 55 minutes.
Sean L'Estrange, a close season signing from Kilkenny City, picked up a loose ball 35 yards from goal before he unleashed a rocket, which looked destined for the top corner, before thumping against the Monaghan crossbar. It looked as though Amond had converted the rebound when heading home from close range but it was deemed offside by the Meath Referee Hugh Whorisky.
In a carven copy scenario to the match against Shels, County's hopes were dealt a severe blow on 62 minutes when goalscorer Gorman was forced to leave the action with a knee injury, with Dean Barrett replacing the County striker.
This match was beginning to have an all too familiar look to it as County failed to get that all important second goal, despite controlling proceedings, and they came close again two minutes after Gorman's withdrawal when L'Estrange's long ball forward saw substitute Barrett block Robbie Farrell's attempted clearance. The ball looked on its way to the back of the Monaghan net before being kept out by the right hand post and going out of play.
As the game entered its final quarter, County began to show slight distress signs after having failed to put this game beyond doubt and the inevitable happened seven minutes from the death.
It started from a County corner as Gary Walsh's set piece came to no avail and with Monaghan delivering an attack on the break, County were soon seen to being caught out at the back. Brian Gannon raced through with just County 'keeper O'Neill to beat but the County stopper was judged to have impeded the Monaghan man.
That resulted in a penalty for the visitors and Robbie Farrell made no mistake in levelling matters for the visiting side in a game that should have not been given the chance to.
County still had time to reply with a winner and Amond was just off target with a header from a Walsh corner kick on 87 minutes, which was the closest that the hosts would come to a second goal late on.
Disappointing was the word used to describe this result around Station Road on Saturday night but in terms of the performance, County certainly didn't fail in that department.
Let's hope they can make it third time lucky in terms of a winning result at Jackman Park on Friday against Limerick3.
COUNTY: O'Neill, Donnelly, L'Estrange, McDermott, P. Byrne, Stapleton, Walsh, McCrossan, A. Byrne, Amond, Gorman.
Subs: Barrett for Gorman (62 mins), P Rigney for Donnelly (77 mins).
MONAGHAN UTD: McQuaid, Whelan, Friel, Mooney, Kerr, Heffernan,
McDonald, D'Arcy, Williamson, Farrell, Gannon.
Subs: Finnegan for Williamson (HT), Toal for Heffernan (90 mins).
REFEREE: H. Whorisky (Meath

**steno** · 21/03/2007, 8:03 PM

And Sure while we're at it heres the reports from elevenaside:
http://www.elevenaside.com/kildareco...p?newsid=26959

Irishfootballonline:
http://www.irishfootballonline.com/n...hp?newsid=6124

**dfx-** · 21/03/2007, 9:00 PM

Are we sure the first two article writers were watching the same game?

**Philly** · 21/03/2007, 9:53 PM

The first one was written by a Mondog.

**Magicme** · 22/03/2007, 5:13 PM

Ha ha....it was written by our esteemed webmaster actually.

**Philly** · 22/03/2007, 9:28 PM

Kildare Nationalist Report

Soccer: WHAT A WASTE!
By: Ger McNally
Eircom League
Kildare County 1 Monaghan United 1

FOR the second week in a row, Kildare County threw away two valuable points as a late Robbie Farrell penalty gave Monaghan a point that they scarcely deserved at Station Road last Saturday.

It was tough on Kildare who had dominated the proceedings up to that point but their failure to get the vital second goal that would have killed off Monaghan came back to haunt them.

These dropped points will hurt even more than the ones left at Tolka Park the previous week as there won't be many teams who come to Station Road in the coming season who are worse than Monaghan. Without their star striker, Willie Doyle, Monaghan were terrible and apart from one save in the first half, the first time they troubled Austin O'Neill was the penalty incident seven minutes from time.

Kildare started with just one change from the team that has drawn with Shelbourne with Irish Under 21 international Darren Stapleton coming in for Paul Rigney. This saw something of a reshuffle in the Kildare line up. Stapleton played at left full with Sean L'Estrange switching to the right back. Paul Donnelly was pushed forward to the right side of midfield and Gary Walsh moved to the left.

Walsh seemed to revel in his new role. The former Celtic trainee was excellent for Kildare on Saturday and his quick feet and speed of thought and movement gives Kildare a different option when they are going forward.

So when Kildare broke the deadlock after 14 minutes, it was no surprise that he was heavily involved. Neat play on left between himself and Stapleton saw the former Reading man play the ball forward and Padraig Amond earned the corner from Aaron Mooney.

Paul Donnelly's corner was cleared only as far as Walsh on the edge of the area and he slipped a delightful ball to Philly Gorman who slotted past Darren McQuaid for his second goal of the season.

McQuaid then had to be alert to cut out a dangerous Walsh cross with Gorman lurking while at the other end, O'Neill made a fine save with his feet to deny Monaghan skipper, Robbie Farrell.

Alan Byrne's long throw ins were always a problem in the strong wind for the visitors and in the 31st minute, one such throw was flicked on by Padraig Amond and Walsh shot just wide.

Philly Gorman then headed a Paul Donnelly cross wide from a similar position.

Kildare's dominance continued into the second half and they almost doubled their lead after 53 minutes when Sean L'Estrange's stunning 30 yard volley crashed off the crossbar, Amond was first to react and he headed the rebound home but he was ruled offside and the goal was disallowed.

The lively Amond went close a minute later when his curling effort beat McQuaid but went just past the upright.

Kildare's hopes were dealt a blow in the 62nd minute when, for the second game in a row, Philly Gorman followed up scoring by having to go off injured thanks to the knee injury that he has been struggling with for the past couple of weeks.

Even with the loss of Gorman, Kildare continued to be the more likely to score. Striker, Robbie Farrell was very lucky not find his own net in the 65th minute when his wild attempt to clear L'Estrange's long ball ended with the ball slicing off his left boot and only just going wide of the post.

The longer the game went without Kildare getting the second goal, you always felt that Monaghan would get a chance. And so it proved when, with seven minutes left, a poorly taken Walsh corner was quickly cleared down the field where L'Estrange's hesitation let Brian Gannon nip in and he raced towards goal. Even though his toe poked shot went wide of the post, referee Hugo Whorisky ruled that O'Neill had impeded the striker as he raced from goal and fouled him after Gannon had got his side away. Farrell gave O'Neill no chance with the spot kick.

Kildare threw men forward in the final stages and could have got a winner. Amond went close with an acrobatic effort after Byrne's long throw, Stephen McCrossan saw a goalbound effort blocked by Stephen Finnegan but when Amond headed over in the first minute of injury time, Kildare knew the game was up and they were once again left to rue their missed chances.

Kildare County: O'Neill, Donnelly (P Rigney 77), L'Estrange, McDermott, P Byrne, A Byrne, McCrossan, Walsh, Gorman (Barrett 62), Amond, Stapleton.

Monaghan: McQuaid, Whelan, Kerr, Friel, Mooney, McDonald, Heffernan (Toal 90), D'Arcy, Farrell, Gannon, Williamson (Finnegan 46).