Played under lights on Tuesday night in very blustery conditions, with a few hail showers thrown in for good measure, this derby game had lots of intensity and effort but little quality.
Park started well enough but met a Dynamos team who were up for the challenge and out to turn their season around. Having weathered a few early attacks from Park, Dynamos got on the front foot and with the help of a strong breeze started to create problems for the Park boys. This culminated in a Dynamos penalty in the 15th minute for hand ball. Kevin Williams stepped up to take it but luckily for the Park his effort was over the top. Still the Park lads weren’t playing well and just six minutes later Dylan Robinson finished well to the back of the Park net when he got on the end of a Williams free kick.
Game on and suddenly the Park boys were stung into action. Robin McCarthy, who had been quiet up to then, took on a ball, four minutes after the Dynamos opener, interlinked with Niall Sertutxa and received a superb pass from Dan Goggin before sliding the ball (via a Dynamos boot) to the net and squaring the game. Park now applied all the pressure and that told in the 31st minute when following an excellent Dylan Casey delivery into the box and Dan Goggin’s neat header, Michael Slattery applied the finish to put Park ahead. Park took this lead into half time and looked to be in a good position to take hold of the game from there on in.
It didn’t turn out that way though as Dynamos came out fighting on all fronts early in the second half but good strong work from the Park midfield and defence kept them at bay. The ball spent way too much time in the air in the second half and what good football was played came in the last quarter from the Park when Thomas Burke had joined the fray up front. Both he and Slattery came close to giving Park some breathing space and but for a couple of close offside decisions he might have done so. The game ended as it had been for most of the time, bitty, broken and difficult for any neutral, or indeed many supporters of either side, to find beauty in.
All in all, this was a victory for the better team on the night and no doubt the Park deserved their three points from this local derby, which keeps them at the top of the table. They have played better this season and will have to play better with some tough challenges to come in the weeks ahead. This is a resilient bunch though and the 18 young men on our panel never panic regardless of what they are faced with. They play for and back each other up with great courage and determination. They have shown these qualities time and again and it is what won them the honours in this intense battle.
Thanks to all our supporters who were there on an inclement Match night.
Panel: Thomas Burke, Kevin Browne, Matt Lukco, Dylan Casey, Adam Ward, Michael O’Gara, Sean Carmody, Michael Slattery, Dan Goggin, Niall Sertutxa, Robin McCarthy, Gearoid Fitzgerald, Raul Vnczel, Jake Deering, James Rusk and Alfie Christie.
Training Tuesday night at 7.40pm .
Match report by P.Carmody