OBS and Here’s Health draw in ferocious fixture

O’ Brien Scaffolding 1 – 1 Here’s Health

Man of the Match: Callan Dempsey

It was teed up to be a big clash between two promotion hopefuls in the Grandon’s Toyota CBL First Division clash between O’Brien Scaffolding and Here’s Health in Carrigaline. It would end all square between the two, after a tense ninety minutes, writes Donncha Noonan.

The first big chance of the game went the way of OBS after eight minutes. A corner was punched away back to the taker Lee Maher. He swung the ball to the back post where it was headed back across goal to the oncoming Darren Kelly, who poked the ball towards goal but Jack Milne reacted well to keep the effort out.

OBS once again went close to taking the lead ten minutes later. Anthony Moynihan got down the right wing and whipped in a low ball that was cleared away. It only reached as far as Niall O’Brien, who fired a first time effort narrowly over the bar.

Despite the good play from OBS, it was Here’s Health who broke the deadlock. Colm Daly whipped in an inviting first time cross from the right wing. The ball found the head of the arriving Callan Dempsey, who directed his header brilliantly into the bottom right corner to give his side the lead.

OBS started their search for an equaliser immediately and almost found it straight from kick off. They worked the ball out to the left wing, where Daniel Kelly slipped it centrally to Anthony Moynihan. He guided it through for Niall O’Brien, who took on a first time shot but Jack Milne was able to reach it and preserve his side’s advantage.

That was all for the first half as Callan Dempsey’s header was the difference between the two sides going into the break.

Here’s Health started the half the slightly better of the two sides and almost audaciously added a second in the fifty-second minute. A long free-kick was fired into the box but was headed away. It landed towards Brian Walsh thirty yards out. He took a touch and fired a half volley that came rattling off of the crossbar.

He would rue that chance as OBS levelled things up seven minutes later. Daniel Kelly hooked the ball into the box from the right hand side, before it was flicked on by Niall O’Brien. It landed to Anthony Moynihan at the back post, who fired the ball into the bottom left corner to bring the game back level.

Buoyed by their goal, OBS went very close to grabbing the lead in the sixty-sixth minute. A brilliant flick by Sean Blake released Niall O’Brien down the left hand side. He got to the byline and beat a defender before pulling the ball across the box to Bohdan Krykunov, who saw his close-range shot saved by Jack Milne.

Here’s Health had chances of their own for a winner, and almost found it in the seventy-sixth minute. After his side won a free kick whilst on the counter, Sean Holmes stepped up to shoot. He whipped an effort over the wall, but his shot dipped narrowly over the bar.

That was that for this one as an end-to-end encounter finished all square between two sides who have their eyes set on promotion from the Grandon’s Toyota CBL First Division.

O’Brien Scaffolding: D. Guiney, A. O’Reilly, E. Lordan, R. Drummond, B. Krykunov, S. Blake, D. Kelly, L. Maher, D. Kelly, A. Moynihan, N. O’Brien, K. Sadiq, S. O’Mullane, A. McGrath, N. Hurley, R. Daly.

Here’s Health: J. Milne, C. Daly, P. Collins, C. Philpott, K. O’Connor, B. Walsh, C. Dempsey, M. Sheehan, J. Murphy, S. Holmes, M. McStay, D. Murphy, K. Murphy.