Kilgannon nets on the double in Villa triumph
Villa remain in pole position to win their first ever Azzurri Premier League title following last weekend’s action on the local football front as Conor Coad’s side made it ten wins out of ten games with a 4-0 win over second-placed Tramore at Graun Park.
Three goals in the space of eight first-half minutes put the league leaders in the driving seat with Conor Kilgannon putting his side in front on 21 minutes when finishing a right-wing James Kennedy cross.
It was Kennedy that doubled the lead two minutes later when he took advantage of a poor header back to keeper Gavin Buckley from defender Eoin Nolan, and he found the net with a close-range angled finish.
Kilgannon grabbed his second goal of the contest on 29 minutes that settled the tie when he latched onto a cross from John Frederick Tamen before sweeping a left-footed strike past Buckley from 16 yards.
Dean Walsh completed the goalscoring for his side with his 20th goal of the league campaign when he finished to the far corner after a Jeff Da Silva delivery from the left as they left the seaside venue looking to their next league clash against Hibernians in two weeks’ time.
The Best Of The Rest
Hibernians remain six points behind Villa ahead of that fixture after they beat Dungarvan United, who remain in relegation trouble, after a 3-1 win at Mitchell Kennedy Park. Adham Masood opened the scoring in the first half before Mark O’Keeffe doubled the lead.
After Joe Duggan did set up a nervy finish when he pulled a goal back for the Old Borough outfit in the final minute, Daniel Carroll ensured the win for David Breen’s side with an injury third goal.
Southend United remain in real relegation danger after they slipped to their 10th defeat of the season at the hands of Waterford Crystal as the home side claimed a 2-1 win. After a scoreless first half, Kenny Purcell put Crystal in front before Southend’s Michael Merrigan was sent off for a late challenge to leave his side with a mountain to climb.
Aidan Treacy increased the lead for Crystal with just under 15 minutes remaining in the game before Mark Phelan did pull one back for the men in tangerine with a penalty, but it was too little too late.
Sixteen-year-old Carrick United striker Eoin Hogan netted twice for his side as they got the better of Ballinroad in the other game of the weekend in the Azzurri Premier League. Hogan scored twice inside the opening 15 minutes, but Ballinroad came storming back into the game through goals from Jason Morrissey and Joey Veale as the sides were level at the break. Carrick came good in the second half with goals from Eoghan Burke and David Whelan to run out 4-2 victors.
