Listowel Celtic were the visitors to Samphire Park last Saturday for an important league clash. Listowel were top of the league unbeaten so far and we had lost in our last fixture away to Camp. Listowel had beaten us twice last season so we would have to play out of our skins to have a chance. This was to be a game with everything you could wish to see in a proper game. Most importantly high tempo from both teams and nobody willing to give an inch. After that lots of players with good technique, a fair sprinkling of pace around the pitch and 2 pairs of centre midfielders trying to get the advantage for their team in the middle of the pitch. Both teams tried under pressure to play the ball intelligently from the start and it was a great advert for underage soccer in the county. We took the lead through Sean Higgins in the 8th minute after he ran on to a smashing pass from Bobby O’Regan in the middle. He repeated the dose 5 minutes later after another clever ball from Dara O’Connor on the wing who had been released by Sean Donnellan from the back. After 20 minutes Oisin O’Brien who had a stormer all through was taken down in the box after an incisive run down the left. Bobby converted and we were 3 nil up. Sean Higgins again scored his third and our 4th after a scintillating run through the middle. In fairness to Listowel they had as much of the ball as we had but our defence of Cormac O’Brien, Sean Donnellan, Antoin Stanton and Padraig O’Mahony stood up to what was thrown at them. Behind them Brian O’Regan was very solid, making his saves look easy and distributing intelligently throughout. With 5 minutes to go to the half Listowel forced a series of corners and eventually forced the ball home when we for once failed to clear our lines. We responded immediately and put ’em under pressure and Christopher Murphy forced the ball home from an acute angle after he got past their defence.5 – 1 at the half. 2nd Half – We had wind advantage in the first, had it in our face in the second and had to endure long periods of pressure but crucially we kept them mostly well outside our box. Jack McCarthy and Bobby O’Regan in midfield were huge for us and where once upon a time we wouldn’t have been able to cope physically we are now starting to mix it. Their pressure finally told and now we conceded a penalty after 20 minutes which was duly scored. Again we responded immediately and a smashing move started at the back by Cormac, he found Dara on the right who flew down the right and crossed and Christopher timed his run perfectly to finish with 1 touch. 6-2. We brought Ciaran Carmody on to play in front of the midfield for the remainder of the game and he picked up a lot of loose ball and stopped their centre backs from coming out with the ball. With 10 minutes we got the yips and conceded 2 goals from not communicating, not doing the simple things and also conceded another one or two chances. We introduced Ossie Clifford for his first game and Thomas Lenihan for the last part of the game and these 2 with Carmo combined in the last minute for Ossie to score a fabulous goal on the break to leave it 7 – 4 in the end. Well done to everyone on the day for a fantastic performance.