With five minutes to go in this pulsating contest it looked like Achill Rovers had done enough to fight of this determined Inver Utd side thanks to a sixty fifth minute strike by Mikey Davitt but there was still time for Inver to equalise through David Gallagher and for Achill to score what did prove to be the winning goal with two minutes to go through Krzystof Jablonski. The winning goal was harsh on Inver as they probably deserved a share of the spoils but Jablonski brilliant finish proved that a team is always at their most vulnerable just after they have scored. 

In the first half of this game both teams had chances to take the lead with the first chance falling to Colm Gallagher of Achill when Jablonski header put him through on goal but his attempted lob went just over the crossbar. Inver were next to create a chance when on seven minutes when Inver's best player on the day Michael Doocey found Padraig Healy free on the left wing and his left footed cross was headed just wide by John Reilly who found himself in space just outside the six yard box. On the quarter hour Inver went very close when Reilly's cross was flicked on by Healy and Michael Doherty's instinctive first time shot over his shoulder from the edge of the box was brilliantly saved by Martin Patten in the Achill goal. For the next twenty minutes chances were limited at both ends but Achill were next to create an oppourtunity when they cleared an Inver corner and broke quickly with Jablonski finding himself clean through on goal and just as he was about to shoot Inver's centre half Richard Markwick made a superb slinding tackle to block the shot. On forty two minutes teenager Mikey Davitt showed a sign of things to come when his well struck shot from the edge of the area was well saved by Alan O'Donnell in the Inver goal. 

The second half began much quieter and the first real chance was when Achill scored the opening goal of the game. A low ball up the left wing found Jablonski free on the edge of the left hand side of the area and his low cross was met by Davitt as he slid in between two defenders to put the ball beyond O'Donnell. Achill were now beginning to take control and Jablonski got on the end of a cross from Mark Davitt on the penalty spot but his low shot went just wide of the target when he really should have scored. This seemed to wake Inver up but it was not until the final ten minutes that they began to create chances with there two substitutes James McAndrew and Alan Coyle making a difference. Coyle cross from the right wing with ten minutes to go found the head of Doherty who directed it towards the top corner but somehow Patten got his fingertips to the ball and push it away from goal. Four minutes later David Gallagher also went close when he got his foot on the end of a cross from Padraig Healy but his shot just went wide of the goal and into the side-netting.

With five minutes to go Gallagher did manage to get on the scoresheet when Doocey found Doherty on the edge of the box and he flicked the ball through to Gallagher and he ket the ball shot low and under Patten and into the Achill net to give Inver a deserved equaliser. The large crowd must have thought that was that but within three minutes Achill were ahead agian when Kevin Kilbane got in behind the Inver defence before beating three tackles and laying the ball of to Jablonski who sidestepped his marker before curling the ball beyond the reach of O'Donnell and into the far left hand corner to give his side the victory and their first three points of the campaign. 


Final score: Inver Utd 1 - 2 Achill Rovers


Inver United:
A. O'Donnell, M. Ginnelly, D. Connell, R. Ginty, R. Markwick, M. Doocey, J. Reilly, A. Doherty, D. Gallagher, M. Doherty, P. Healy.

Home | News | Jackpot Draw | Teams | Club History | Fr O'Brien | Club Honours | Gallery

Links | Ground Location | Contact us