Ferrybank’s Brian Mallon rises above the Saviours’ defence to head his side into the lead.

Ferrybank’s Brian Mallon rises above the Saviours’ defence to head his side into the lead.


St Saviours 2 Ferrybank 2

It was honours even in Sunday morning’s Umbro Premier League clash between St Saviours and Ferrybank at Clonard Park, Ballybeg as the visitors grabbed a precious point in their bid for survival, leaving them six points clear of bottom-placed Southend United.
A loose back pass from Wayne Kelly nearly gifted the visitors the lead on seven minutes but although Ian Mullally got on the end of the ball his effort cannoned off ’keeper Graham Cleary before going inches wide of the far post.
It didn’t take Ferrybank long to open the scoring. On 12 minutes Derek Jordan whipped in a right-wing corner kick that found Brian Mallon and his towering header hit the back of the net for a vital goal.
Jordan had a chance to increase his side’s advantage less than nine minutes later when he latched onto a pass from Kevin Roche; however, the midfielder could only find the side-netting with his left-footed strike from 12 yards.
The home side were level less than 60 seconds later when a superb advantage from referee Tony Walsh after a foul on Stephen Dalton saw Timmy Ryan cross for Patrick Farrell, and after his shot came back off the crossbar it hit ’keeper Hugh Mullally before crossing the line.
Ferrybank were back in front thanks to a piece of luck on 31 minutes when Cormac O’Driscoll’s in-swinging corner kick from the left crossed the line, according to assistant referee Jimmy McGrath, despite the best efforts of Wayne Kelly to clear the danger.

Penalty?

John Paul Jacob went close to levelling things up after just three minutes of the second half but iwas just inches wide with a right-footed shot from the edge of the area.
Billy Barron then somehow failed to find the back of the net with a close-range header shortly afterwards after a Dalton delivery.
Jacob missed another chance on 58 minutes when he got on the end of a Barron pass but his shot flashed inches wide of the target.
However, the midfielder did find an equaliser after 71 minutes when he headed home a Brian Arrigan left-wing cross.
The visitors were denied a penalty by referee Tony Walsh in second-half injury time when substitute Shane Mallon went to ground under a challenge from Philip Penkert and although assistant referee Mark Corcoran flagged for a penalty, the referee waved down his assistant and awarded a goal kick.
Brian Arrigan nearly grabbed a late winner in the fourth minute of added time when he got on the end of a short Keith Worley corner, but the defender saw his stunning effort brilliant tipped over the bar and Ferrybank had to be happy with a share of the spoils.
St Saviours: Graham Cleary, Patrick Farrell (Brian Arrigan, 50 mins), Wayne Kelly, Philip Penkert, Anthony Jacob, Joe Twomey, Aaron O’Neill (Brian O’Donoghue, 50), John Paul Jacob, Billy Barron, Stephen Dalton (Keith Worley, 59) and Timmy Ryan
Ferrybank: Hugh Mullally, Graham Penkert, Ian Mullally (Kevin Hurley, 59 mins), Richard Gaffney, Colm Roche, Derek Jordan, Cormac O’Driscoll (Shane Mallon, 73), Brian Mallon, Paddy Mullally, Kevin Roche and Cormac O’Meara
Referee: Tony Walsh; assisted by Jimmy McGrath and Mark Corcoran.