Race for possession in midfield between Dungarvan’s Gavin Crotty and Villa’s Micky Corcoran.  | Photo: Jim O’Sullivan

Race for possession in midfield between Dungarvan’s Gavin Crotty and Villa’s Micky Corcoran. | Photo: Jim O’Sullivan

Villa 3; Dungarvan United 2

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Villa recorded their first victory of the new season when they came from behind to defeat a Dungarvan outfit who lost their second game of the present campaign.

Villa played out a scoreless draw with Southend United in their opening game. Dungarvan had lost at home to Hibernians in their opener. This game was played at the new look Connors Park and the venue is a credit to the Villa club. The playing area is now surrounded by a top-class wooden fence and a new stand has also been built for the comfort of spectators. The playing surface is also superb and it is now one of the best in the entire league and great credit has to go to the clubs new groundsman Declan Purcell who has transformed the venue completely.

Strange goal

The game itself flowed from one end to the other and it produced some great entertainment during the course of the 90 minutes. The home side took the lead in strange fashion after 29 minutes. In many ways it was a goal which was hard to describe. Conor McDonald took a pass from full back Ian Nagle out on the left and cut into the penalty area. He shot low at goal but defender John Lacey managed to stop the ball on the goal-line. In came his colleague Bob O’Brien to help out but he also could not get the ball clear. He did however somehow manage to poke it out two yards and that gave Danny Walsh the chance to toe the ball over the line. It will not be a contender for ‘Goal of the Season’ but that fact will not worry the Villa management team.

Ian Cantwell made the Dungarvan goalkeeper Trevor Moore work with a low strike on 39 minutes and the same player tested Moore with a high strike one minute later. Villa were playing well at this stage but they were hit with a sucker punch one minute before the half-time whistle. Gavin Crotty played the ball out wide to Bob O’Brien and he cracked in a cracking angled strike which goalkeeper Rob Bresnan did well to push away, but the ball fell to the Dungarvan right winger Kris Jormusik and he drilled the ball into the far corner of the net.

Visitors go in front

Dungarvan took the lead in fine style after 65 minutes. Trevor Crotty sprayed the ball out to Jormusik and he picked out the unmarked Michael Downey, who struck the ball to the roof of the net from 12 yards.

Dungarvan began to sit back a little on their narrow lead and it was Villa’s Danny Walsh who netted for the second time. Ian Cantwell powered in a hard shot from the left which goalkeeper Trevor Moore could only parry and Walsh was lurking at the far post to head home.

The goal which won all three points for Villa arrived on 79 minutes. Ian Cantwell took a neat pass from Conor McDonald and after getting around defender Bob O’Brien he drew goalkeeper Trevor Moore and tucked the ball to the net from just inside the left side of the penalty area.

Villa: Rob Bresnan, Des Mullett, Ian Nagle, Declan Furlong, Ian Sullivan, Nicky Corcoran, Ian Cantwell, Paul Omotoso, Danny Walsh, Conor McDonald, Ross Douglas, Jimmy Barry for Douglas (80 mins), Kristian Walsh for McDonald (82 mins), Danny Sheridan for Nagle (90 mins).

Dungarvan United: Trevor Moore, John Lacey, Derek Barry, Bob O’Brien, Christy Power, Kevin Walsh, Kris Jormusik, Gavin Crotty, Micheal Downey, Nicky Donnelly, Trevor Crotty. Sub: Barry Hamilton for Trevor Crotty (74 mins).

Referee: Noel Purcell.