Kerrs on target as league leaders Kerrykeel '71 defeat Convoy Arsenal

Kerrykeel went further ahead at the top of the TDA Appliance Services Division 1 table with a 3-1 win over Convoy Arsenal in Orchard Park on Saturday night.

Under the lights in Convoy, the away side took the lead just before the break through a Shaun Kerr header, and they doubled that lead within a minute of the restart through James Kerr.

Callum Gillen’s header gave the home side a way back into the game, but as the Kerrs combined, Shaun setting up James, who fired in at the back post, giving ‘71 a cushion, and they came away with the three points to move five clear of second-place Cappry Rovers with a game more played.

In a game of seventh against first, it was the league leaders who started with intent, having two early chances inside the first minute.

First, a low cross from Brandon McClafferty fell to Mark Friel, but his effort deflected out for a corner, which came in from James Kerr, but Shaun Carr headed wide.

Calum McAteer fired over from distance, while Convoy’s first chance came as Anthony Bogle fired the ball from left back to the right-hand side of the box, with Ryan McGroarty curling an effort on his left foot just wide.

McGroarty turned provider next as he crossed for Jamie Spratt, with the giant forward taking it down on his chest and using strength to beat his marker to the ball, but when he went to shoot, it was Carr who made a great sliding tackle.

The away side regained a bit of control again after this, but didn’t have many clear-cut chances, although Spratt had to clear one off the line as Luke Kelly failed to clear a Kerr corner.

Michael McDevitt’s cross from the right was almost flicked on by McClafferty, but Kelly held at the second attempt, while he also gratefully smothered a Kerr low cross.

But the opening goal came just before half-time, Mark Friel’s corner cleared before it came back out to him, and his cross found Shaun Kerr, whose looping header found the top corner.

Convoy tried to respond before the break as Bogle’s free was flicked on by John A Kee, but there were no takers at the back post as it went wide, 1-0 at the break.

That lead was quickly doubled, as within 25 seconds, Friel played in James Kerr inside the box, who poked in from 12 yards to the bottom left corner.

They almost got a third five minutes later, again Friel the provider for Kevin Loughrey, but Kee did well to deny him and Kelly held the ball.

From there, Convoy went on the attack and won a corner. McGroarty’s inswinger met at the near post by Callum Gillen, who headed in to halve the deficit.

That spurred Convoy on, and they were pushing for the leveller, McGroarty doing well on the left to find Spratt, but it bounced awkwardly in front of him, and he fired over.

Alan Boal found Gillen on the right-hand side of the box soon after, but Calum McAteer made a good block, with Kee doing similar at the other end to deny James Kerr.

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Boal had an effort at a tight angle go over the bar, but Convoy thought they had their equaliser as an Oran Paterson corner was headed by substitute Lee Smyth, but it was cleared off the line by a Kerrykeel man.

And less than a minute later, it was almost 3-1 as Loughrey got space on the left of the box, but Kelly made a good save.

The decisive goal came with 82 minutes on the clock, as Shaun Kerr was played in on the right of the box and his low cross to the back post found James Kerr from a couple of yards out as he found the roof of the net.

That ensured the victory for Hughie Walsh’s side, who lead the way in their first season back in Division 1 after promotion, with just five games to go.

Convoy Arsenal: Luke Kelly; Darren Harvey, John A Kee, Eamon Coyle, Anthony Bogle; Alan Boal, Gary Brolly (Lee Smyth 62), Oran Paterson, Ryan McGroarty; Jamie Spratt (Jamie Grieve 87), Callum Gillen.

Kerrykeel ‘71: Brian Gallagher; Michael McDevitt, Patrick Heraghty (Jonathan Friel 88), Shaun Carr, Darragh O’Doherty (Liam McGrenaghan 58); James Kerr, Mark Friel, Brandon McClafferty (Patrick Friel 85), Calum McAteer, Shaun Kerr, Kevin Loughrey (Davitt Walsh 76).

Referee: Patrick Martin.