Keegan hits a hat-trick for Westport United

Keegan hits a hat-trick


Westport Utd 5
P Keegan, 13, 32, 45+2,
S Tagg 43, A Carroll 65 (pen)

Claremorris 2
D Grant 31, M Mullee 90

Neill O’Neill
Westport

WESTPORT’S quest to retain their Super League title, which looked a little unlikely just a few weeks ago, continued on track on Saturday evening, when they defeated bottom side Claremorris in The Sports Park.
A first half hat-trick by the ever-impressive Phil Keegan continued what has been a stellar season for the pacy playmaker, but it was his last game for a month, as he will be away in Europe as the league and Connacht Gold Cup campaigns enter a crucial period over the next number of weeks.
His regular strike partner David Hoban also had an impressive game on Saturday, though he was in goal on this occasion, as MicheΡl Gibbons was absent owing to family commitments and Gary Cunningham remains sidelined with a hand injury sustained in the Connacht Cup final in May.
However, Cunningham did make an appearance off the substitute’s bench in an attacking role on Saturday, an attempt perhaps to keep some match-sharpness in the player, who is expected back into the fold later in the year.
It took Keegan 13 minutes to get off the mark, when, after some good link-up play down the middle, he acquired possession inside the area and fired low past Calvin Higgins to the bottom corner.
Claremorris responded to this set-back well and forced Hoban into a good double save, the latter of which was from a shot by David Grant that seemed destined for the top corner. The visitors were level through Grant on the half-hour mark when Hoban made a handling error and allowed himself to be rounded, though the finish by Grant was composed and clinical across the face of goal to the net.
Parity would only last one minute however, and when Keegan combined with James O’Donnell and JP O’Gorman, he subsequently found himself 12 yards from goal in possession. Turning, he dispatched the ball past Higgins in a calm manner.
Westport defender Shaun Tagg added a rare goal on 43 minutes after he was the quickest to react to a penetrating James O’Donnell free-kick at the back post, to send the ball to the roof of the net with a diving header.
Things got worse for Claremorris in first-half injury time when Tagg sent a delicate ball over the top and Keegan met it with a deft chip to beat the advancing Higgins and complete his hat-trick.
Claremorris started the second period brightly, and Mick Mullee had a good effort thwarted by Hoban, while Calvin Joyce headed over from a corner, but the visitors were further behind on 65 minutes when they were penalised for a handball in their box.
David Hoban raced up the field to take the penalty but was turned back by his managers, so the duty fell to winger Alan Carroll, who sent Higgins the wrong way for 5-1.
The Westport threat was subdued after that though substitute Ger McLoughlin drew a fine stop from Higgins with a thunderous strike.
Mick Mullee for Claremorris had a one-on-one saved well by Hoban near the end, before finally beating the makeshift ‘keeper with an unchallenged but stylish strike after he was allowed in by the Westport defence, in injury time.

Westport United
D Hoban, J Smith, M Geraghty, S Tagg, J Lawless, A Carroll, D Cameron, P Fitzgerald, J McLoughlin, P Keegan, JP O’Gorman.
Subs G McLoughlin for Geraghty; G Cunningham for Fitzgerald; J Fallon for Keegan.

Claremorris
C Higgins, J Oates, S Burke, C Joyce, S McGreal, D Bell, P Maloney, D Grant, M Mullee, M Doble, C Heffernan.
Sub: M Malone for P Maloney.

Referee: K Cox