OMP's 10 win seven-goal thriller against Parkvilla

Plenty of goals, lots of cards, 45 minutes late starting and 10 men against 11 as OMP Utd took the bragging rights from this North East Football League Premier encounter at St Mary's Park today with a 4-3 win against Parkvilla.

The late kick-off was due to the non-appearance of the appointed referee who, apparently, had requested an earlier kick-off to facilitate his second game in the afternoon, but then he couldn't make it although both teams were on the pitch and ready to go at 10.45am.

By the time the replacement referee, Brian Murphy, arrived and got the game going it was 11.30, but no one was complaining as it was a pleasant morning and the large crowd waited patiently aware of the issues.

The referee had a good game and that has to be acknowledged.

To the action on the pitch - OMP Utd fired on all cylinders in the opening 45 minutes and by half-time were 4-1 to the good.

Parkvilla contributed enormously to that scoreline with some woeful defending that hardly impressed recently-installed manager Kenny Ratty who has taken over the reins from Derek Coogan.

There is probably a story to that change, but tight-lipped would be the best way to describe the response to the obvious query.

Unofficial information suggested that the players 'weren't happy' with the previous manager.

After this performance it would be reasonable to suggest that the 'new' manager, if Kenny Ratty can be called new, certainly wasn't happy with the players.

For the most part the Parkvilla players seemed uninterested although they produced an occasional piece of good football.

Contrast that to the determination displayed by OMP Utd who were prepared to battle for every ball, sometimes a little over the top and that saw Mantas Morkunas depart on a second yellow card early in the second-half.

OMP were first on the scoreboard and took a second minute lead through Ryan Murphy, a former Parkvilla player, and it was 2-0 when Morkunas headed to the net.

There was a positive response from Parkvilla and Gary Gibney brought a good save out of OMP custodian Darren Brady.

However, the home 'keeper was beaten in the 17th minute when Jamie Blake finished after Eoghan Heavey made the opening - Parkvilla back in contention.

It was end-to-end for the next 20 minutes with OMP's Isaiah Philips a constant threat on the left while Ryan Tighe also caused Parkvilla problems on the right.

The hosts added a third goal when Dylan Tighe punished the Parkvilla defence and then in the 47th minute Murphy claimed his side's fourth goal.

Within two minutes of the resumption Parkvilla's Kian Ratty reduced the deficit when his speculative free found the net.

Soon after, Morkunas departed on that second yellow card and it was a defensive OMP strategy for the remainder, but Parkvilla had nothing to offer.

Blake converted an 83rd minute penalty, but even then there was hardly any sort of spirited late surge and OMP were quite comfortable, even during six minutes of added time.

OMP Utd - Darren Brady; Stephen Casey, Corey Cullen, Mantas Morkunas, Craig Dixon, Louis Timmons, Dylan Tighe, Eoghan Breathnach, Ryan Murphy, Isaiah Philips, Ryan Tight. Subs - Keith McGibney for D Tighe 52 mins, David Connolly for Philips 63m, Ben Renehan for Breathnach 65m, Kyle Gallagher for Cullen 70m, Eoin Curtis for R Tighe 89m.

Parkvilla - Euan Niven; Sean Lally-Starrs, Ethan Rathbone, Christian Nicolenco, Chris Kennedy, Sergei Istrati, Kian Ratty, Gary Gibney, Jamie Blake, Ben Grey, Eoghan Heavey. Subs - Ben Gibney for Ratty and Sean Kane for Heavey both 65 mins, Tristan O'Neill for Nicolenco 89m.

Referee - Brian Murphy (Louth Branch ISRS).