League begin and end with a flourish

PAT DEVLIN'S National League Premier Division team turned in a scintillating performance to comfortably avenge last year's defeat of a First Division selection by England's semi-professionals before a crowd of just over 1,000 at Richmond Park last night.

The game began perfectly for the National League with a delightfully worked opening goal from a well-rehearsed free-kick after just four minutes.

England's Neil Howarth handled the ball about 25 yards from his own goal. Brian Mooney ran over the dead ball for Eddie Gormley to play it square to the advancing Stephen Geoghegan who unleashed a fierce drive that powered into the roof of the net.

Geoghegan had a great chance to score his second eight minutes later but blazed high and wide after Mark Rutherford's cross. Geoghegan began the move himself deep in his own half before involving Peter Hutton who fed the ball wide to Rutherford.

England goalkeeper Scott Cooksey then had to save well from another Geoghegan effort in the 26th minute after England full back Gerry Gill could only manage to head clear to the Irish striker from Pat Scully's long ball forward.

But the England defence was breached for a second time on the half hour. Colm Tresson sent a suspiciously offside looking Peter Hutton away down the right. Hutton's first shot was parried back to him off Cooksey but he gathered the ball again to cross. And though that took a deflection, Stephen Geoghegan's predatory instinct had him in the right place to drill the ball home from 10 yards.

The National League side were rampant now, and another sweeping move involving Tresson, Stephen Geoghegan and Hutton played Gormley in on a one-on-one with Cooksey five minutes before the interval, but the goalkeeper got the slightest of touches to Gormley's shot to deflect the ball out for a corner.

There was no let-up from the National League side in the second half. Hutton almost punished a defensive misjudgment from Tresson's ball over the top in the 65th minute, but his shot squirmed just wide of the England goal.

Geoghegan continued to cause the English problems and he headed inches wide from Pat Morley's cross in the 76th minute. Morley then forced the best save of the match from England's substitute goalkeeper Paul Gothard with a header three minutes from time as the National League finished as they began, with a flourish.

Arsenal goalkeeper, David Seaman entered hospital last night for an exploratory knee operation. Seaman has missed Arsenal's last three games plus England's World Cup defeat by Italy after damaging his knee in a freak accident at home. He was stretched out on the floor watching television and felt pain in the knee as he slipped while getting to his feet.