Kilkenny now just one win away

KILKENNY CITY will clinch promotion and the First Division championship if they beat Waterford United at Buckley Park tomorrow night.

League leaders Kilkenny are seven points ahead of Drogheda United, who lost 1-0 at St Francis yesterday, and have stretched their lead over third placed Waterford to 12 points after Saturday night's 4-1 defeat of Cobh Ramblers at St Colman's Park.

Cobh were well in the game when it turned on a controversial penalty appeal in the 64th minute. Kilkenny were leading 1-0 at that stage when Dublin referee Eddie Barr waved away Cobh's claims for a penalty when Brendan Rea appeared to handle a cross from Keith Dalton. Kilkenny immediately broke away and Paul Cashin played John Power through to make it 2-0.

Cobh did get a penalty on 70 minutes when Rea pulled down Willie O'Keeffe, and Jason Lynch converted. But Kilkenny restored their two goal lead three minutes later when Power punished a goal keeping error by Cobh's Michael Devine to tap in his second goal.

Cashin made it 4-1 with a near post finish inside a further three minutes after Davy Walsh flicked on Power's cross.

Drogheda's automatic promotion hopes took a knock when they lost at Baldonnel, and also had defender John Carroll sent off for an off the ball incident with St Francis' Alan Mullen.

That came in the 57th minute of a poor game with Drogheda already the crucial goal down from five minutes earlier. A free kick into their box by Paul McNally appeared to offer no danger, but St Francis midfielder Tony Marshall got in behind to get a diving header on the ball which flew across a statuesque Jody Byrne in goal and in off the far upright.

There were goals aplenty elsewhere yesterday. Athlone Town player/manager Terry Eviston celebrated his 100th league goal as he put his side 3-0 up after 56 minutes at Limerick. But Limerick stormed back to salvage a point with three goals in seven minutes. The game sprung to life within two minutes of the start of the second half when Ray McLoughlin punished bad defending to give Athlone the lead. Trevor Molloy added a second two minutes later with a penalty after Ray O'Halloran had pulled him down.

Anthony Tobin got one back for Limerick seven minutes after Eviston's milestone goal before Paul Carr scored the goal of the game with a 25 yard shot to make it 3-2 in the 67th minute.

Three minutes later, Albert Finnan, the Limerick skipper who's made a habit of scoring important late goals this season, equalised after Anthony McCormack's corner was only half cleared.

Monaghan United also came from behind to earn a point in a 2-2 draw with Longford at Strokestown Road.

Seanie McDonald, after 39 minutes, and Padraig Dully, nine minutes into the second hall, had Longford 2-0 up. But Lee King struck back from close range in the 58th minute before skipper Mark Girvan snatched an equaliser four minutes from time.