Referee's rite rights Wright wrong

When can a team have a player red-carded yet still finish the match with the full complement of players? That question was answered on Monday afternoon when Kells/Blackwater had a player, Gary Wright, red-carded while he was standing on the sideline. Wright had been substituted early in the second-half. By then he had picked up a yellow card from referee Camillus Perry. However, the referee issued a second yellow card to the Kells / Blackwater player late on after some verbals from the sideline. The red card was one of the few low points in what was generally a memorable afternoon for Kells/Blackwater players and their manager Paul Mooney. It was his nephew Patrick Mooney who grabbed the opening two goals of Kells/Blackwater's victory and his son Craig who netted the third and clinching goal with time almost up. Manager Mooney talked afterwards about a sweet victory achieved against a team in a division above them. He talked about how his team had worked extremely hard from start to finish to clinch a victory. "To beat a team in the league above us makes it a lot sweeter. There's a lot of tired legs there now, our lads just kept going and going that's what you have to do to beat a team like Kentstown," he said. Mooney took over as manager for this season as Kells/Blackwater sought to restore some credibility with the local legislators. Last season the club was expelled from the MDL, but now, according to the manager, is doing "everything above board" this time around. While Kells/Blackwater have struggled to make an impact in the league they have found redemption in the Challenge Cup. "We didn't make a great start to the season and hopefully this will be the turnaround for us, I think it can make a hell of difference, completely boost the morale," he added. "We were probably lucky to get the second goal, but we were unlucky to concede the penalty, that's the way it goes in soccer. It was a good game." Kentsown Rovers supremo Shane Kavanagh has seen his side win some great cup ties in the past. This wasn't one of their good days. He sportingly paid tribute to the efforts of the victorious visitors and particularly their goalkeeper Dean Peppard "Credit to Kells/Blackwater they took their chances, that was the difference," he said. "Their goalkeeper made some superb saves, he's a very good 'keeper. We got caught on the breaks no qualms, no bitterness the best team won on the day." This has been an eventful MDL Challenge Cup campaign for Kentstown. They defeated Johnstown in the previous round, but only after the tie had to be replayed. The first game was abandoned when a row broke out. Without wanting to take anything away from Kells/Blackwater's victory the Kentstown manager also felt that playing on the club's second pitch did his troops no service. "We are more used to playing in our main pitch, we were like the away team today. Kentstown Rovers like to pass the ball around and it was difficult to do that, but there's no argument with us, Kells/Blackwater deserved to win." Kavanagh also praised the performance of referee Camillus Perry for the manner in which he controlled the game. For Kentstown it's back to the bread and butter fare of the league while they also have a chance in the Kilmessan Shield. For Kells/Blackwater their MDL Challenge Cup adventures continue.