New Santos 5- 0 Glanville
14/04/07 - Strangford

Pictures Available Here

New Santos Scorers - Kevin Kerr, Simon Magee x2, David Dougan, Martin Magee
Star Player - Simon Magee

GK: JP Byrne
DL: Kevin Carson
DR: Niall Cluskey
DC: Ronan Doherty (Joe Magee)
DC: Hugh Dougal
ML: Martin Magee 
MR: David Dougan(David Jones)
MC: Kevin Kerr
MC: Dominic Hanvey
SC: Anthony McGreevy 
SC: Brian Canavan (Simon Magee)

With relegation still a possibility after 3 defeats in a row, Santos knew that nothing less than a win in the pen-ultimate game of the season would do.  With a match just two days before, manager Ronan Docherty utilised his squad to the fullest making several changes from the side that lost to St Matthews.

The match started as a tight affair with both sides creating few chances to take the lead.  After Santos keeper JP Byrne denied a couple of Glanville chances, Santos thought they had taken the lead when Anthony McGreevy flicked in a long throw from Kevin Kerr, however the goal was harshly disallowed for a push in the defenders back.  McGreevy indeed will feel aggrieved as his goal drought continued.  Santos took the lead shortly after after a barrage of set-pieces eventually led to Glanvilles' defence caving in, and after a goal-mouth scramble, the ball bounced for Kevin Kerr who scored a superb scissor kick to put Santos into the lead.  It was another set-piece that led to Santos' second goal, when a defensive header from a corner fell to David Dougan who skinned a defender, then bringing the ball onto his left foot by swinging his right boot behind his left, managed to get a cross in which deflected off a defenders head and went into the top corner.  The goal perhaps could've been given as an own goal, but Dougan claimed the goal as his own to notch his third of the season.

Fresh legs were introduced at half time, with the two veterans Docherty and Canavan feeling the effects of the warm weather.  The changes only seemed to strengthen Santos' stranglehold on the game, as Joe Magee tightened up the back line which led to Byrne being rarely tested in the whole of the second half.  Simon Magees introduction also provided Santos with the pace up front that they lacked in the first half.  The tiring Glanville defence could not cope with Magees pace and movement, and were made to suffer when Magee finished coolly from a lump out of defence, to put Santos 3-0 up and coasting.  The battering was taking its toll on Glanville and they had their left back perhaps harshly sent off for failing to obey several warnings from the referee to cool his foul and abusive language, leaving Glanville facing the impossible of coming back from 3 goals down with 10 men.

The Santos players were enjoying themselves in the sun, and started to produce some excellent pass and move football.  They went 4 up when Dougan, finding himself space just to the right of the center circle, laid an inch perfect ball over the head of the last defender for captain Martin Magee to finish well.  They rout was to continue, as Simon Magee got his 5th goal in his last 3 games to give Santos their joint biggest win of the season.

The win all but certifies Santos' position in the First Division for next season, and also provided a good send off for the Carson brothers who jet off for an around the world trip next week knowing that their beloved Santos should be safe from relegation.