ST Mary’s kept their title challenge well and truly on track with victory over Corinthians at the Bowl in the Canada Life Premier League on Saturday.
A brace from Brian Crellin plus further goals from Tom Weir and Steven Priestnal, the latter with a superb free-kick, earned the Saints a 4-1 win which keeps them joint second in the league table with St George’s and three points behind leaders Laxey.
Sam Kenny’s men wasted little time in stamping their authority on proceedings as they raced into a two-goal lead within the opening seven minutes.
With little over three minutes played the Saints worked the ball out wide to Marc Priestnal on the right wing and the striker delivered a deep cross to the back post where Weir stole in unmarked to turn the ball home and give the hosts the perfect start.
Matters got even worse for Corinthians just four minutes later when they found themselves further behind thanks to a superb team goal. Stephen Whitley, Weir and Priestnal all combined to devestating effect to cut through the visitors’ midfield before the latter laid the ball off to Crellin on the edge of the box and the winger made no mistake, lashing home a thunderous strike past Whites goalkeeper Joe Kelly.
The game could have been all over by the quarter-hour mark when Whitley released Priestnal who unselfishly squared the ball to Marc Priestnal but, just as he looked certain to score, Corinthians left-back Darren Cain managed to block brilliantly at close range.
It proved to be a catalyst for a good spell for the visitors as they began trying to work their way back into the contest.
However, the Saints continued to look dangerous on the counter attack and nearly scored again in the 27th minute when a lightning quick break saw Ste Priestnal surge through the Whites defence before pulling the trigger from the edge of the box but his effort fizzed just the wrong side of the post.
The visitors’ decent spell soon resumed though and they went close through Mike Callister’s header which forced island keeper Max Thomas into action. His opposite number Joe Kelly then had to be at his best moments later when Ste Priestnal sent his brother Marc racing clear in the area who turned a defender before firing goalwards, only for Kelly to deny him superbly from point-blank range.
The last chance of the half fell the way of the visitors as they searched for a crucial goal before the interval but Blane Slattery’s fierce drive was expertly repelled by Thomas and the scored remained 2-0.
Corinthians introduced Max Neale into the fray for the second half and he almost made an immediate impact when he rose highest to meet Callister’s cross but sent his header narrowly over the bar.
Any hopes of a Whites comeback were soon snuffed out, though, thanks to a goal of the highest quality. The Saints were awarded a free-kick 30 yards from goal and up-stepped goal machine Ste Priesntal who curled the ball brilliantly over the wall and into the top corner past Kelly.
To their credit, Corinthians kept working hard despite the scoreline and went close through another Neale header and a Cain effort from distance.
They were eventually rewarded for their efforts with a goal 18 minutes from time when, moments after Kelly had superbly denied Whitley, Louis Thornton’s deep free-kick was turned in at the back post by the impressive Chris Cannell.
However, it was St Mary’s who had the last laugh when Crellin reacted quickly to turn in the rebound after Kelly had saved impressively from Ste Priestnal.
Slattery then saw a goal ruled out for handball following Kane Ridings’s excellent cross before Neale had a shot cleared off the line by the alert McGreevy.
There was still time for Kelly to pull off some more excellent saves, the most notable of which was an outstanding double save from substitute Terry Rigaux who was making his comeback from injury.
TEAM CHECK
St Mary’s: Max Thomas, Harry Weatherill, Martin Reilly, Dominic McGreevy (c), Karl Clark, Tom Weir (Darren Smethurst 91m), Stephen Whitley (James Murphy 75m), Connor Gorman (Terry Rigaux 79m), Steven Priesntal, Brian Crellin, Marc Priestnal
Corinthians: Joe Kelly, Tom Callister (Ste Corran 79m), Darren Cain, Louis Thornton, Chris Cannell, Ryan Burns (Kane Ridings 68m), Chris Feeney, Jamie Stoy, Mike Callister, Lewis Griffiths (Max Neale 45m), Blane Slattery
Referee: Danny Cowin
Assistants: Willie Cowley and Stuart Kneen
Booked: McGreevy, Blattery and Stoy
Man of the Match: Joe Kelly - kept the scoreline respectable for Corinthians with a number a superb saves
Match rating: HHHII