Honours Even in Cup Opener

Saturday 7^th January

vs. Active Soccer 0-0

Team: Ciarán B; Tom, Lewis, Joe, Matty; Danny, Josh, Caleb (capt.), Adam; Elliot, Ciarán S. Sub: Cormac.

After six weeks without a match, on a bog of a pitch and with a gale blowing, the boys started the Cup Competition with the best of the draw in an open game.

With the wind at their backs in the first half, they took the game to their opponents, moving the ball wide to Adam and Danny and looking to get the ball forward to exploit Ciarán S’s pace up front. The first opening, however, came as he chased a long punt from Ciarán B to force the defender into a desperate clearance.

Active Soccer were playing on the break but were thwarted time and again by some solid defending. Tom was cutting out everything down the right and Joe, playing despite a gashed knee, mopped up across the back to keep the speedy forwards at bay.

Ciarán S lead the line superbly, taking Adam’s ball in the 16^th minute to create the first real chance as his shot ran across the face of the goal and Danny couldn’t hook it in at the back post. They continued to press, using the wind and their pace, but couldn’t get it past a keeper with confident handling.

The boys had some luck in the 19^th minute as an Active Soccer goal was disallowed for offside – a tight decision – and when they broke again four minutes later and the tackles were missed, the shot was straight at Ciarán B.

Ciarán B was a lot busier in the second half, with an early save at the foot of the post, as Active Soccer had the wind. Josh had his usual all-action display in midfield, with Caleb fighting the sticky pitch to bring it down and pass, as the boys took any chance to push their opponents back.

The strong wind was shortening some of the clearances and a looping shot back in from Active Soccer in the 37^th minute was saved by Ciarán B with an athletic stooping save. Lewis put in a double tackle to prevent the next attack but Active Soccer then worked the ball across the box for a shot that Ciarán B held onto.

Finding some time and a decent bit of ground, for once, Caleb put a splendid ball down the right channel for Danny to run onto in the 42^nd minute but the keeper was equal to his shot. That determination in midfield was on show again a minute later as Josh won a bounce ball to set up Ciarán S but his shot went narrowly wide.

Cormac replaced Elliot up front but the defence still needed to be alert – Tom continued to track back whenever necessary as Lewis matched Joe’s earlier efforts to cover across the defence and Matty was giving his usual determined display at left back.

The Active Soccer defence was similarly busy though, and it took a cynical hack on Ciarán S after 48 minutes to prevent him stretching them again. Although the free kick was cleared, Tom sent it back in and Ciarán S forced another save from the keeper.

Ciarán B was at full stretch to save long range shot as the game got more stretched towards the end. Tom and Danny opened up the right and Ciarán S continued to stretch the defence – the tall No. 5 needed to have a good game at the back – and a long range drive from Caleb that went narrowly wide and a blocked shot from Adam at the whistle were either side of more safe handling from Ciarán B to take a driven cross low down.

After a long lay off and in trying conditions, the boys’ efforts to play a passing game nearly got its reward. An excellent defensive display from the back five ensured a merited clean sheet against the Winter League runners-up where a great performance from Tom earned him the Man of the Match award.