Boys win again despite dogged defence

Saturday 10^rd March

vs. Ursuline Seahorses 4-1

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

The boys made it two out of two in the Spring League, although it took second half goals to hammer home the greater possession and territorial advantage they had for the whole game.

Ursuline were pushed back from the kick off and were to spend most of the first period struggling to get out of their own half. Lewis and Caleb were looking to exploit space behind the full backs, with Danny and Adam seeing lots of the ball. 

Early shots from Caleb and Lewis were comfortably taken as the boys struggled to take advantage of their superiority. Josh returned from injury to replace Cormac midway through the half and his energetic display in midfield, with Caleb pushing on, gave the Seahorses no relief.

Tom’s 14^th minute header from a corner, after Adam’s cross was narrowly sliced wide, was pawed out from under the crossbar as the boys came closer to taking the lead. Tom then stepped into midfield to find Ciarán S in space on the right. His cross fell to Caleb only for the ball to stick under his feet and the chance went begging.

With Joe picking up any loose ball that the midfield missed, the boys continued to search for the opener. A typical jinking run from Adam on 17 minutes was stopped by the last defender and a sparkling move between Danny, Caleb and Ciarán S presented him with another chance. Stretching for his shot, the keeper made the block and Ciarán S’s effort was kicked away. From the corner, the boys finally took lead as the ball ran through to Adam, whose shot was too hot for the keeper to catch.

They came close to a second in the 23^rd minute as Lewis’ superb free kick, after Ciarán S was upended, was just taken off Joe’s head. This time the corner was short and Josh’s cross found Ciarán S, whose stooping header was just wide.

Ursuline forced a corner in some rare relief but they were soon back defending as Tom got the ball behind them and Matty couldn’t get enough on Josh’s cross to increase the lead before the break.

They started the second half again exploiting space on both flanks, but the early chance came to Lewis, from a clever square pass from Caleb, who shot straight at the keeper.

Josh came close a minute later, after more good work from Adam, but the second finally came after 35 minutes after Ciarán S set Adam up; he lifted the ball over the first defender into the danger area and last man bundled it into his own net, under pressure from Caleb.

The defending was getting more desperate, as Ciarán S was again fouled on the right edge of the box but it was Ciarán B who came to the rescue after 42 minutes, staying on his feet to block the shot with his legs as Ursuline attacked on the break. They paid for a lack of concentration straight after, though, as Josh’s clever ball took out the defence and left Danny with a run on goal: he kept his cool and slotted it past the keeper for the third.

Lewis was giving another commanding display in midfield, unafraid to get his head to the ball and also providing a threat with his long throws. He set Adam up after 45 minutes and the winger’s shot was taken by the keeper at the second attempt.

Cormac came back into the action for Danny after 49 minutes but it was Ursuline who got one back two minutes later. Ciarán B did well to block the long range shot but the forward was far quicker than anybody else to the rebound to slip it home.

The goal stung the boys back into action to get the fourth goal their commanding display merited. After Josh had been fouled in the 52^nd minute, once again on the right edge of the area, Caleb’s free kick was only cleared to Adam but his shot was blocked.

They may have survived that attack but the goal came a minute later. Josh and Adam linked to good effect on the left and the flanker’s shot was only pushed into the path of Ciarán S, giving him an easy tap home and the chance for a Ballotelli-style celebration.

With Josh just offside in the last minute, after Caleb’s ball had beaten the defensive line, the boys kept up the pressure right up to the final whistle.

This was another victory based upon defensive strength – from Tom, the ever-reliable full backs Elliot and Matty, and marshalled by Joe – and an improving midfield where, despite a good performance on return by Josh, it was once again impossible to look beyond Lewis for Man of the Match.