Boys throw away victory

Thursday 28th June 
vs Formby JSC 3-5

Team: Ciarán B; Elliot, Tom, Joe H, Matty; Danny, Caleb, Lewis, Adam; Ciarán S, Joe T. Subs: Cormac, Darren, Josh. 

The boys continued their topsy-turvy Summer League form by throwing victory away in a suicidal second half.A 2^nd minute goal from Man of the Match Joe T after a strong run down the middle from Lewis promised much. 

The second goal, after 9 minutes, as Joe T turned provider from Danny’s cross to set up Ciarán S for the goal, reflected their control of the game.

Poor defending to allow Formby to pull a goal back in the 13^th minute was a sign of things to come but the two goal lead was restored 5 minutes later as Ciarán S took full advantage of the keeper’s poor touch on Joe T’s great ball to slide it into an empty net.

It was sheer luck that they didn’t start the second half further ahead – Adam, Caleb and Darren went close – and Lewis had a chance soon after the break. Instead, Formby were back in the game in the 36^th minute as the defence lost its shape defending a throw-in.

The scores were level in the 46^th minute as keeper Ciarán B was left exposed, pulling off one save but powerless to stop the second and two minutes later they had the lead as the defence, not helped out by a sloppy midfield, were all at sea.

Lewis and Darren caused problems at the other end but Formby scored their fifth and best goal 5 minutes from the end to round off a miserable day for the Crosby defence.

 

Second half surge sends North packing

Tuesday 26th June
vs Liverpool North 5-0

Team: Ciarán B; Elliot, Tom, Joe H, Matty; Danny, Lewis, Josh, Adam; Ciarán S, Joe T. Sub: Cormac.

The boys ran away with this match in the second half, after a fast and furious opening period had ended goalless.

A strong Ciarán S run forced a corner in the 6^th minute, only for Adam to see his shot hit the crossbar, bounce onto the line and go safe. Two minutes later and North did the same – and went on to hit the woodwork twice more in a first half where they gave as good as they got. Ciarán S was a constant threat, Lewis saw a free kick go narrowly wide and nobody was on the end of Josh’s wicked corner just before the break.

Crosby woke up in the second half and gradually took control. Joe T had come close from a huge clearance from keeper Ciarán B but it was Ciarán S who opened the scoring in the 40^th minute with a great back post header from Josh’s cross.

A surging run from Josh a minute later set up Joe T for the second and pressure on the keeper in the 45^th minute left him with a tap in for the third and his second goal in as many minutes. The fourth came moments later from Josh, sliding home after a shot from Adamwas saved and a run of five goals in nine minutes was completed with a long range Lewis free kick, who shared the Man of the Match award with Matty after his solid first half performance at left back.

Boys succumb to league leaders

Saturday 16^th June

vs. Active Soccer 1-3

Team: Ciarán B; Elliot, Tom, Joe H, Matty; Danny, Caleb (capt.), Lewis, Jacob; Darren, Ciarán S. Subs: Adam, Cormac (unused), Josh.

A disappointing second half display in weather more akin to March than June saw Crosby Stuart slip to defeat.

A strong crosswind hampered both sides but a well-drilled Active defence kept the boys at bay, although Jacob nearly opened them up for Darren after 5 minutes.

Lewis came close from both open play and with a free kick in the first quarter. Elliot was solid in defence, linking well with Danny outside him and slipping a low cross into Ciarán S which the Active defence scrambled away.

Ciarán B had to come quickly off his line to tackle the breakaway forward on the edge of the box as Active pushed out but was powerless to prevent them taking the lead after 21 minutes after a missed defensive header left the forward in space.

The Crosby keeper pushed one shot around the post and saved another as Active looked to increase their lead but Darren and Ciarán S continued to cause problems at the other end.

After the break, the boys pinned Active in their own half and got the equaliser in the 34^th minute. The Active defence failed to deal with a long ball from Josh and, with keeper and defenders together on the edge of the box, Darren lifted the ball over all of them into the empty net.

Active regained their lead after 36 minutes after a strong challenge on Matty went unpunished and a forward was on hand to tap in off the post. They extended their lead 5 minutes later in fortunate circumstances as a speculative shot hit the inside of one post and flew into the side netting on the other side of the goal.

In worsening conditions, where the solid midfield display of Caleb saw him named Man of the Match, the boys tried to get back into the game as Darren twice stung the keeper’s hands but it was a late Ciarán B save and the crossbar that prevented Active from scoring again.

First half display secures second win

Tuesday 12^th June

vs. Marina Sands Tigers 6-1

Team: Ciarán B; Elliot, Tom, Joe H, Matty; Danny, Caleb (capt.), Lewis, Adam; Darren, Ciarán S. Subs: Cormac, Jacob, Joe T, Josh.

This game was all over at half time but a series of changes as the full squad got a run out and some relaxation meant that the Tigers avoided an embarrassing score line.

The boys were a goal up after only two minutes. The cross from Danny’s right wing run went for a goal kick but Darren quickly picked up on the weak kick to push forward and shoot across the keeper and into the corner of the net.

An immediate change of keeper for the Tigers brought some respite but they were second best all over the pitch. Matty had a lob taken quite easily and a 9^th minute run from Darren saw the forward stopped from shooting as he was mobbed by defenders.

The Tigers pushed forward but Adam’s head at the near post set them away again and a cross-field move between Ciarán S and Lewis almost set up Danny but the keeper was quickly off his line to take the ball.

Darren saw a header saved in the 12^th minute but got his second goal a minute later as he was on hand to tap in after more good footwork by Danny and Ciarán S had again opened up the left side of the Tigers.

A minute later they had extended the lead further and Darren had his hat-trick. A quick ball out from Ciarán B came to Danny who yet again hared down the wing and slipped the ball to Ciarán S. He then slid the ball across the box, only for Adam’s shot to be blocked but the tall striker was on hand to shoot home his third.

Darren was too strong for the Tigers and was getting on the end of nearly everything. He powered a header against the crossbar from Lewis’ cross after 16 minutes before joining Elliot, Lewis and Danny on the sidelines as all four substitutes were used after 19 minutes.

Josh and Joe T combined straight away, only for Joe T’s shot to be saved but he got his goal in the 22^nd minute, packing the ball into the corner of the net from a decisive Jacob pass.

The Tigers were no more able to contain the boys after all the changes than before in this half as Joe T turned provider a minute after his goal, breaking down the right to set up Josh, whose shot was pushed around the post. That might have been a good save from the keeper but he got away with dropping the corner with nobody on hand to take advantage.

Adam scurried down the left wing to force a corner in the 24^th minute, which Josh swung in to good effect – good enough to beat everybody and sail into the corner of the net for a 5-0 lead at the break, although Jacob and Joe T still had time for half-chances before the whistle.

The boys never really linked up to the same effect in the second half, although Tom was on hand with a long range header saved by the keeper in the 33^rd minute after Joe T had released Josh into space on the right.

Changes after 36 minutes, as Lewis, Danny and Darren returned, replacing Caleb, Joe H and Ciarán S, livened up the performance but it was the Tigers who were to score the goal of the game in the 38^th minute.

Ciarán B and Matty got into a mix-up as the latter tried to shield the ball out. The defence never properly recovered – Ciarán B made a good save which Tom helped on its way but the keeper was left to grasp at air as a volley from the edge of the box flew over his head.

Elliot replaced Cormac at the restart and the lead was restored in the 41^st minute from the penalty spot as Darren, set up by another clinical pass from Jacob, was upended in the box. With Caleb on the sidelines, the striker took the penalty, blasting it past the keeper for his fourth goal of the game.

Lewis’ free kick forced a save from the keeper after Jacob was shoved in the back but the boys were not breaking down the Tigers as easily as in the first period. Caleb returned, as Adam took a breather, and he quickly got into his stride as his 46^th minute pass almost set up Darren. The forward was still hunting goals and a clever touch created space for a shot in the 49^th minute, only for it to crash back off the crossbar.

Joe H had replaced Tom with 10 minutes of the game left and he nutmegged the fullback to set Lewis on another barnstorming run, only for Caleb to slice his shot wide of the upright.

A seventh goal to finish off the match with a flourish just would not come: Darren ran offside after Josh and Joe T had again combined to set him up and Jacob should have been more selfish with Caleb’ pass in the last minute. Darren was cruelly denied a final chance, breaking through the Tigers’ line for a run on goal only to be halted by the full-time whistle.

The second half display lacked the incisive passing and measured confidence of the first; otherwise they may have run into double figures. That they failed again to take complete advantage of their opponents’ defensive frailties did not stop Darren from scoring four goals, a performance worthy of the Man of the Match medal.