Match Report – Game 7 – Saturday 6th November

vs. Ursuline 0-0

Team: Ciarán; Josh, Matty; Stephen (capt.), Caleb, Adam; Jacob. Subs: Elliot, Joe, Seamus.

How the boys did not win this one-sided encounter will remain a mystery for many a day. Only bad luck and a heroic performance from the Ursuline keeper prevented them from notching up a third win of the season.

From the start, Ursuline were on the back foot, with an early free kick and a cross from Stephen pushing them back. A rare Ursuline corner was headed safely away and soon after Stephen found some more space on the right after good work from Adam and Jacob.

The boys were awarded a penalty for handball in the 6^th minute but Adam’s spot-kick bounced back off the crossbar and Caleb’s shot from the rebound went just wide. Adam nearly made amends a few minutes later, after a defensive mistake, but his shot went over.

Adam was terrorising the Ursuline defence on the left, getting past the full back and feeding balls into the middle. A long range shot from Josh was parried away and the keeper made another good save from a shot Matty did well to keep down. From the resulting corner, Jacob connected well but his header went just wide. He then went even closer with his head from yet another cross from Adam.

Ursuline rarely got out of the own half in the first period, with Caleb picking up well in midfield and Josh and Matty mopping up behind. Caleb was getting forward and his 15^th minute shot was pushed around the post by the keeper. From Adam’s corner, Jacob couldn’t quite reach the corner but he was unlucky a minute later as a loose ball bounced away from him and into the safety of the keeper’s hands.

Adam was more than just the provider and a 17^th minute shot hit the side netting. Stephen was enjoying his chance in midfield, putting in Jacob but the chance went begging. Ciarán had his chance on the 20^th minute to prove his concentration, coming out of his box to clear, and the boys finished the half on the attack as Josh belted a long range shot against the crossbar and Adam sent in Caleb, only for the shot to roll narrowly wide. Somehow the match was goalless at half time.

Joe, Seamus and Elliot replaced Matty, Jacob and Caleb for the second half, with Stephen dropping back into defence and Josh pushing forward. Adam continued to turn the defenders inside out on the left, setting up Seamus but his touch ran across the goal. Adam then saw a long range shot pushed out by the keeper, after good work from Joe, and Seamus then set Adam up but the shot went wide.

Ursuline gave their defence a break and caused a few problems but Josh and Stephen managed to hold them at bay. They were not comfortable on the attack though, unwilling to push too many players forward for a corner. As the boys went back on the attack, Joe saw a shot deflected wide and Seamus’ trickery created some space on the right. In the 13^th minute, Seamus set up Adam only for the keeper to make another good save.

From a 16^th minute free kick for handball, Joe kept his thumping shot low but the keeper was equal to it. A golden chance went begging a minute later as Adam’s ball in fell to Seamus whose shot was saved and Joe couldn’t steer the rebound past the stranded keeper.

Ursuline sensed they could snatch something from the game in the last five minutes but Elliot and Stephen were alert and Ciarán made a comfortable save at his feet. After another shot, this time from Josh, had been cleared and the boys could not make good use of Adam’s corner, changes were made for the final few minutes as Jacob and Caleb came back on, replacing Adam and Stephen.

9am kick off - bed head!

There was still time for Josh to send in Seamus who linked well with Joe but the Ursuline defence stood firm and in the last minute they came close to a totally undeserved winner only for Ciarán to turn the ball away for a corner and for Joe to get a firm header clear to ensure a first clean sheet of the season.

The Ursuline manager commented afterwards that the boys had put in the best footballing performance against his side this season, which they can be rightly proud of, but they need to just master the art of turning chances into goals and avoid breaking any mirrors and walking under ladders this week.

Man of the Match: having turned the defence inside out so often some of the defenders needed to untwist their legs and creating a regular supply of chances, Adam put in his best performance of the season and takes the award this week.