Birkdale Blown Away!

Saturday 12th March
vs. Birkdale 5-1

Team: Ciarán B; Elliot, Josh, Stephen (capt.), Matty; Danny, Ciarán S, Caleb, Adam; Jacob, Seamus. Subs: Tom.

After another slow start, the boys turned on the style in the second half and blew their opponents away.

With Joe out injured with another (different) broken arm, Josh dropped into defence alongside Stephen. Once again they all struggled to get into their rhythm and the first ten minutes were a scrappy affair in the middle of the park with both teams giving the ball away all too easily. With a little more patience on the ball – and the occasional header – they would have got control of the match a lot earlier. It wasn’t until an excellent 13^th minute free kick from Josh which just ran away from Seamus that they showed any menace.

A minute later, Adam finally found some space on the left but again the cross just eluded Seamus. As the game finally began to open up, Ciarán B did well to take a high ball under pressure.

Stephen took a whack on the foot and was replaced by Tom. He was straight into the action as Birkdale came forward, forcing another save out of Ciarán B. As the action see-sawed, his safe handling was on show again a few minutes later with another confident save.

The boys finished the half well as Adam’s cross was met by Seamus, only for his shot to run away across the goal. A minute later a shot from Ciarán S landed at Seamus’ feet but he couldn’t get a clean shot in and both Adam and Jacob were unable to follow in and force a save.

Although Ciarán S had a shot just taken off his foot, the final action was at the other end as Ciarán B pulled off a fine double save at the forward’s feet to ensure the half remained goalless.

Stephen had recovered and replaced Tom at the restart and they nearly took the lead within two minutes as Seamus forced a point blank save from the keeper, meeting Adam’s cross with a glancing header.

Just as in the first half, though, Birkdale broke through a high defensive line a minute later but Ciarán B made the blocking save, this time with his leg, from the onrushing forward. He was powerless in the 5^th minute, however, as Birkdale took the leader after a defensive mistake at the near post left Birkdale with a tap in at the far post.

A goal down, the boys responded well on the attack – a mazy run by Adam in the 8^th minute created a chance for Caleb but his lobbed shot was just over.  Danny was also powering down the right side, fed by Elliot, as the momentum built. Seamus was keeping the pressure on the keeper and it told for the equaliser in the 10^th minute. After a ball down the line from Matty and a neat touch from Caleb had set Adam away, the Birkdale defence thought they had survived as the ball went into touch. From the throw, Adam’s shot was fumbled by the keeper and Seamus was on hand to tap it in.

With Josh and Stephen keeping their concentration at the back, Josh was then pushed up front as Tom replaced Ciarán S. They took the lead with a superbly worked goal in the 14^th minute. Adam broke free on the left and his ball infield was taken with a perfect touch by Seamus. The two exchanged passes to create the chance for Seamus who slotted home his second goal of the match.

Four goals and I don't get to keep the ball either!

Seamus completed his hat-trick on the 20 minute mark. As the ball broke forward, the defender’s header went backwards and he pounced to lob the ball over the stranded keeper perfectly into the corner of the net. He hadn’t finished though and scored a fourth two minutes later after a punt forward from Caleb was misjudged by the hapless keeper, leaving him with the simplest of tap-ins.

Still the boys poured forward and Josh was brought down on the edge of the box. Adam’s free kick beat the wall and was headed clear but there was more to come. Jacob worked hard to keep the ball in play, Adam and Caleb kept it alive only for Adam’s shot to be pushed around the post. Nobody took advantage of a superb corner from Josh and, as Birkdale finally cleared their lines, the ball came to Caleb, whose curler hit the far post. Danny picked up the rebound, laid to back to Seamus and his square pass was rifled into the roof of the net by Adam - with his right foot - to make it 5-1.

This was a performance that turned on outstanding saves from Ciarán B and the reliable Stephen before the boys broke the deadlock. Adam’s touch and pace on the left relieved the pressure when necessary but nobody could vote against Seamus as Man of the Match, as much for the four goals as the battling manner in which he got into the position to get them.