Back To Winning Ways

Saturday 9^th April

vs. Ormskirk WE Blue 5-1

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

The boys bounced back from their first defeat and returned to the top of the table in a match where, with a little better application, they could have run up a cricket score on the pitch adjacent to the square.

For once, they went straight at their opponents and were a goal up in 2 minutes. Elliot fed the ball forward and a perfectly weighted ball allowed Adam to flick the ball past the onrushing keeper.

Elliot played a similar ball over the top minutes later for Seamus. His step out and turn bamboozled the Ormskirk defence only to shoot just wide. They only had to wait another minute to double their lead, though, as a poor cross from Adam ended up going through the keeper’s hands.

Ormskirk were hanging on now as Caleb shot over the bar after some good footwork on the edge of the box by Jacob. Adam then had a chance for the hat-trick, only to see the ball run away from him and safe into the keeper’s hands.

Matty was back in the wars with an accidental bang to the knee, with Tom coming on and Stephen moving to left back in the 8^th minute. The captain was soon busy, clearing to safety as Ormskirk broke down the right.

Ciarán B was called into action in the 11^th minute as indecision in midfield allowed Ormskirk through to force a save from the Crosby netminder. Although they were still pushing forward down the wings – Adam and Josh worked well down the left to set up Jacob and then Danny’s deep cross from the right was too good for everybody – once again they were not winning enough of the ball in the middle of the pitch and allowed their opponents to get back into the game.

On the 20^th minute, a ball down the middle evaded everyone and Ciarán B had to grasp the ball back as the Ormskirk forward tried to touch it past him. This served to wake the boys up and they came close to increasing their lead minutes later as first Danny and then Jacob saw shots blocked after Caleb had fed the ball in from the right.

As usual, Seamus had worried the opponent’s defence all half and he was unlucky not to score in the 23^rd minute as his goal was chalked off for a poor looking offside decision (this time by a lady assistant referee who clearly didn’t know the rules!). A minute later his neat footwork created another chance but the keeper was equal to it.

Danny had finished the half up front and he stayed there into the second half as Ciarán S replaced Jacob at the break. Matty had run off his knock and replaced Elliot in defence, where Tom had finished the first half with a good headed clearance.

With these positional changes, the second half started scrappily. Typical busy work from Josh in the 35^th minute forced a corner, from which Adam volleyed just wide. Ormskirk were still in it, though, and Tom and Matty were both grateful for Ciarán B as the keeper picked up after they both missed the clearance.

As Ormskirk pushed up in search of a goal, they were allowing runs behind the defence and Danny was unlucky not to take advantage as his final touch just ran away from him. Adam then showed off his dribbling skills on the left, riding three desperate lunges to get a cross in that was scrambled to safety.

The third goal came in the 38^th minute by Route One as a deep clearance from Ciarán B was headed backwards by the Ormskirk defence. Seamus was onto it in an instant and his shot was in the net before the keeper could act.

With a comfortable lead, Ian took advantage to make a few more positional switches. Danny was replaced by Jacob, Ciarán S went up front with Joe on his right shoulder and Josh filling in at the back. The changes worked immediately as the fourth goal went in after 41 minutes. Jacob fed Ciarán S who brought the ball under control, settled himself and rifled it in at the near post to score his first for the team.

Elliot was given a chance up front after 45 minutes, replacing Seamus, although Ormskirk’s goal in the 49^th minute cannot be blamed on this change! A missed tackle on the edge of the box allowed the shot which went under Ciarán B, with the scowl on the Crosby keeper’s face telling everybody what he thought.

Apart from a late clearance to touch from Tom after a missed header, the boys then spent the rest of the match on the attack. Adam again worked some space to set up Elliot but he couldn’t quite take advantage but he got the fifth two minutes from the end after an excellent ball in from Ciarán S had set up Adam. His shot was saved but Elliot was on hand to hook in the rebound. Still they weren’t finished and a cross-shot from Joe was blocked by the keeper’s legs on the final whistle.

This was a good performance which could have been a lot better. Too often the midfield was guilty of being out of position or not winning the header to bring the ball under control. The boys made it more uncomfortable for themselves than it should have been but they created lots of chances with some excellent football. The two early goals and the constant threat to the Ormskirk defence made Adam the obvious choice as Man of the Match today.