Second Half Display Sees Off Tigers

Tuesday 13^th September

vs. Marina Sands Tigers 8-0

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

The remnants of Hurricane Katia may have swept across the pitch but it was the Tigers who were blown away as the boys started the season with a resounding win.

The boys led 3-0 at the break but should have been further ahead as they let the uncultured style of their opponents at times put them off their stride . With the ball on the floor, they had the Tigers at their mercy, with Jacob and Adam connecting to find space on the left. Joe was quick to keep up the pressure as they tried to clear their lines and Adam came close to creating an opening as he stole the ball from the keeper’s clutches.

The breakthrough came from the penalty spot on the 8^th minute. Josh broke through a high defensive line, from which Seamus was denied by a man on the line. After a series of corners that the Tigers desperately cleared away, with Elliot, Jacob and Seamus keeping them pinned back, the pressure finally told as the defender handled. Caleb stepped up and coolly slotted the spot kick into the corner of the net.

Matty pulled off a couple of solid defensive headers as the Tigers took advantage of some sloppy control in midfield. The boys showed they could pull them apart at will, as Seamus’ ball to Adam across the box saw the winger shoot into the side netting. The lead should have been extended in the 14^th minute after Adam’s cross from acres of space on the left was turned in by Jacob running in from the edge of the box, only for the referee to rule it offside.

Ciarán B, between the sticks, was on hand with good handling in difficult conditions and his clearances set the boys on their way again. They finally doubled their lead in the 18^th minute as the Tigers again struggled to clear the ball until Jacob took control to hook it beyond the keeper and into the corner of the net.

As the half wore on, the boys took the game by the scruff of the neck – the defenders stepping up to set the attacks going again, with plenty of space on the flanks for Adam and Joe to exploit. From yet another corner, they came close to increasing the lead as Matty’s header was palmed out by the keeper and Josh’s overhead kick was headed clear over the bar. Matty stayed up for the next corner and it was his presence that troubled the defence and allowed Adam to volley home from the edge of the box after 25 minutes.

Ciarán S, Danny and Lewis came on at half time, giving Jacob, Josh and Elliot a break. Although the teams were stood waiting for the ref to restart, it was a brief respite before the Tigers were again on the back foot. Straight from the kick off, Joe saw a shot go wide as the boys began to keep the ball on the floor and rip their opponents to pieces.

Adam slipped the ball through the defenders as Danny ran on, only for the keeper to just get his hands to the ball as the forwards overran it. Danny was giving the left back a torrid time, running at him time and again and picking up any balls coming across the box.

As Ciarán S cut in from the left in the 34^th minute, his shot flew across the goal and Danny and Seamus linked to force a save from the keeper. Another deadly Caleb corner was flicked home by Joe to give them a fourth.

It was one-way traffic by now as Danny again pushed the defence back, linking with Caleb to create chance after chance. Another searing corner saw Seamus’ header fly away to safety as the boys went in search of more goals.

The Tigers were restricted to attacking on the break but cool defensive play from Stephen, Tom and Ciarán B ensured that they started with a clean sheet, with a one handed save from Ciarán B in the 43^rd minute denying the Tigers any consolation.

The save only spurred the boys to run in four goals in the last 12 minutes. Danny again took the ball deep into the heart of the Tigers defence and his cross was cleared only as far as Caleb, whose superb left foot shot curled past the stranded keeper.

The sixth goal, in the 46^th minute, was again from a Caleb corner after Danny’s shot, as he again broke through the defence, was pushed wide. This time, Ciarán S was on had as the ball bobbled around the stricken defence.

The eighth goal, on 49 minutes, was almost a carbon copy of the sixth, except Elliot – up front as he, Jacob and Josh were back on for Adam, Joe and Seamus – was the man to get the final touch.

In between, Danny finally got the goal his excellent second half display deserved as he took full advantage of Jacob’s pass to coolly lift it over the onrushing keeper.

The Tigers were hanging on for the final whistle by now, as Stephen pushed into midfield to slide another ball to Danny on the right wing. His searching cross was missed by the forwards and he had a chance to double his tally for the match as a double save from Ciarán S and the winger prevented the ninth after Elliot was left in acres of space by Caleb’s through ball.

Double figures would not have been an unfair score line after a cultured second half display as the boys learnt the lesson form the first half, kept the ball down and passed their opponents off the park. They finished, as they started, on the attack as Stephen forced another save out of the keeper as the referee blew to put the Tigers out of their misery.

The totally dominant second half display did not make it easy to choose a Man of the Match but Danny deserved the award for a splendid second half display which set the tone for a comprehensive victory.