Goals, Goals, Goals

Saturday 19^th November

vs. Maghull FC 7-2

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

It took some time for a frantic, scrappy match to take shape but the boys were well placed by the time Maghull put up some resistance and they rattled in another hatful of goals.

Caleb’s 3^rd minute header on released Adam but the keeper saved with his feet. The boys kept up the pressure and it took an excellent header to block Adam’s cross.

Ciaran S then forced a great save out of the keeper in the 6^th minute after Jacob and Adam had combined to set him up and so the goal, when it came after 9 minutes, was overdue. Joe’s wicked free kick was goal bound but the defender’s unlucky header sent it beyond the keeper.

 

Ciarán S and Adam were working well together up front and Adam’s 13^th minute shot on the run was palmed around the post. The corner caused a frantic scramble in the box, until Ciarán S showed the composure to lay it back to Lewis who lifted it into the top corner for the goal he had so nearly scored in the last two games.

Elliot’s skill in reading the ball allowed him to turn a Maghull free kick into an attack but they eventually got back to repel the series of quick throw-ins. It was from another quickly taken chance in the 19^th minute that the boys went further ahead, though, as Danny’s quick throw gave Josh the space to tap-dance along the line and rifle in from an acute angle.

Tom replaced Danny, as Joe moved to wide right and, although the boys had finally got control of the game, Maghull finished the half on the attack as Josh and Lewis were called on to show their defensive skills and Ciarán B got everything behind a shot as a quick throw caught out the defence.

 

Jacob and Josh swapped positions at the break but, after Ciarán B’s early run had forced a save, Maghull pulled one back with a great cross from the left that was met with a header at the back post.

Although Jacob was able to find more time in midfield, only for Josh to be called offside, Ciaran B’s save and Matty’s tackle to concede a corner were needed to keep Maghull at bay.

It was no surprise, then, to see Jacob and Josh swap back after 38 minutes and it brought immediate reward as Elliot returned a clearance back into the heart of Maghull and a string of passes between Josh and Ciarán S gave the leading scorer the chance to increase his count as the keeper could only help his shot in.

Maghull closed the gap again, though, after 41 minutes as Ciarán B did the right thing as he came out for the ball pushed between the centre backs, only for it to slip underneath his body. The forward’s shot hit the post but Maghull were first to the rebound and, despite Matty’s efforts, the ball nutmegged him and rolled over the line.

A handful of changes followed as Danny replaced Elliot and combined with Tom on the right. Joe dropped back into the centre of the defence again, where he had looked commanding at the start of the game and Cormac came on for Adam.

The stiffer defence gave the boys the solidity to go forward and finally kill off the Maghull resistance. Danny shot just over after 44 minutes as Ciarán S’s run down the right opened up the defence and a minute later his shot was fumbled by the keeper and Danny and Josh pounced and the latter bundled it in to make it 5-2.

In the 48^th minute it was Danny, taking up Cormac’s ball, who opened up the right side of the defence and his ball in, at the second attempt, fell to Cormac amongst a gaggle of unmarked forwards and he steered it between keeper and defender for his first goal for the team.

Adam returned for Ciarán S and, despite Ciarán B having to save from a long range effort after Danny and Tom had paired up to stop Maghull getting behind the defence, it was right winger Danny who was even more effective going forward. His battling in the other penalty area with three minutes left put the defence under pressure and Jacob’s header from the resulting corner was palmed into the roof of the net by the keeper.

 

Josh took a breather for the last few minutes as Elliot came back on and the boys went hunting for an eighth goal. A run from Adam won yet another corner after desperate defending, only for his shot from Caleb’s low ball in to clear the crossbar.

The defensive slip-ups ultimately did not prove costly, as did the lack of discipline up front which too often left the heart of the team exposed. Both Ciaran S and Ciaran B had good games but it was Joe’s towering defensive display which deservedly won him the Man of the Match award.

North sent south in second half goal glut

Saturday 12^th November

vs. Liverpool North 4-1 

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

This was another Groundhog Day performance against Liverpool North – the boys went a goal down but fought back to win comfortably as they got their season back on track in the antepenultimate match with an excellent second half performance.

Ciarán S was involved in everything good going forward in this game and, after the almost traditional loose start, he exchanged passes with Josh after 4 minutes to free Danny down the right. His ball into the centre was cleared only as far as Tom whose long range shot curled just wide of the post.

Starting at right back, Tom had a good first half in defence and soon after his shot was on hand to recover from a slip to knock the ball to safety off the winger’s foot.

A slide-rule pass from Caleb in the 9^th minute almost set up Ciarán S as the boys, after struggling to get out of their own half, looked menacing whenever they attacked.

More positive play from Danny deserved something better from both Josh and Elliot after 11 minutes and the right winger should have put the boys one up after Ciarán S had slipped the ball to him in the 13^th minute, only to be incorrectly called offside.

Ciarán S broke free after 16 minutes, forcing a great save from the keeper, and a drive from Caleb a minute later ended at Danny’s feet. His shot hit the bar and Elliot’s header into the empty net was, this time, correctly ruled offside.

From the free kick, they paid a heavy price for not converting the chances as poor defending allowed the Liverpool forward to break free from the attention of three markers to leave Ciarán B with little chance.  A minute later, though, they were back on level terms as Danny’s touch set up Ciarán S who took his time to slot home the equaliser.

Ciarán B had been looking to open up the play with kicks to the wing and he was giving Adam a regular run at the right back but the defence was coping with the corners. Ciarán S turned provider in the 26^th minute as the boys looked to take a lead into half time, but Danny’s shot was saved and Josh’s superb corner was too good for everybody in the box.

Jacob replaced Tom for the second half, with Matty moving from left to right back and Adam dropping back. Jacob was a threat straight away but there was no end product to his early attack with Ciarán S.

Although there was a scare after 34 minutes as a poorly defended corner allowed North a shot that Ciarán B was able to watch go wide, the boys were slowly getting a stranglehold on the match and, after Ciarán S couldn’t control a long clearance from Joe, the took the lead after 38 minutes. Josh ran straight at the heart of the defence and his ball to the back post was headed up in the air and Jacob was on hand to head it home unmarked under the post.

They could breathe easier a minute later as they made it 3-1. After Caleb and Jacob had linked to create a chance for Josh, Danny was on hand to hook the keeper’s save back over the line.

The extended lead allowed more changes, with Lewis and Josh swapping positions and Matty being relieved by Cormac. As North tried to get back into the game, the sub was into the action straight away in the box, although it took an excellent save with his legs from his brother in goal to finally thwart the attack.

Lewis was enjoying his freedom in midfield, winning free kicks and setting up Jacob who forced a save from the keeper. It was Jacob’s quick thinking on 49 minutes that set up the fourth, as his throw-in put in Ciarán S for a great finish that was too hot for the keeper.

Tom and Matty returned to the fray, at the expense of Elliot and Danny as Joe took a turn up front but, as last week, it was Lewis who came closest to scoring as his long range shot cannoned off bar and post and looked suspiciously as if it had crossed the line. Surely we need goal line technology, as well as linesmen!

As ever, a battling display was needed to see off North. Not dodging headers in midfield and a better final pass may have made life easier but Ciarán S was a worthy winner of the Man of the Match award for his menace up front.

No Spark for Bonfire Night

Saturday 5^th November

vs. Active Soccer 3-5

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

The fireworks were all at the wrong end of the pitch as the boys slipped to another defeat.

They started crisply but as soon as they lost the ball Active Soccer were straight into the heart of the defence, forcing an early save from Ciarán B. From the corner on the right, the ball flew straight through the defence, was recycled from the left and the forward was free to head them into a first minute lead.

As quick as they were behind, though, they drew level. Ciarán B’s clearance was headed on by first Caleb and then Josh, setting Ciarán S free to shoot smartly passed the keeper.

With Elliot behind him and Josh inside, Danny was finding plenty of space on the right and all the chances were coming from that wing. Ciarán S hooked a shot to force a save and the keeper next had to be sharp to take the ball from the right as Joe bore down on him.

However, Active Soccer were having similar success down their right and, after a midfield error, they retook the lead in the 12^th minute. Two minutes later they extended it further as the Active Soccer captain was free in the box to shoot, with Ciarán B getting a fingertip to the ball as it flew into the far corner.

Joe made an excellent recovery tackle as once again Active Soccer got behind the defence and the hard working Ciarán S suffered the same fate at the other end as Adam finally found some space on the left.

The boys pulled one back in the 21^st minute as Ciarán S turned provider. From the right, he pulled the ball back to Josh who was left in a heap in the area. The ball ran free to Danny who curled his shot beyond the keeper into the net before the referee could blow for the penalty. 

Three minutes later, however, disaster struck as the midfield was caught in possession and Active Soccer broke away. As Lewis and the forward came in on goal, a moment’s hesitation from Ciarán B allowed the ball to slip under him and trickle over the line, despite Matty’s last ditch efforts.

Two minutes before the interval, Active Soccer scored their fifth. The defence had pushed up leaving the forward yards offside as he ran on to the ball and slid it past Ciarán B – a cruel blow to end the half.

Joe and Stephen swapped roles in the second period and the boys gave a much more resilient display. Caleb’s ball into the box eventually came to Adam but his shot was taken by the keeper. Adam combined with Ciarán S to force a corner in the 33^rd minute with which the Active Soccer defence barely coped, as the ball ricocheted around the box. Adam was a little more involved now and his header from Caleb’s ball into the area went wide.

Ciarán B regained his composure with a solid save in the 35^th minute as Active Soccer made a rare foray into the boys’ half. Lewis nearly scored a spectacular goal on 38 minutes as his shot from just inside their half was fumbled by the keeper.

Stephen was now feeding Danny with regular quality passes and his cross on the overlap was only half cleared. Adam fired it in from the left and although Ciarán S missed his kick, Josh was able to shield the ball from the defender, allowing Danny to rifle home his second goal.

With 15 minutes left to find the two goals needed, Lewis was replaced by Tom as the boys continued to find greater space on the right. Stephen fired the ball in and once again the keeper needed two goes to hold. A foul on Josh in the 45^th minute should have kept up the pressure: Joe’s decent free kick was cleared and defence turned into attack for Active Soccer but Tom was smartly across to cut out the break.

The boys kept looking for goals, although they were being restricted to long range efforts. Stephen saw one go wide and an excellent pass down the channel from Caleb almost created a chance for Ciarán S.

Hearts were in mouths in the 53^rd minute as Tom’s sliced clearance narrowly avoided the goal but the boys cleared the corner and a push on Josh gave another dead ball opportunity to Caleb. His low shot was saved as the boys ran out of time.

It is easy to point the blame at the defence but time and again midfield headers were avoided which only allowed their opponents to build up the pressure. The display in the second half was a considerable improvement but the boys should remember that it is only as a team that they will return to winning ways. Danny was a threat throughout the game and he was rewarded not only with a brace of goals but also the Man of the Match medal.