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.