Wilding's wonders win the cup

Monday 23^rd April

vs. TMS 2-1 (aet)

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

Back: Ciarán S, Jacob, Joe, Lewis, Ian (Manager), Tom, Ciarán B, Cormac.
Front: Elliot, Adam, Caleb (Capt.), Josh, Matty, Danny.

In the early autumn of 2007, a handful of lads lined up after one or two training sessions for the first time in the blue and white of Crosby Stuart. These Under 7s included 3-4 familiar faces and it was the first and, so far, last time Ciarán B would score (he was a  central defender then) as the boys went down 2-7. To TMS.

Since then, there have been games against TMS when they’ve come close and there’ve been games we’ve been happy to forget, but never a victory. Until tonight, when it mattered, in the U11s League Cup final.

This was no fluke – it was yet another display of grit, determination, humility and dogged defending as they proved themselves the equals of “the team that doesn’t get beat”. From the outset, as Ciarán S went forward and gained a free kick, from which the keeper could only parry Lewis’ thunderbolt, TMS knew they were in a game.

TMS may have won the majority of the aerial tussles in midfield, but they were never able to control the tempo of the match as in previous encounters. If the centre line was broken, the defence once again were there to hold them at bay. Matty may have spent more time in the first half running back towards his goal as they probed time and again down the right, but he held firm, as did Tom, Joe and Elliot alongside him.

The defensive headers in the last two games have been a revelation – Joe rose powerfully to see a corner away in the 11^th minute – giving the boys a regular chance to take the game to TMS. In midfield they were still trying to pass it around their opponents, as Lewis and Caleb looked to create space and Josh and Ciarán S almost linked up to telling effect.

The trademark safe handling of Ciarán B was again evident as he easily caught a very high punt in the 15^th minute before the boys took the lead a minute later. Josh cut in on the right and, as TMS failed to properly clear his cross, the ball eventually fell to Adam. He touched it on to Ciarán S and the forward’s shot was too strong for the keeper to stop and they were 1-0 up.

A poor goal kick almost gave Adam a chance a few minutes later as the boys continued their patient approach. Danny replaced Josh after 20 minutes and, after Ciarán B made a great close range save when Joe was bundled over, the boys were effective at closing down the goal kicks and pushing TMS back.

Caleb created a chance for himself, but his lob went wide, and was soon in action in his own box, powerfully heading a corner clear with Lewis dealing with the second ball as TMS finished the half strongly. Ciarán B was the equal to their final chance just before half time, strong hands pushing the head high shot to safety.

A midfield shuffle for the second half saw Adam replaced by Josh, with Jacob coming to the left to cover Matty. Jacob started on the attack, though, as he and Ciarán S combined to prove they were not going to sit back. Often left on his own up front, Ciarán S was leading the line superbly, with a show of strength and power only stopped by a generous whistle from the referee in the 30^th minute.

The battle for midfield supremacy raged on, as Danny and Caleb came out of tackles with the ball. Caleb took a knock when challenging for a header but he was soon up and helping to win a corner from his crossfield ball. TMS dealt with the corner but the keeper was out of position as the ball came to Jacob, only for it to stick under his feet and the chance went begging.

Tom and Danny doubled up on the right as TMS pressed for the equaliser and came close with a header from a corner that flashed wide. They were back on level terms in the 39^th minute, however, as the right winger found himself in acres of space from a flat goal kick, brought the ball forward and fired past Ciarán B.

Adam returned, at Danny’s expense, in the 41^st minute but TMS came close after 45 minutes, the forward rattling the crossbar after finding time again on his right of the box. On the other wing, a ding-dong battle for an opening saw Elliot more than holding his own, as he and Josh went back and forwards with their opponents.

This one was going to go right down to the wire – Ciarán B needed two bites to take a cross before Caleb’s lob opened up the left flank for Adam to force another corner in the 48^th minute. Lewis then powered through two challenges, only to see his shot bobble wide.

Tom headed powerfully for a corner as TMS looked for a winner with 5 minutes left. Ciarán B was swiftly out a couple of minutes later to force the shot from the left winger wide and Matty was on hand to clean up as their final chance in normal time came to nothing. Instead, it was the boys who almost won it in the last minute as Adam’s cross fell to Caleb, only for his shot to be deflected wide.

Five minutes each way of extra time beckoned and the boys, with Danny back on for Josh and Jacob moving into the middle, found new reserves of energy and started powerfully. Lewis saw a shot force a flying save from the keeper and Adam and Danny came close as Jacob had a telling effect in a more central position.

Lewis sent Danny racing down the right to win a corner. From Caleb’s outswinger, first Ciarán S and then Danny saw headers bundled away from the goal as TMS just about held out. The boys were dominating the first period as, after two splendid defensive headers from Elliot, Jacob motored down the middle, only for the ball to be tipped off his foot for a corner. He was then on the edge of the box to pick up the loose ball but fired just over the bar.

Turning around, it was Ciarán B who smothered a long range shot as TMS came on strong. Danny held firm and conceded a corner which the boys dealt with competently and was joined in defence by Josh with two minutes to go, replacing the excellent Tom as a penalty shoot out loomed.

With seconds left, Caleb managed to find some space in midfield and threaded another ball out to Adam. Although TMS cleared to touch, the throw again came to Adam and his centre was handled in the box – a blatant penalty. Nails were being chewed, some people were unable to watch but the coolest person of all was Caleb, who put the ball down and buried the spot kick right in the left hand corner of the net for the winner. Moments later, the final whistle went and the celebrations could begin.

Who knows what was in the Easter Eggs, but following on from Saturday, this was another fantastic team performance – something has clicked and they have begun to take their game onto another level – and they deservedly won the cup, showing more desire and willingness to work than their opponents, along with great teamwork and individual skill. There were twelve Man of the Match candidates – and let’s not forget Cormac who, although he didn’t get on the pitch tonight has played his part in the last few months when numbers have been low – but two could be singled out. Caleb gave a captain’s performance in midfield and the cool penalty will live long in the memory and Elliot had a stormer at right back, never missing a tackle or header throughout the game. 

Finally, there was Ian, looking outwardly calm at the final whistle, ensuring opponents’ hands were shook, as the cheers rang out around him.  His team had just done what no other at this age level had at Hightown this season and the “after” picture did contain the trophy!

Who needs a taxidermist?

Saturday 21^st April

vs. Marina Sands Lions 3-1

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

A splendid defensive display was the cornerstone of this fully deserved victory against the previously undefeated Lions.

The Lions were set up as usual to try and exploit the pace of their forwards but it was a series of strong headers and interceptions from Joe that really set the tempo of the game. It was a scrappy battle in midfield, with the Lions more often first to the ball, but when Caleb did have it he was feeding Adam who had the beating of the right back.

Danny had struggled to get into the game and was replaced at the midpoint of the half by Josh. There were few chances at either end but it was another Adam run soon after that forced a corner from which Elliot hooked a shot into the keeper’s hands.

Ciarán B punched away a Lions’ corner and then Elliot and Tom were on hand to double up on the left as they pressed forward in reply but as the half wore on the boys grew in strength. Adam continued to cause trouble on the left and better passing and movement created a chance for Caleb from long range in the 23^rd minute.

Moments later, another jinky run from Adam set up Ciarán S, who could only shoot narrowly wide. As the pace of the game increased, Joe was on hand with a great block from a Lions shot from the edge of the box. 

The Lions’ keeper pushed Adam’s shot round the post late on but the boys took a deserved lead just before the half time whistle. Jacob’s ball into the area found Ciarán S surrounded by defenders but his great close control created the space for him to shoot home inside the near post.

Danny came back on for Lewis for the second half and, although the Lions had pushed an extra man forward, the boys deflated any hopes they had by doubling the lead two minutes into the half. Jacob was again provider, controlling the ball out of defence to set Ciarán S free. He used his pace to far greater effect than his opponents had in the first half, powered away from the defenders, expertly rounded the keeper and slid it into the net.

With the extra firepower up front, the Lions were playing ever more direct football but still the defence held firm – as important as Joe had been in the first half, so Matty, with a series of headers, would prove to be in the second. Ciarán B was commanding more and more of his box as the Lions struggled to create any clear-cut chances.

Who scores the third goal is almost always decisive – when Jacob found Josh in space in the centre of the pitch and his ball behind the full back allowed Danny to lift it into the roof of the net from 12 yards in the 35^th minute, the boys had a three goal cushion against the league leaders.

Still there was no easy way back for the Lions. Matty’s interception went for a corner which the boys dealt with comfortably but they weren’t sitting back as Danny broke free on the right again and Jacob was inexplicably pulled back for offside with the Lions defence all at sea.

After Caleb took a whack to the head, Lewis returned to midfield for the last 15 minutes but it was a momentary lapse from Matty, handling in the box, which gave the Lions some hope as the resultant penalty was converted in the 44^th minute.

The boys were never going to let this one slip through their fingers, though. Ciarán B saved a swerving shot and was swiftly up to close down the forward from the rebound as the resolute defence forced the Lions into shooting from long range.

Caleb returned at Adam’s expense in the 46^th minute to tighten up the midfield but behind them Matty’s head continued to be on the end of almost every ball the Lions pumped forward, Alongside him, Joe was dominant with the ball at his feet and Tom and Elliot were keeping any swift raids down the right at bay.

Ciarán B watched a long range free kick into his hands in the 49^th minute and, although he was busier this half than the first, the boys were still causing problems as Lewis’ ball across the park almost set up Josh.

Adam and Cormac came on for the last four minutes, replacing Ciarán S and Jacob, and the pair linked up almost immediately to break as the Lions threw everything forward. Ciarán B made another solid low save but saved the best for last as the boys conceded another free kick outside the box with a minute to go. This time the kick was deflected and he had to change direction and then go full length to turn the ball around the post for a stunning save that epitomised the defensive display of the whole team on the day.

Joe was named Man of the Match – it was a tight vote – but the grit he showed in the first half went a long way to determining the outcome of the game. If ever the boys needed to realise that winning the headers in midfield and defence gives you the chance to dictate a game, this was the day. Confidence oozed through this display – confidence they should take into Monday’s cup final.