Boys U12 (2014) Red - Caragh Celtic
With the summer break on the horizon, the lads travelled to Caragh Celtic on a warm and sunny Tuesday evening.
The lads have had the edge over this opposition on the last few occasions they met but Caragh would be no pushovers especially with so many still enjoying their holidays.
The lads were happy to welcome Logan back following his break giving us an extra man that we missed dearly at the weekend! The team lined up as they did at the weekend and were eager to get going from the start.
The early stages were cagey with both sides feeling each other out. The lads looked slightly more dangerous than their opponents though Caragh did look a better side with some players returning since the previous game between the sides.
Indeed it was Caragh who broke the deadlock when their main man up front found some space behind out left full making no mistake having
earlier hit the post from a similiar position.
The lads battled back with Geo and Leo both having some chances to run at the Caragh left full. Unfortunately for the lads, the boy had had his weetabix and cleared everything.
Jamie & Murilo both worked hard in the middle winning a lot of the kick outs and trying to release Sean up top.
At the back, Matthew was again tasked with marshalling the line and did so with expert precision using every bit of his body to keep the scoreline respectable. Alfie captained the side at right full following his astute display there on the weekend. Meanwhile, Adi was alive and kicking in the left full role.
Caragh soon found themselves 2 ahead with an almost identical goal to the first where a precision pass found the forward in space and he shot past the hapless Conall in goals.
The lads kept going and still pushed for a goal with Logan, now occupying a forward role, unlucky on a couple of occasions.
The half time whistle went with Caragh 2 up; the most dangerous lead in football!
The focus at half time was to bolster the backline and score the first goal in the second half. This saw a little bit of a reshuffle with Murilo & utility man Logan returning to defence and Matthew going left full, with his head still stinging from a late first half clearance.
The lads demonstrated dogged determination (say that fast) in their approach during the second half and were soon rewarded for their efforts when they won a penalty following some trickery down the left side.
Birthday boy, Sean, invoked our long standing “makers takers” policy before stepping up & dispatching the penalty.
The lads could smell blood and with it the intensity and effort levels rose. Leo had the Caragh left full/winger tormented in the second half and kept at them. Jamie & Alfie battled for every ball in the centre and Geo covered yards going up & down the line.
At the back, we rode our luck a little, as has been known to happen & Caragh had a penalty claim waved away (have seen them given) however the backline were incredibly solid and kept us in it.
After a string of saves, near misses and a few heart in mouth moments, it was the big man Conall who soon turned provider when one of his long range kicks travelled into the Caragh penalty area for Geo to flick past the goalkeeper and level matters - no more than the lads deserved.
With plenty of the game remaining & the pendulum seeming to swing in favour of the lads, surely there would be time to steal a win. However, the game seemed to take an unusual turn from this point with a series of scrappy free kicks, unusual yellow cards and strange throw ins awarded, which at times seemed to be at odds with the laws of the game. Likewise, there seemed to be shortage of footballs when the lads needed to restart the game.
That said, Caragh had come back to life and got back into the game following our equaliser.
Both sides battled and fought for every ball. Adi, now in centre midfield, did everything to get his head and feet to every ball. Meanwhile, Logan & Leo were on fire down the right side.
With the game in its latter stages, Caragh were awarded a dubious free kick out on the sideline. As their danger man stepped up to take the kick, it looked like a cross was on the cards however after hanging up in the air for what felt like an age the ball dropped down into the goal catching all the lads by surprise.
Perhaps somewhat aided by the blazing evening sun, the goal was like a cross between Maurice Fitzgerald at Semple Stadium 2001 & Ronaldinho against England at the World Cup in 2002. A bitter sweet comparison to say the least and it certainly felt as though our pockets had been picked so late in the game.
Despite some head loss on the sidelines, the lads fought so hard to nab what would have been a late late equaliser. It seemed like we were in added added time when the ball was still ping ponging from box to box. Caragh were awarded another late free kick in a very dangerous position with time almost up - the lads dealt with this one a lot better however it was to be the final act of the game with the final whistle sounding.
At the end, both sets of players shook hands and applauded each other on a tough battle with the opposition coaches notable absentees from the traditional after match procession (probably searching for those missing footballs).
Despite their disappointment, the lads lingered for a little while after the game enjoying some chat & a few goodies in a nod to Sean’s big day. Focus now turns to a few weeks rest before a return to action & as Logan put it after, we still have a Shield to win!
Well done guys and thanks as always to the parents / supporters on the line.
