Boys U17 (2009) Major - BBC Utd
Naas 4-0 BBC: Tarita, Sherry, Mescal and Tarita* strike as Naas bounce back in style
*Following VAR review đź¤
Naas responded to last week’s setback in emphatic fashion with a 4-0 win over BBC, a side they know well from many previous meetings, having been newly promoted from Major 1.
The build-up to the game was far from straightforward. Injuries, Covid and late withdrawals left Naas with just 15 players, including debutant Luke Reeves, and only 14 available after a warm-up injury. But reshuffled into a 3-4-2-1 system and backed by a noisy bench of sidelined teammates, Naas started with purpose.
From the first whistle they pressed high, cutting off BBC’s passing options and pinning them deep. The breakthrough arrived inside 15 minutes when Daniel Tarita finished off a sweeping move to open his account. Odhran Sherry and Liam Mescal soon added their names to the scoresheet, but credit to BBC, who defended bravely in numbers to restrict the damage. Naas went into half-time 3-0 up after a dominant display.
The second half inevitably saw fatigue creep in, with Senan Quinn and Reeves introduced to freshen legs. Naas continued to dominate possession but couldn’t find a fourth, while BBC looked to exploit tired legs with long balls and ambitious strikes from distance, all dealt with calmly by goalkeeper Craig Almeida.
As the half wore on, BBC’s substitutes made an impact and Naas were forced into further reshuffling when captain Ross Wheeler limped off. BBC almost pulled one back with a thunderous effort, but Almeida produced a stunning full-stretch save to preserve his clean sheet.
With 15 minutes left, Naas struck again. Tarita’s effort was spilled by the BBC keeper, and [still under VAR review] Reeves followed up to score on his debut, sealing a 4-0 win. There was still time for left back Callum Coffey to go agonisingly close with a thunderous strike that skimmed the top corner.
The result could easily have been more emphatic especially considering Naas's dominance in the first half. But the story of the day is probably the last 10 minutes where under constant pressure the calls among Naas players about Craig having a clean sheet in what may prove his last appearance for the club*, saw no one backing off a tackle or a press even though the game was well and truly won!
Final score: Naas 4-0 BBC
Naas XI: Craig Almeida, Noah Molimard, Callum Coffey, Conor Byrne, Ross Wheeler, Christy Reilly, Daniel Tarita, Liam Mescal, Senan Quinn, Cillian Ó Muirchéartaigh, Luke Reeves, Adam Donoghue, Odhran Sherry.
Coaches: Matthew Howard, Tadhg Keane, Ryan McNevin, Tadhg Giblin and a guest appearance by Rory Hannigan.
*Though we will of course welcome him back as soon as the Australians realise he's always going to be at heart a Naas AFC 2009 player!
