Boys U16 (2010) Premier - Monasteravin
3 penalties, 2 red cards and a much needed win for the lads. It was not the prettiest and we were far from our best, but we will take the win.
Naas started strong and went into the lead after 6 minutes with probably their best move of the game. Cormac Donegan found Sean Stafford and the right. Sean shifted the ball to Ned Keogh who drifted out to the right side. Ned played a lovely through ball for Aaron O Donnell, who beat the off side and coolly finished into the corner.
Mona were very reliant on long balls and were winning alot of corners in the first half, but in truth Naas dealt with them well.
Naas should have had a second when the dangerous Aaron O Donnell hit the byline and squared it to his strike partner Ned, who hooled his left foot shot over the bar.
Next to go close was Roddy Cummins. Roddy picked the ball up on the edge of the box, danced passed a couple of players and curled a left foot shot, which seemed destined for the top corner, only to see it bounced off the underside of the bar.
The second arrved from the penalty spot. Following good play the ball made it's way to Ned who was upended with a shoulder to the back. Spot kick which Aaron slotted home. 2-0.
You are most vulnerable for the 2 mins after you score and so it proved for us. From a nothing cross from mona, the ball ricochet up and hit Cormac Donegan on the hand, ref pointed to the spot. 2-1.
Second half was a very scrappy affair and the ref was letting tackles go un punished. The lads were showing signs of nerves, which is understandable given the run of defeats.
We went close on a couple of occasions, with aaron stinging the keepers hands with a rasping drive from the right. Conor Murtagh then went close, after his initial shot was blocked, he blazed over from 10 yards out. Mona were flying into tackles and the ref finally found his cards and started to give out a yellow or two. They went down to 10 men, following a straight red for an awful tackle on Roddy Cummins. Roddy had to come off from the challenge.
Mona equalised from the spot again, following a terrible decision by the ref. Daniel Oke showed strength to win the ball cleanly, following another long ball, the striker fell over, and the ref points to the spot. 2-2.
With only 4 minutes left, Naas pushed forward. Following good work from Conor Gillespie down the left, Cormac Donegan had a cross blocked. The ball came out to Fred Cowdell, who was superb today at centrw back, beat one man, then burst through another 2, on the left edge of the box and then played a glorious cross into Ned Keogh. Ned having missed a couple of earlier chances, showed great composure, took one touch and slammed it home. 3-2 Naas.
Mona were then reduced to 9 men for another terrible challenge in the dying minutes.
Daniel Oke and Fred Cowdell was superb at the back today with Aaron O Donnell and Ned Keogh very dangerous up top. Special mention to the three u.15 prem players: Alec, Conor and Roddy who all had a excellent impact.
