Kilmacud Crokes - FEILE FOOTBALL - KILMACUD CROKES U15B 8-6 GOOD COUNSEL 0-6
KILMACUD CROKES U15B FOOTBALLERS OFF TO A WINNING START IN FÉILE!
KILMACUD CROKES U15B 8-6 GOOD COUNSEL 0-6
(Match report by Diarmuid Coogan.)
Crokes U15B team proved to be too strong for a spirited Good Counsel team in Marley Park on Sunday 6th March 2022.
Playing “up the hill” but with aid of the breeze, Crokes full forward Ross Gargan opened the scoring after 2 minutes but Counsel replied just after. (KC 0-1 GC 0-1)
In the 5th minute, Crokes gave a glimpse of the domination which was to follow as they moved the ball up the field and fed Gargan on the edge of the square; his initial shot was brilliantly saved by the Counsel keeper but he made no mistake with the rebound. (1-1 to 0-1)
Left wing forward Conor Coogan tapped over a free on 9 minutes and then corner forward Jack Lyons had a shot saved but right wing forward Matthew O’Rafferty was on hand to finish to the net after 11 minutes. (KC 2-2 GC 0-1)
A feature of the Crokes team was the pressure which the entire forward line of Louis O’Brien, Gargan, Lyons, Coogan, Centre forward Luca Rohan and O’Rafferty was putting on the Counsel kick-outs. Indeed from the next kick out, Crokes regained possession and O’Rafferty claimed his 2nd goal on 12 minutes with a powerful shot into the top left corner. (KC 3-2 GC 0-1)
In defence, Crokes were equally well set up where the full back line of Aidan Boniel, Cian Walsh & Harry Lynch thwarted several attacks and the ½ back line of Daithi Linehan, Hugh Brosnan & Luke Walshe were a good counter attacking unit. Following one strong run by Walshe, Rohan shot a nice point from 20 metres to extend the lead. (KC 3-3 GC 0-1)
Mid way through the ½, Counsel had a severe setback when one of their players was issued a “Carta Dubh”. Funnily enough Counsels best part of the game followed this as they managed to score 2 points and should have had more as they put a penalty over the bar.
Despite being supplied with a stream of possession by midfielders Tom O’Donoghue and Aaron O’Halloran, the Crokes forwards became “profligate” in front of goal and only had a point from Lyons to show for the man advantage. (3-4 to 0-3)
However just before ½ time, Crokes Goalie David Whalan found Brosnan with a kick out and he fed Coogan on the left and following a good interchange of passes with Rohan and O’Brien, the ball was worked to Gargan on the edge of the square and he made no mistake to give Crokes a commanding lead at ½ time. (KC 4-4 GC 0-3)
2nd Half.
Lyons opened the scoring in the 2nd ½ with a tidy point from 20 metres and Rohan followed up with a free from the left. (KC4-6 GC 0-3)
Crokes then spurned a number of chances before Coogan played a ball into Gargan who fed sub Mark Fitzgerald who had made a great run up the middle to bury it in the net. (KC 5-6 GC 0-4)
Then came the “Move of the Match” following a good kick out from Whalan; O’Halloran won possession and fed Fitzgerald on the right – he carried and then passed to Lohan who delivered a fine pass into Lyons in front of goal and he showed a clinical finish for 6! (KC 6-6 GC 0-5)
Counsel kept trying and managed another point following some pressure but Lyons added another goal just before the finish. All in all it was a good start and Crokes mentors Declan Brosnan, Brian McNamara, Tony O’Brien and Eamonn Burns can feel pleased with the efforts of their squad as following a fall off of players after Christmas, this is a combination of 2021’s u14 B and U14C teams so it’s very encouraging to see that both groups have integrated so well. (KC 7-6 GC 0-6)
FOGRA:
According to the referee, Crokes scored 8 goals but the 8th goal escaped this observer and most of the mentors. While apologising to the player (and his family, friends and pets) for not accrediting him, if the scorer can be identified, he’ll be duly acknowledged in future reports!
KILMACUD CROKES:
D.Whalan, A.Boniel, C.Walsh, H.Lynch, L.Walshe,H.Brosnan, D.Linehan,T.O’Donoghue,A.O’Halloran,M.O’Rafferty,L.Rohan,C.Coogan,L.O’Brien,R,Gargan, J.Lyons.
Subs: David Quinn, Mark Fitzgerald, Rossa Munro, Eoin McHugh, PJ Teehan, Daniel Burns, Paul Bedford, Mark Lohan, Josh Carroll, Ted Kelly.
Crokes Scorers: Jack Lyons 2-1, Ross Gargan 2-1, Matthew O’Rafferty 2-0, Luca Rohan 0-2(1f), Conor Coogan 0-1(f)
