NDSL 12E League

25 Nov 07

Navan Road Utd  0    Castleknock Celtic  4

12E’s travelled down the Navan Road to St Joseph’s School for the Deaf for their away match with Navan Rd Utd.  This was a determined squad looking to get back to winning ways so a lot was riding on this match.

The match was played out on a dry cold morning.  Both sides settled into their shape quickly and the ball played from end to end as the sides got the measure of each other.  The 12E’s got the start they wanted on 8 minutes when a well-worked movement from midfield allowed Graham Chan cut in from the right and strike well in to the top right corner of the Navan Rd net. However from the tip off Navan RD came close upping the pressure on the 12E’s to stay tight and challenge everything. The play ebbed back and forward but the continuous probing by the 12E’s paid off with Darragh McCaffrey scoring the 12E’s second on 25 minutes following good midfield work by Niall O’Callaghan.  The pressure on Navan RD mounted with Stephen Byrne just wide with a shot on 29 minutes and Darragh took his second on the dot of half time. 

The second half got off to a great start with Tom Byrne’s effort coming off the post. The 12e’s kept plugging away and Niall O’Callaghan forced the Navan Rd keeper to make the save of the day.  Navan Rd looked dangerous on the break but Jack Ryan in goal and Paul Burke directing his fellow defenders Adam Prior, Declan King and Jack Jennings were equal to all challenges. The 12e’s finished the game strongly with Stephen Byrne going very close for a second time with a shot over the bar, Amir Kasaspovic’s effort came off the post and Aaron Connolly kept up his goal tally with a well taken fourth goal on 55 minutes. 

Final score was 4 – 0 to Castleknock Celtic which was a well deserved win for a thoroughly hardworking squad performance.

Squad.  Jack Jennings, Aaron Connolly, Paul Burke, Stephen Byrne, Orlaith Higgins, Thomas Byrne, Jack Ryan,  Declan King, Ciarán Byrne, Adam Prior, Darragh McCaffrey, Amir Kasaspovic, Graham Chan, Niall O’Callaghan,

Castleknock Celtic  1    Malahide Utd  2

Following last week’s narrow defeat by top of the table Northway Rangers the 12E’s were looking to bounce back to their winning ways with their game against Malahide. 

The game started with Malahide adopting a very defensive set-up with two tall central defenders who had not played when the 12E’s beat Malahide away some weeks earlier.  These two “new” defenders gave much greater strength and solidity to their defence.  The 12E’s started aggressively moving forward but were pushed back by the Malahide defence. Malahide only ventured forward occasionally.  After 10 minutes Adam McCabe took a heavy knock, which finished him for the game. However on 16 minutes Malahide went ahead with a well-taken corner allowed them a shot to the top left hand corner of the Castleknock net. The 12E’s did not lose heart and some 4 minutes later Aaron Connolly drew the teams level.   Half-time saw the teams level but with the 12E’s attacking and threatening the Malahide goal.

The second half continued in the same fashion. However with the score even Malahide gained in confidence becoming that little quicker to the loose ball.  The 12E’s kept plugging away and kept the Malahide keeper on his toes. It all went wrong on 48 minutes when a second corner poorly defended by the 12E’s gifted Malahide their second goal.  The 12E’s attacked continuously after that but to no avail. With the 12E’s going for the equaliser Malahide nearly scored a third on a breakaway but Jack Jennings sped off his line and the Malahide shot went narrowly wide. 

This was a hard lesson for the 12E’s. Lucky breaks can go the other way and despite a high work rate if you don’t get the ball in the net you will suffer the consequences.    

Squad.  Jack Jennings, Aaron Connolly, Paul Burke, Adam McCabe, Stephen Byrne, Hugh Molloy, Thomas Byrne, Jack Ryan, Ntinga Mtiko, Declan King, Ciarán Byrne, Adam Prior, Darragh McCaffrey, Amir Kasaspovic, Paul Garvey, Graham Chan.