• Home |
• Contact |
• About |
• Sitemap

League - Saturday 16th February 2008 14:00 Venue: Loughside

Courage plus!!!!!!!!!

 Rooftop 1   Santos 3  @   Loughside P.F. Sat  16^th Feb 08

With players experiencing the worst of 4 seasons in consecutive weeks, 90 mph gales, snow, heavy muddy pitches and now hard bumpy surfaces it is a tribute to the Amateur player that they can attempt to play football with so many different techniques required.  Saturday’s bone hard, flinty surface saw the ball leap up unexpectedly then travel at pace across the barren surface so football was a lottery again.  Rooftop adjusted better early on, slowing the game and passing accurately but having no cutting edge.  Santos started uncertainly and at too fast a tempo and the ball slithered away from control. Dave Frampton and Rad Tolan at the back for Rooftop were comfortable in picking up the loose ball and restarting Rooftop attacks. Dean Mc Court too was superlative in his control and launching of so much of what was good in the Rooftop play. Still the only danger to Santos was from a loose pass out of defence which saw Wilkinson shoot low only for (e-established in goal for Santos) dive low to make a classy save.  O Gorman for Santos was striving hard up front and really should have scored from an accurate cross from Harmon ,but he headed well over. Then with the Rooftop defence breached Burns failed to provide the pass to O Gorman which would have put him in. so Rooftop punished Santos.  A carelessly conceded corner was met by Frampton  with a  powerful header. Hughes responded with a magnificent save but Mc Master pounced on the rebound to fire at goal. This time the acrobatic Hughes parried the drive but his defenders stood statuesque as Mc Master gleefully accepted the second chance to blast home

 Responding at once Mc Geehan moved the towering Burns back into his favoured midfield position with the speedy Jonny Agnew moving to join O Gorman up front. Burns grasped immediate control and from his raking pass O Gorman shot against keeper Wilkinson only for Parker, backing up, to round the keeper and slot home.  The goal, coming, as it did, in the dying minutes of the half was just the wake up Santos needed.

 Half time 1-1

 The half time talk featured on the need to slow the pace but make the passes more accurate and to place, now, more pressure on the Rooftop defense which hitherto had been dominant. Manus O Gorman working tirelessly stuck to the task and 5 mins in, robbed Toan and shot narrowly wide.  Minutes later the same player rounded the defender and played in Agnew with a beautiful pass. Agnew advanced into the box then hit the shot wildly over.   Two substitutions changed the game.  Barry Doherty came on to give width, sadly lacking, and top scorer Paul Brady ( although not really fit) replaced Agnew.  At once Santos were transformed. Doherty’s close control and passing skill on the bumpy surface proved invaluable.  Burns won the midfield battle against Dean Mc Court played wide to Doherty.  He in turn executed a beautiful swerved pass to Brady who skipped past his marker to dispatch a perfect cross to O Gorman wide on the right.  O Gorman’s first touch was immaculate and his blistering shot put Santos ahead.  Now the resilience of the Santos rearguard was tested but Hughes was inspirational taking a series of high crosses and looking unbeatable.  Maguire and Walker chose the ‘no nonsense’ approach on the rutted surface just clearing and their lines quickly and effectively.  Now Burns and O Gorman looked threatening on each occasion and as Rooftop gambled forward in search of the equalizer  it was to be their undoing.  Walker dispatched to O’ Gorman and with Rooftop wanting the offside whistle he slipped a great ball to the overlapping Mc Cormack coming from full back.  The full back swept a 20 yarder home,( his second  goal in successive weeks )to give Santos a narrow but well earned victory.

 The resilience of the Santos side has edged them up the division to 6^th place and the spirit epitomized by Man Of the Match Manus O Gorman was commendable.  With Hughes showing such unbeatable form the Santos defence looks the mean outfit which was best in Div 2c  last term and is the basis for a winning side.  All the players, though, are to be complimented  on battling against conditions and elements which have defeated many  professional  sides and players  Now the thrice postponed Clarence Cup against top  Div 1b  side Sirocco, awaits and Santos go into it confident and eager to cause an upset.

Lineup
		Player	Position	Rating	Info
		Aidan Hughes	Goalkeeper
		Conor McCormack	Right Back
		John Ossawy	Left Back
		Stephen Walker	Centreback
		Liam Maguire	Centreback
		Patrick Parker	Defensive Midfielder
		Michael Burns	Striker
		Johnathan Agnew	Left Midfield
		Joseph McGeehan	Center Midfielder
		Manus O'Gorman	Forward		MAN OF MATCH
		Aaron Harmon	Attacking Midfielder
		Barry Doherty	Left Midfield

Substitutes
		Player	Position	Rating	Info
		Paul Brady	Striker

Man of the Match
		Player	Notes
		Manus O'Gorman	COURAGEOUS AND DETERMINED AND INSTRUMENTAL IN ALL 3 GOALS