U13C win and a loss
Up to then, it was a solid display all round from Syls lads, with some standout performances throughout the pitch. Daniel Fitzgerald and Stephen Brady were exceptional in defence alongside the ever hardy Krisna Joyce, while Conor Mulcahy never put a foot wrong when mopping up ball and getting in some great long relieving clearances to put us straight on the attack again. Cian Smith also put in great shift around the middle on a day Tom Bennett made his first football appearance in a long while and grew more and more into the game as every minute passed.
Up front Sean McCabe was particularly troublesome for the Cuala lads with his speed on the ball. He finished with 2-2 on the night while Keith Coyle helped himself to two excellent points. The other goalscorers were Robert Meehan and Paul Downey. Timmy O’Connor was unlucky not to get his name on the scoresheet while Jake Duffy also contributed to a lot of good play in the forwards throughout.
The second fixture against Trinity Gaels yesterday started out on a lovely evening in Drumnigh although there was a strong wind from the start which Syls made the most of to lead 3 – 3 to 0 – 3 at half time. Karl Murray Perrick was scoring freely in the first half while Conor Ennis, Luke Darcy and Keith Coyle also chipped in with scores. Despite not scoring himself, Conor O’Brien was our most prominent forward and was instrumental in most of the good attacking we did in that half. Trinity Gaels were unlucky with some of their attacks but they would surely have been closer at half time but for stoic defence from Daniel, Krisna and Conor Duffy who never failed to put pressure on every shot they had.
It was acknowledged at half time that we were up against the elements in the 2nd half with the wind now supplemented by torrential driving rain against us, but we resolved to put the work in and put it in we did – while the kitchen sink was thrown at us, the kitchen sink was thrown back out again just as quick!
Aaron Tracey went in goals for the second half and he produced one wonder save to keep the clean sheet and to add to some good work under a few tricky high balls and his excellent kickouts into the wind. Trinity Gaels had to settle for points and 5 of them in the first 20 minutes of the half gave them hope of getting a victory but while they poured forward in the last 10 minutes looking for the scores, they couldn’t get the shots off as time and again they were repelled by Sean Curran, Paul Downey et al winning and driving out with the ball. Dylan Venner also shook off a few knocks to repeatedly do the work and show for ball in the difficult conditions. Time and again, particularly in those last 10 minutes, Tom Bennett and Luke Darcy instinctively appeared where the ball arrived, to come away with it and relieve the pressure. Then at the very end, with Trinity desperately seeking the goal they needed, that man again Daniel Fitzgerald put his body on the line to come up with the ball, take the knock, win his free and allow the final relieving kick to be taken to the sound of the final whistle and with us still on 3 – 3 but opposition stuck on 0 – 8.
So two battling performances to get us up and running and which hopefully bode well for the rest of the league.