No luck for Enniskerry YC in Leinster Senior League
Another loss and injury blow
IT was not to be lucky number 13 for Enniskerry YC as their search for a maiden league victory of the campaign rumbled on in a match that also saw them suffer a devastating injury blow.
Thirteen outings have yielded 12 defeats thus far for the Youth Club with just a single point to show for their efforts. It all could have changed on Saturday as they hosted second-from-bottom Aylesbury but having fallen two behind - and losing Ross Whyte to a horrific injury - a 1-2 defeat was all they could muster.
It was an extremely slow start to the tie with both sides showcasing why they were struggling at the wrong end of the table.
The first note of excitement would lead to the opener and unfortunately for Enniskerry - it was the Dubliners that snatched it.
Owen Hamilton played a ball in behind the home defence for Nicholas Leech Byrne to chase. Enniskerry goalkeeper Tommy Egan sniffed the danger and raced out to intercept. He won the race but let the ball loose and it rolled to Anto O’Reilly who curled home to the unguarded net from 25 yards.
Within a minute the visitors had almost doubled their lead when Rory Gilmore’s strike from distance bounced on the wet surface just before it came to Egan, who did well to push it behind for a corner.
It should have been 0-2 in the 22nd minute. Hamilton was clean through on goal and had absolute- ly nobody in pursuit but he seemed to forget that he was on a football pitch momentarily and he meekly poked the ball into Egan’s arms at a snail’s pace.
Lee Parsons suffered a not-too dissimilar faith six minutes later at the other end.
Parsons - son of Bray Wanderers legend Richie - broke the offside trap. He seemed to suffer from a case of nearlytoomuchtime-itis as he dawdled momentarily before seeming to try and take it around Alan Deering but the ball got muddled in his feet and the shot-stopper collected the ball.
Aylesbury went close again as Marc Cribbin sent Leech Byrne racing through. It was a narrowing angle and he tried to catch Egan out at his near post with a vicious drive but the shot-stopper capably made the save.
There was then nearly a leveller on 32 minutes.
Alex De Sousa split the away defence with a superb crossfield ball that Parsons expertly tamed on his chest.
Deering quickly charged from his goal to reduce Parsons’ options and the netminder managed to block the strike with his chest.
There would be an eight minute delay in proceedings as Ross Whyte came out the worst of a crunching 50-50 tackle.
He was carried off the field on a stretcher and taken to hospitbal by ambulance where it was discovered that he had suffered a double fracture in his right leg. We wish him a speedy recovery.
Brian Harvey replaced the rightback but in an unusual move, Harvey donned the goalkeeping gloves to allow Egan to move into defence.
Aylesbury had two chances within the first nine minutes of the second period - one of which they took.
First, Anto O’Reilly bombed down the right flank and spotted Harvey off his line but the Enniskerry custodian brilliantly saved O’Reilly’s ambitious effort.
Six minutes later, Leech Byrne found himself in a similar situation. He too tried to lob Harvey and this time the goalkeeper had absolutely no chance.
It looked like defeat number 12 was inevitable.
With 20 minutes left on the clock, Jake Mulligan came agonisingly close to reducing the arrears. The lively Alex Griffin chased a lost cause and his pressure forced the defender to put the ball out of play. Griffin’s quick-throw would find Mulligan and his thunderbolt was tipped onto the woodwork by Deering’s save.
Enniskerry pulled one back in the 82nd minute. Substitute Neal Chadwick won a free which was miskicked but still found its way into the penalty area.
It bounced around uncertainly for a moment before the impressive Shane Fitzpatrick fired in via the inside of the post.
The home side huffed and puffed for a late leveller but it wasn’t to be.