Canna stunner lifts Aughrim
Eoin’s strike gets ball rolling
AUGHRIM RANGERS RATHNEW
THREE second-half goals insured all three points for Aughrim on Saturday morning against Rathnew, but the home side struggled to find the back of the net early on in the game.
Aughrim had all the possession for the first ten minutes of the game as they dominated the game and they were unlucky on the third minute when midfielder Joe Mc Guicklan hit the post after a great solo run into the penalty area.
Conaill O’Brien and Joe McGuicklan were causing serious problems for the Rathnew defence as the two attackers began to link up well putting little one two’s together and challenging the Rathnew defence.
The two combined again on the 17th minute after a well delivered cross from Mc Guicklan met the head of O’Brien, but the striker’s header went just over the bar.
Rathnew began to grow into the game after a lot of pressure from their opponents. The away side had a good few chances in the last ten minutes in the first half but they just couldn’t find the back of the net.
The home side also had their fair share of chances to get an opening goal in the first half but Rathnew centre half Jake O’Reilly was solid and swept up anything that came his way. Despite the many chances both sides had in the first half the score remained 0-0 at the break.
Aughrim piled on the pressure again early in the second half as Rathnew goalkeeper Midnav Manto kept his side in the game pulling off some great saves. Manto’s save on the 35th minute was possibly the save of the game. Conaill O’Brien cut inside from the right wing on his right foot before unleashing a curling shot that looked to be curling around the post but Manto was quick across his line to pull off a great save to tip the ball around the post with his finger-tips.
Aughrim finally got the goal they had been craving with 15 minutes to go through an amazing free kick from Eoin Canna. Canna was taken down just outside the edge of the penalty area which resulted in a free kick in a very dangerous position for the away side. Canna curled the ball into the top corner; what a strike from the midfielder. Canna’s goal gave his side the lead with just 15 minutes left to play.
Rathnew almost grabbed a goal back on the 48th minute after a long shot from Cole Byrne looked to be going in but Aughrim keeper Mark Shannon pulled off a great save to keep the score at 1-0 to the home side.
Conaill O’Brien wrapped up the game with two goals in the last five minutes one coming from a header from a corner and the other coming from some individual excellence from the striker as he twisted and turned beating two Rathnew defenders before firing a low shot into the corner of the net giving the Rathnew keeper no chance.
The striker had been menacing throughout the game as he was a handful for the Rathnew defenders and deserved his two goals in the end to give his side the victory.
Despite the 3-0 score line for the hosts it was in no way an easy game for Aughrim as the Rathnew defence were solid throughout the game but just fell a little short towards the end of the game.
It looked like the two sides were going to share the points but then Eoin Canna stepped up and smashed the back of the net with that amazing free kick. Credit to Rathnew who kept fighting until the final whistle but it’s Aughrim who go away with all three points.
1. Mark Shannon, 3. Adam Healy, 4. Eoghan Murphy, 5. Joe Mc Guicklan, 6. Oisin Keegan, 7. Conaill O’ Brien, 8. Leo Byrne, 9. Eoin Canna, 10. Cian Keogh, 12. Craig Evans, 13. Ben Keogh, 14. Laci Shannon, 15. Mark Murphy, 16. Finn Byrne.
1. Midnav Manto, 2. Alex Doyle, 3. Alex Earls, 4. Jake O’ Reilly, 5. Brandon Eagars, 6. Dylan Massey, 7. Cole Byrne, 8. AJ Power, 9. Sidaadhar Santosh, 10. Conor Snell, 11. Adam O’ Toole, 12. Ben Flynn, 13. Leo Maguire