BUNCLODY’S BLITZ
Super home side hit title rivals for six
HOSTS BUNCLODY came out victorious in the battle of two table-toppers in the second round of the Wexford and District Schoolboys Soccer Under-11 Cup on Saturday.
On fire in Division 2A, Bunclody have racked up eight league wins in a row and that form held strong as a first-half hat-trick from Oisín O’Leary sent them on their way to a commanding victory.
The result will be a bitter disappointment for Rathnure but they shouldn’t be downhearted. They certainly didn’t deserve to lose by a large margin and gave it a serious go from the off.
The Blackstairs club are currently leading the way in Division 4 and it’s easy to see why. They played football the right way, moved the ball around with speed and were unlucky not to score a few more.
But it was Bunclody’s day. O’Leary had already been denied by Eoin O’Neill between the sticks but he was determined not to miss a second chance. He raced through alone on to a long clearance with only the ‘keeper to beat in the seventh minute and calmly dispatched to the net.
A minute later Shane Reddy’s pot-shot from distance whizzed wide of Jack Reck’s post, but his colleagues were unable to settle and O’Leary soon latched on to a stunning Ciarán Scott pass and calmly finished to make it two.
Again Rathnure attempted a response but, seconds after Mikey Codd fired just wide, O’Leary completed his treble after being sent in on goal by the alert and accurate Desmond O’Connor.
Ian Reilly fizzed a strike wide in the 16th minute as Rathnure’s horrid luck in front of goal continued. They fell four down five minutes later when Conor Farrell poked home after Jake Nolan was initially denied by a superb O’Neill save.
At the other end, just before the interval, Jack Reck produced more heroics to deny Callum O’Connell, but the half ended with his side really pressing the hosts and that pattern of play continued after the break.
With Kayla Reddy growing in confidence at the back and the midfield dictating play, Rathnure laid siege to the Bunclody goal. Reck, determined to hang on to his clean sheet, made further saves from Shane Reddy and O’Connell.
Throwing players forward, looking for a way back into the game, Rathnure were caught twice in two minutes. Jake Nolan fired home a fifth for his team before Killian O’Leary got away on the left and slotted to the net.
There can’t be many goalkeepers as good as Jack Reck at this level, and he looked set to claim a hard-earned clean sheet as the game ticked into the final minute.
However, from Reilly’s pass, O’Connoll got in on the right and drilled low to the corner of the net to grab a consolation goal for the visitors. Bunclody will now travel to Wexford Bohs in round three and must be considered a lively outsider for cup glory.
Bunclody: Jack Reck; Lorcan Kinsella, Desmond O’Connor; Adam Dunne, Jake Nolan (capt.), Ciarán Scott; Oisín O’Leary. Subs. (rolling) - Killian O’Leary, Ryan Kavanagh, Conor Farrell.
Rathnure: Eoin O’Neill; Kayla Reddy, Sam Mooney; Shane Reddy, Callum O’Connell, Ian Reilly (capt.); Mikey Codd. Subs. (rolling) - Conor Cooney, Jack O’Leary, also James Murphy, Kyle Murphy.
Referee: James Doyle.