HOTSHOTS
SCHOOLBOYS SOCCER ROUND-UP Solid display keeps Rock clear at top
THE ARGUS
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
P 9 9 10 8 8 9 11 7 11
P 12 14 11 11 13 13 11 11 10 10 12
P 11 11 10 11 9 9 10 11 8 W 7 6 6 6 4 4 2 2 0
W 11 9 8 7 6 6 4 4 3 1 0
W 10 6 6 5 4 5 4 2 0 D 1 2 1 1 2 1 0 0 0
D 0 0 1 1 2 0 2 1 0 2 1
D 1 1 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 L 1 1 3 1 2 4 9 5 11
L 1 5 2 3 5 7 5 6 7 7 11
L 0 4 4 6 2 4 6 8 8 PTS 22 20 19 19 14 13 6 6 0
PTS 33 27 25 22 20 18 14 13 9 5 1
PTS 31 19 18 15 15 15 12 7 0 HOW this match produced only one goal God only knows. In what was a humdinger Jack McLaughlin fired the visitors ahead in the first minute and ultimately landed the leaders the points by the proverbial skin of their teeth at Glenmuir Park on Sunday morning.
The play suggested a splurge of goals as these two so closely matched teams went hammer and thong at each other, enjoying respective lengthy spells of dominance, with outstanding individual contributions, and non-stop action and drama all the way through .
Most significantly they each possessed goalkeepers of high calibre, and they had a big say in how the score stood for the remainder of this terrific edge of the seat encounter from which Glenmuir cruelly went away empty handed.
They had the bigger need for a win with two games in hand on the leaders, and maximum points from those would have hauled them up from third position to level at the top of the under-12 table.
Rock showed in the early stages why they are at the head of affairs playing with a swagger, a purpose and fluency that threatened to sweep Glenmuir aside and had clear cut chances to virtually assure them of victory.
Instances like when the dangerous Jamie Nowlan broke free into the penalty box and the diving home custodian Conor Hoey got the most important of touches to deflect his shot inches wide, enabled Glenmuir to doggedly hang on in there.
In that respect the immensely solid Tony McDonnell was the leader in ensuring Rock didn’t build on their lead, and Callan Clarke showed what the home side had to offer in attack when he shot inches wide through a crowded goalmouth.
David Craven had another effort deflected over the crossbar for the home side.
Rock’s Harry Kierans overran the ball as he broke free into the Glenmuir box, and Hoey then managed to gain the finest but again vital touch with his feet to thwart the same player.
However, Glenmuir had worked their way back into the game, and showed what they had to offer in attack as the half progressed.
Rock redisplayed their attacking prowess just after the break as they forced two corners in succession and the Glenmuir goal did well to survive as Kierans’ flick at the near post was bundled out but the ball broke to Cian Farrell and he hit a screamer that produced a magnificent flying save from Conor Hoey.
From the rest of the match it was Rock who were hanging on as they struggled to advance beyond the half way line despite playing downhill. Their goalkeeper James Harrington now underwent a searching examination which he passed with calm confidence and judgement when to leave his line and relieve danger just like his opposite number, combined with a number of outstanding saves..
Padraig Tinnelly was the cornerstone now of the Rock rearguard action, in much the same fashion as McDonnell was for his side in the first half.
The latter adopted a more advanced role as Glenmuir aided by a strong biting wind pressed forward almost constantly. The defender’s powerful shooting was a feature, and the speedy and incisive thrusts by Conal McGeough and the pair looked the most likely to gain at least an equaliser for their team.
But bad luck thwarted them. Primarily when McGeough broke free inside the Rock box to the right of goal only for the exposed Harrington to somehow deflect his shot onto the butt of the far post.
Then Nojus Andzilus had his goal bound shot blocked in front of the line by Cormac Marmion.
Still the valiant Glenmuir kept trying everything they knew to try and salvage an elusive draw , with one delightful sweeping move with a wonderfully accurate kick out by Hoey to half way allowing McGeough to surge clear into wide open space but his shot from the edge of the box flew narrowly high and wide. GLENMUIR : Conor Hoey, Finan Flanagan, Tony McDonnell, Leon Yore, Callum Clarke, David Craven, Liam Rogers, Shane Farrell, Nojus Andzilus, Dillon Arrowsmith, Martis Lubosevicius, Conal McGeough. Manager, Gary Rogers.
ROCK: James Harrington, Jamie Nowlan, Callan Boothman, Padraig Fennessy, Jack McLaughlin, John Clarke, Padraig Tinnelly, Sean Hoey, Rory Henry, Sam Alerdyce, Cian Farrell, Cormac Marmion, Harry Kierans. Manager, Lonan McDonald.