Two from two as Bellurgan are kept at Bay
BAY FC BELLURGAN UTD 3 0
THIS was a highly competitive tussle in the under-17 league that hung on a knife edge until the closing minutes when the home side scored twice in as many minutes to seal the points and make it a perfect start for Bay with full points from their first two games.
It was just a pity that things boiled over at the final whistle with an all-in melee in the mid-field when a few players squared up to each other.
It was a game in which no quarter was given, and was played with fury and at a fast pace with neither side holding back in the tackle, not making it easy for referee Peter Burns juniors who didn’t at times please either side with his interpretations.
The defining moment in the game took place with under 20 minutes played in the second-half when the most dangerous player on the pitch Gerrard Uamai broke the deadlock with the most audacious of opportunist goals.
From wide out on the right wing, he spotted the outstanding Bellurgan goalkeeper Thomas Mulligan off his line and executed the deftest of lobs over his head into the net.
Mulligan was largely responsi- ble for keeping his side on terms, although it was his side who had a gilt edge chance first to take the lead in the first half..
A long ball out of defence sent Gerard Hulme racing clear into the Bay penalty box but he was rushed into shooting by goalkeeper Oisin Norman who quickly advanced from his line, and caused the forward to push the ball wide of an unguarded goal.
However, with Ronnick Achums and Tyler Chiduza in mid-field Bay were the more creative force, with Uamai and Travis Crowley a potent threat, and as the half wore on only for two vital saves by Mulligan the home side would have been ahead.
One was an absolutely brilliant effort by the goalkeeper who tipped Ronnick Achums shot from close range onto the crossbar, after Uamai and Victor Adejobi worked an overlap to pierce the Bay cover down the left to put their teammate free in front of goal.
Then Uamai with a blistering piece of pace surged past two defenders in the box from a pass by Crowley to break free only for Mulligan to save with his foot at the foot of the post.
Uamai broke clear again into the Bellurgan box in the first five minutes of the second-half but shot straight at the advancing Mulligan.
Bellurgan continued to com- pete strongly and caused problems for their opponents, even after falling behind.
James Keenan one of their better players, headed a good chance to equalise over the crossbar as he rose in front of goal to meet a Peter Lynch cross,
Miguel La Costa’s free kick from outside the penalty box whistled just past a post, and Lynch screwed his shot wide when the ball dropped to him in space at the back post following a corner kick.
Bellurgan’s resistance then was broken in heartbreaking fashion when Crowley after having the ball nicked away from him struck the resulting corner kick into the near post and it flew off a Bellurgan defender into the net with less than ten minutes remaining.
Two minutes later Enoch Elewa rammed a loose ball in the penalty box into the net with Mulligan on the ground to put the issue beyond doubt.
BAY: Oisin Norman, Jamie Wynne, Tiernan Nash, Benson Chilaka, Cameron Lawal, Tyler Chiduza, Ronnick Achums, Colin Ekedigwe, Travis Crowley, Victor Adejobi, Gerrard Uamai, Enoch Elewa, Gerard Mooney, Sam Ezenwaka, Clive Mtatwali, Ola Oladejo, Aaron Dunlop.
BELLURGAN: Thomas Mulligan, Peter Lynch, Philip Sharkey, Pearse Hulme, James Keenan, Gavin Meally, Aaron Finnegan, Miguel La Costa, Aaron Mills, MJ O’Hanlon, Matthew Rendina, Ben Condon, Cian Sharkey, Daniel McCourt.