AARON SAVES THE DAY
AARON Grey-Gartland was the Quay hero at both ends of the field as he salvaged a last gasp draw for his team. He brought off a string of excellent saves that kept his side in touch with Blayney, and then crowned a starring display by snatching the equaliser when he swapped the goalkeeping jersey for a striker’s role in the second half to secure the home side’s first point of the season at Clancy Park.
Blayney looked set to record their second win of the campaign in the under-12 first division bottom of the table tussle when holding a 3-1 lead with 15 minutes to go, having made most of the running , and the outcome definitely seemed to have titled in their favour with a goal in the dying seconds of the first-half and a second a minute after the break.
It was a fair reflection of the play and their attacking dominance, although Quay doggedly kept them at bay, with wholehearted and often last ditch defending, and the goal minding of Gartland.
The home side played into a strong cross field breeze and their attacking forays were restricted, and only on a few occasions threatened the Blayney goal, and from long range. Conor Hynes handed them a lifeline when he broke through the visitors defence and applied a precise finish to reduce the deficit to the minimum.
However, when Senan Rafferty sharply turned inside and surged away from two defenders to drill a low shot into the far bottom corner to restore his side’s two goal, Quay looked doomed for their five straight defeat.
But with two minutes left a long clearance ran away from the home side’s Conal Mullen on the edge of the 18 yard box, but broke off the Blayney goalkeeper and Alex Toner steered the ball into the empty net to give them renewed hope of breaking their duck.
Gartland ensured they did when from a similar position to the right of the Blayney penalty box but further out he curled the ball from a difficult angle over the goalkeeper who again was compelled to race off his line. Seconds later referee Niall Minto sounded the full-time whistle.
It was a result that never looked on the cards with Blayney ahead of the hosts in the table, and hemming them into their own half for the most part of the first-half.
They gained the breakthrough when James Carroll was tripped just inside the 18 yard line and he put away the spot kick with panache into the bottom corner of the net, with Gartland diving to the other side just before the half-time whistle.
Liam O’Neill and a teammate cut open the middle of the home defence and Gartland took off a brilliant double save. He pushed the ball onto the crossbar in the second instance and O’Neill headed the rebound to the net.
Conal Mullen was put clear by Ronan Campbell but was denied by the Blayney goalkeeper before Conor Hynes broke clear of the visitors defence and put his side back in with a shout.
The real drama then transpired in the final minutes culminating with Gartland’s stoppage time equaliser.
QUAY OLYMPIC: Aaron Grey-Gartland, David McMahon, Conor Hynes, Tiernan Armstrong, Danny Woods, Alex Noone, Conor Oliver, Ronan Campbell, John Morris, Johnny Reynolds, Alex Toner, Conor Mullen.