Rock Celtic falter after the interval

DDL U-19 DIVISION

Rock Celtic Carrick Rovers 1 2

TWO goals in the first ten minutes of the second half swung this tie the way of the visitors and avenged a defeat at the venue earlier this year.

Rock with the aid of the strong crossfield wind in the opening half took the lead just under the half hour mark when an in-swinging corner by Seanie Maguire struck the hand of Carrick goalkeeper Thomas Sheerin and went in off the far post.

Scoring chances were few and far between in the tie, but Rock should have extended their advantage in the closing ten minutes of the first period.

Striker Paddy Nicholson forced a good save from Sheerin who got down low to parry his shot for a corner kick.

The striker put colleague Jack Duffy in with only Sheerin to beat, but the latter dragged his shot wide of the target.

Nicholson then squandered a great opportunity when he was set free in the box at the end of a sweeping three man move only to overrun the ball over the endline as he took it wide past Sheering with an open goal facing him.

Carrick took just two minutes of the second half to draw level when substitute Ryan Marron skipped past Rock left back Declan Curtin on the touchline and a swift inter change with a colleague took him clear into the box to drill a crisp low shot into the net from a tight angle.

The decisive goal is one that Rock will look back on ruefully as Dylan McMahon’s free-kick from the best part of 40 yards flew into the corner of the net exposing indecision between home goalkeeper Eoin Flanagan and his defenders.

Rock’s fading hopes of saving the tie was dealt a crushing blow when Oran O’Hanlon received a straight red card with ten minutes left.

However, Nicholson in the final minute nearly grabbed an equaliser when he turned smartly in a crowded penalty box only for Sheerin to parry his rasping shot for a corner kick.

ROCK: Eoin Flanagan, Cillian Duffy, Declan Curtin, Adam Fee, Ben Walsh, Ronan Sands, Josh Connolly, Sean Maguire, Jack Duffy, Oran O’Hanlon, Patrick Nicholson, Adam Gartlan, Bryan Soraghan.

CARRICK: Thomas Sheerin, Dylan McMahon, Lee Connolly, Michael Keenan, James Callan, Nathan McNally, David Leegan, Joe Kirk, Flynn Holland, Jake Howlin, Cameron Etherington, Luke McSherry, Darragh O’Callaghan, Fergal Delany, Kyle Vuta, Ryan Marron, Payne Lawlor, Owen Rooney.