Atkin grabs winner
Gorey Rangers seal Under-15 crown
MARK ATKIN fired home a 23rd-minute winner as Gorey Rangers wrapped up the Wexford and District Schoolboys Soccer Under-15 Division 1 title in Ramstown recently.
The Rangers attacker worked a yard of space inside the penalty area and swivelled on Andrew Mulvey-Mescall’s sharp pass, firing low and powerfully past Jack O’Leary in the Forth Celtic goal to send his side on the path to the title.
Coming into the game the equation was simple for the hosts: win and secure the title. Alternatively, a draw would have left Rangers needing a positive result in their final away game at Wexford Albion. Forth Celtic had everything to play for too. A victory for the Murrintown men would have given them a three-point advantage on their title rivals and guaranteed at least a title play-off.
With so much at stake it was hardly a surprise that the first quarter went by with very little drama but plenty of nerves.
Luke Green was exceptional for Gorey and it was his pass that created the first chance for Oisín Woolmington in the 15th minute, an opportunity that O’Leary easily saved.
Gorey peppered the Celtic penalty area with quality corners as the half wore on but they were supremely defended. However, when Green picked Mulvey-Mescall out in the box and he fed Atkin, there was no preventing the opening goal.
Other than a couple of half-chances at either end, the last twelve minutes of the period passed by fairly uneventfully. If anything, Rangers played with more confidence after the interval and really should have put the game to bed.
Atkin was first to slice a good chance wide from the edge of the box. Then, seven minutes later the Gorey goalscorer played a succulent one-two with Luke Green that ended with the midfielder volleying wide with the goal gaping.
Sixteen minutes from time they went even closer. Darragh Levingston released Woolmington down the right. He squared across the box to Atkin and the Rangers striker sent a shuddering strike off the underside of the crossbar.
There was always likely to be a sting in the Celtic tail and they could easily have nabbed an equaliser. Ten minutes from time Evan Farrell crossed into the box where both Michael Sheil and Justin Moran just failed to convert.
In added time Luke Kavanagh slipped Callum Gondard into the clear, one-on-one with Cian Browne, but the Celtic man flashed over the bar.
Moments later Gondard crossed from the left and Sheil volleyed towards the bottom corner, but Browne somehow got down to turn it around the post to ensure Rangers held on to take the title.
Gorey Rangers: Cian Browne; Seán O’Brien-Murphy, Ryan Connolly (capt.), Jason Bolger, Shane Gibson; Darragh Levingston, Luke Green; Oisín Woolmington, Andrew Mulvey-Mescall, Matthew Healy; Mark Atkin. Subs. - Paul Gibson for Green, inj. (65), Ross Proudfoot for Mulvey-Mescall (70+1), also Cian Herbage, Arron Whelan, Cormac Doyle, Rian Fitzpatrick, Jesse Chambers.
Forth Celtic: Jack O’Leary; Callum Gondard, Liam Crowley, Cian Byrne, Luke Quirke; Joe Barrett; Francis Dempsey, Kieran Morris, Luke Kavanagh (capt.), Cathal Dowd; Evan Farrell. Subs. - Justin Moran for Dowd (36), Ryan Cashin for Quirke (36), Michael Sheil for Dempsey (43), Dempsey for Morris (64), also Oisín Waters.
Referee: Kevin Murphy.