Gorey Rangers in slick form
Scintillating show as Rosslare routed by eleven goals
GOREY RANGERS produced a scintillating performance to power past Rosslare Rangers and into the quarter-finals of the Wexford and District Schoolboys Soccer Under-13 Cup on Saturday at The Showgrounds.
Exactly one year ago tomorrow (Wednesday), the Ramstown side played in a league game that finished goal-less against St. Joseph’s, and this performance was in stark contrast to that evening in Kilmuckridge.
Rangers went on to win the league last season playing an attractive brand of football, however, they were still developing their passing game and struggled to break teams down at times.
It was therefore fascinating to see a team that still plays quality football, but also knows when to pull the trigger and play the killer ball.
Rosslare are no mugs, and this game was chosen as the feature because the boys from down at the harbour are having a tremendous season in Division 2. They are right in the title mix with Bunclody, having picked up 15 points from their six games to date.
And that quality, despite the scoreline, was evident, particularly in the first-half. The visitors had spells of pressure in the opening period but found a Rangers back three in impenetrable form, as every probe was repelled without any semblance of panic.
The Gorey attacking prowess was evident in the sixth minute when Rory Martin sent James Murray away and he fired past Thomas Tubritt. After a string of Rosslare corners, the hosts broke and provider Martin turned scorer with a calm finish.
It was 3-0 at the interval after Cathal O’Brien’s deflected shot squirmed into the corner of the Rosslare net.
Five minutes after the re-start, Pádraig Weafer got his goal, firing home a rebound after Seán Clifford had superbly blocked an O’Brien shot on the goal-line.
In freezing, snowy conditions, Grego Baziak might have been frozen stiff by the lack of activity but he reacted with great agility to save when called upon from a sharp Zalan Kovacs drive in the 37th minute.
That was as close as Rosslare came to a consolation as the home side piled on the pressure. Max Meegan fired home from close range after Cian Levingston’s corner ping-ponged in the six-yard box to make it 5-0.
Martin got his second with a crisp drive from the edge of the penalty area before substitute Luke Wallace got in on the act with his first of the morning with a classy back-heel. Casey Travers made it eight ten minutes from time and a Reece O’Donnell rocket soon followed.
Another great passing move allowed Wallace to get his second in the 55th minute, and just before the full-time whistle Tim Ivors became his side’s ninth different scorer with a bullet from just inside the area.
Gorey Rangers: Grego Baziak; Evan Harper, Max Meegan, James Kenny; Daniel Greene, Rory Martin, Tim Ivors, James Murray (capt.); Pádraig Weafer, Reece O’Donnell, Cathal O’Brien. Subs. (rolling) - Cian Levingston, Rob Wall, Cian Finn, Luke Wallace, Casey Travers.
Rosslare Rangers: Thomas Tubritt; Mike Ryan, Dean Goldsmith, Seán Clifford, Seán Kelly; Eoin Martin, Kyle Clarke (capt.), Adam Lambert, Darragh Hayes; Zalan Kovacs, Seán Cullen. Subs. - Robbie Osman, Ciarán Byrne, Bowen Stafford, Ronan Hill.
Referee: Karol Farnyik.