’MORE OF THE SAME
McGraynor nets double as Avonmore see off United
AVONMORE FC ARKLOW UNITED 3 0
AVONMORE’S dominance at Youth level in Wicklow continued unchecked last weekend when they dispatched Arklow United in the Youths Shield clash at Pat O’Toole Park by three goals to nil.
The Ballygannon pitch held up surprisingly well given the weather in recent weeks, but it did cut up badly as the game went on and a smooth playing surface it was not.
However, both teams knuckled down to the affairs at hand and before a small band of supporters they went toe to toe in a game lacking in quality but well attired in drama and attitude.
It was tit for tat stuff for the opening 25 minutes. Avonmore were going down the route of swinging free-kicks and trying to send Oisin McGraynor down on top of Dean Flood’s goal, while the visitors were hungry on the counter and came close when Cillian Appleby found himself in behind a momentarily sleepy Avonmore defence but Aidan Murray was brave and punched clear.
From the resulting throw, Arklow United tried to play some nice football on the ground but the surface was proving to be a nightmare for both teams and in the end the impressive Christian Roche pumped in a high ball to the awaiting chest of Murray.
At the other end McGraynor was always a threat. A ball from Sean Leonard after good work from Mark Cullen landed smack bang on the right nipple of the lofty attacker but Conor McLoughlin was on hand to whip the ball for the relative safety of an Avonmore corner.
That corner was punched out by Dean Flood for another one and the second was defended well and cleared to Cillian Appelby who won a free off Sean Leonard inside his own half.
That free was delivered into the Avonmore box where it skipped off the damp surface and almost ended up in the back of the net only for a superb flick away from Aidan Murray in the Avonmore goal.
Back came the Arklow men and they looked the most likely to score at this stage due to the Avonmore defence looking slightly out of kilter.
They came close on a number of occasions in the next 10 minutes and really should have scored at least once had they possessed a finisher in their ranks. Avonmore kept plugging away with little or nothing to show for it with Sean Leonard’s blazing effort over the crossbar their best attempt during this phase.
United kept pressing. Christian Roche whipped in a free that was tipped clear by Aidan Murray and out for a corner. The corner was played out to John Higgins, but the ball bobbled over his foot and the alert Mark Cullen sprayed the ball out to the wing where Oisin McGraynor was galloping up like a gazelle. McGraynor charged forward with Christian Roche breathing down the back of his neck and he fired in a low cross that Dean Flood got down to block but couldn’t gather.
The ball spilled to Callum Busher who toe poked it up on to the crossbar and it came back and hit Mark Cullen and ended up in the back of the net.
Arklow United were screaming for both a handball and offside but referee David Jameson was happy to award the goal to the Avonmore men; a goal that was scored against the run of play you’d have to say.
Both sides engineered a close call each, but Aidan Murray and Dean Flood were in good form.
However, Avonmore were now on the front foot and McGraynor rose high to head home a corner after 33 minutes to make it 2-0 and deflate the United challenge even more.
That’s how the first half ended and both teams made changes early on in the second half. Sean Davenport came in for John Higgins for United while Dean Carter entered the fray for Sean Leonard for Avonmore.
It was tense stuff for most of the second half as United looked to claw their way back into the game, but it took 28 minutes for another goal to be scored and that came from the one and only Oisin McGraynor who got on the end of a long kick-out to rifle home a rocket of a goal off his trusty left to ultimately kill off the Arklow United challenge.
United tried mixing things up in a bid to unlock the Avonmore defence, but in the end they could find no way through and it’s Avonmore who march on as they look to retain the Youths Shield title in what has been a memorable run for this very handy group of young men.
1. Aidan Murray, 2. Aaron Tuke, 3. Ryan Kenny, 4. Zach Cullen, 5. Eric Olohan, 6. Jack Manley, 7. Sean Leonard, 8. Callum Busher, 9. Oisin McGraynor,
10. Dale Fluskey, 11. Mark Cullen. Subs: Dean Carter for S Leonard (50min), Aayub Azmat for E Olohan (55min), Dan Hagan for D Fluskey (79min), Rob Vard for O McGraynor (85min).
AVONMORE: ARKLOW UNITED:
1. Dean Flood, 2. Conor Blaney, 3. Trevor Fitzgerald, 4. Conor McLoughlin, 5. Ryan Doyle, 6. Philly McAnally, 7. Christian Roche, 8. Danny Doyle, 9. John Higgins, 10. Adam Lennon,
11. Cillian Appelby. Subs: Sean Davenport for J Higgins (47min), Joe Forde for T Fitzgerald (55min), Jakie Kinsella for R Doyle (77min), Jamie Redmond for C Addelby (89min).
REFEREE:
David Jameson