Roundwood leave it late to down Coolboy
Coolboy Rangers eventually beaten after extra-time
TWO Roundwood goals in extra-time of this entertaining Charlie Byrne Cup clash in Coolboy put paid to any hopes of the home side causing something of an upset on a bitterly cold and rudely windy Sunday afternoon.
The fact that the rain stayed away was a welcome positive in this encounter, but the cold and the blustery wind made conditions very difficult for any sort of coherent game whatsoever although this was an encounter that had a reasonable share of chances and some decent play.
The scenic venue was treated to a beautiful double rainbow just before half-time that lasted during the break and had Coolboy Rangers manager Decky Carthy treating all within earshot to a passionate line from ‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’.
A gliding hawk overhead must have wondered what it was all about as he soared high above seeking prey down below.
Roundwood suffered what looked to be a bad blow early on when centre back Kenny Greene picked up a knock.
A change was considered but Greene decided to play on, switching to right back before eventually going up front to take the pressure off his injured leg.
Funnily enough, the enforced move would prove very healthy in the long run.
This was a fair and open game of football for the most part. Conditions were testing and the aforementioned Decky Carthy was forced to launch a search and rescue mission for at least three balls that were sent into the bushes below the pitch and the wind (and lack of accuracy, perhaps) caused havoc with deliveries and clearances.
Key to Roundwood’s game plan in this clash was David Kavanagh on the right wing.
With pace to burn, Kavanagh proved excellent throughout this encounter and could have had several goals over the 110 minutes had he taken his chances.
Roundwood would have the wind in the opening half and a considerable wind it was. The visitors dealt with the opening Coolboy attack before Conor Devlin drove wide from a snapshot at the other end.
Coolboy, languishing at the foot of the Division 3 table, knew they were up against it in the form of sixth-placed Roundwood, but victory was certainly very possible if the performance could be engineered.
The offside trap and the wind were thwarting all attempts by both sides early on with William Lillis caught in the ninth minute while David Kavanagh fired wide moments later before adding another miss to his collection shortly after as well.
While Kavanagh impressed for Roundwood, Curtis Keating and Bradley Walsh shone at the heart of everything Coolboy tried in this game, Walsh showing creativity and ambition, Keating looking reliable and trustworthy throughout.
Roundwood’s Redi Balliu was presented with a decent goal chance after 26 minutes but couldn’t find the target and the visitors would rack up wides from the boots of David Kavanagh and Kevin Lynch whose corner was caught by the wind and blown badly off course.
Coolboy enjoyed some goal threats of their own with Cormac Malee missing after some lovely play up through the middle and he would blast wide a few moments later as well but only after Roundwood had registered three wayward shots of their own from Kenny Greene, Kevin Lynch and Redi Balliu.
Cian Moules enjoyed a good game for the home side, and he brought a save out of Scott Kenna and then tried to lob the Roundwood goalkeeper moments later only for Kenna to catch.
The double rainbow appeared at the death of the first half with both sides hoping to find at least one pot of gold by the end of normal time – see what I did there?
David Kavanagh was the first to get a shot on target in the second half, but he found Alan Lillis in top form between the sticks for Coolboy Rangers.
Kenny Greene was making a nuisance of himself up front for Roundwood and he called for a penalty from David Jameson early in the second but Jameson was having none of it.
Coolboy gathered their thoughts after this strong Roundwood start but they found it difficult to gauge the wind at their backs with Martin Murphy sailing a ball all the way to Scott Kenna and Nathan Walsh going wide with 51 gone.
The wind came to Coolboy’s rescue at this stage. David Kavanagh tried to lob Alan Lillis, but the hoisted effort was held up by the stiff breeze and Lillis had time to scamper back and gather it in his bosom.
You felt at this stage that if anyone was going to score it was Roundwood. Kavanagh, Conor Devlin, Darren Gibson and Greene were all causing Coolboy problems.
Kevin Lynch went close for Roundwood when he blazed a shot across the face of the Coolboy goal after 57 minutes and the same man rushed a free kick moments later which Lillis gathered easily.
A Martin Murphy ball picked out Cian Moules and his shot was saved by Kenna and Decky Carthy sent in Wayne Tuohy in place of the injured Ryan Guilfoyle.
Coolboy were starting to believe at this point. William Lillis got on the end of a Nathan Barnes free before unleashing an ambitious shot which Kenna saved superbly.
Both sides had a number of chances in the remaining quarter of the game but David Jameson sounded the full-time whistle with no break of the deadlock and extra-time of 10 minutes a half to follow.
Both sides would have chances in the first period of extra-time with David Kavanagh really impressing with his pace and vision and Curtis Keating producing a fine shot that went out for a corner which came to Bradley Walsh who fired agonisingly wide.
But the goal was coming, and it arrived right at the death of the first half of extra-time when a defensive howler allowed Darren Gibson hoof the ball into the back of an empty Coolboy net.
The second half of extra-time had just started when Kenny Greene walloped home from close range to give Coolboy a mountain to climb.
They gave it a good effort but Roundwood held out for a deserved win.