Bohan delivers for brave Blessington
BLESSINGTON FC VALEVIEW SHANKILL 1 0
A sweetly struck penalty after 19 minutes from Blessington’s Barry Bohan proved enough to earn the home side the valuable points in the Leinster Senior League Premier Sunday clash against visiting Valeview Shankill at Crosschapel on Sunday morning.
Gusting winds and heavy rain spoiled any hopes that this would be a thoroughly enjoyable clash but credit to both sides for managing to create a decent tussle with a collection of decent chances coming from fine, ambitious play.
The weather was taking a turn for the worst when Valeview Shankill pulled into town but by the time the action got underway it was a horrible morning with winds sweeping across the open plain and rain lashing in making it very difficult to play any sort of decent football.
Vincent Balfe’s side were hungry for the win from this encounter and it leaves them in 10th position in the table with 10 points from eight games while Valeview are up in sixth position with 14 points from nine games. Co. Wicklow side Bray FC are two places below Blessington in 12th.
An early wide promised plenty for Blessington and they came looking again moments later but Valeview cleared and launched a sweeping counter but Oran Calhun’s ball for Paul Walsh was overcooked and drifted harmlessly on to Davide Lionella in the Blessington goal.
It all seemed a bit rushed in the early moments from Valeview Shankill who looked capable of playing good football. Alan Moore found himself in a promising position after 12 minutes after good work by Wayne Callaghan in dispossessing the excellent Brian Bohan. Callaghan fed Walsh out on the wing, he slipped it through to Moore, but the ball took a knock from the Blessington defender and left Lionella with an easy save to make before Calhun could reach the deflected ball.
The visitors won a corner when Darren Larkin blocked a cross out and the corner found its target, but Luke Roe could only head it over the Blessington crossbar.
It was looking ominous for Blessington at this stage. Valeview were starting to put passes together with the wind at their backs. Walsh was flying down the wing and he took it around Lionella and crossed it low across the face of the Blessington goal. Oran Calhun tried to pull it back for Wayne Callaghan, but Finn Breslin was on hand to clear the danger.
And then the penalty arrived. A high ball from midfield into the Valeview box was handled by a defender and the referee pointed for the spot despite the protests of the visiting players. Up stepped Brian Bohan and he drove it hard past Nathan Brennan who guessed the correct side but couldn’t reach the shot.
Valeview Shankill began to press for an equaliser with the wind at their backs. Kevin Moore fired in a decent shot but, it was an easy take for Lionella in the end.
One of Valeview Shankill’s best chances arrived in the 26th minute. The impressive Wayne Callaghan walloped a shot at the Blessington goal but Lionella saved and Luke Roe was on hand to head into what was an empty net, but he had no time to try and direct the ball and could only watch as it flew wide.
Both sides had chances for the remainder of the first half but both keepers, Lionella in particular, proved capable and sound while the defences tried their best to keep the lid on the sweeping attacks in dreadful conditions that saw one Valeview corner hoisted high into the Blessington box only to be driven over the crossbar by the wind.
Blessington introduced Curtis Geraghty at the break in place of Philip Sheridan. Geraghty would prove a real livewire over the course of that second 45.
Valeview Shankill were now up against it. On the one hand they had to go out and attack as much as possible, but on the other they were against the wind and had to be very careful of Blessington’s counter-attacking potential, especially given Geraghty’s ability with ball at feet.
The Blessington GAA star sought the top corner early in the second half but fired just wide while Derek Balfe would miss both a howler three yards out and a decent chance after Nathan Brennan was slow to come off his line.
Valeview had plenty of efforts in and around the Blessington box but these were blocked out by a hungry defence.
Scott Furlong had one of the best chances for the visitors in the second half when he got on the end of a well-taken free-kick, but his close-in effort flew wide to the groans of his colleagues and mentors.
Curtis Geraghty brought two excellent saves out of Nathan Brennan as the second half wore on with Valeview starting to panic slightly on a day when nothing seemed to go right for the visitors; Scott Furlong probably having their best chance from a low shot from distance that flew narrolwy wide.
In the end, it was to be Blessington’s day in dire conditions. One Valeview Shankill mentor was heard to say that they could get ‘no luck’. That just about summed up their day.