Boys U-15s’ lightning start counts for nothing
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A STORMING start by Drogheda Boys proved to be in vain as hosts Terenure Rangers fought back to take all three points in this DDSL Under-15 Major game at Bushy Park.
The Boys arrived in good fettle and were ready from the off on a pristine pitch for which the Dublin City Council deserve great credit.
Drogheda started brightly and stood up well to the robust approach of Terenure, with the midfield trio of Sam Victory, Bradley Abedeen and Aaron Smith taking command.
On the quarter-hour mark a flowing move down the left-hand side saw Frank McClean cut inside and play the ball to Fola Oki on the edge of the six-yard box. With his back to goal Oki flicked the ball through the defender’s legs and it crept in off the near post for the lead goal.
Drogheda continued to attack from both the left and right and each time the ball was put into the penalty area Terenure struggled to clear, so it was no surprise when the Boynesiders doubled their advantage after 20 minutes.
Aaron Smith took a free kick from the right-hand side some 10 yards outside the area, Bradley Abedeen and Oki attacked the ball and in the ensuing melee the ball cannoned in off a Terenure defender for an own goal.
Drogheda continued to play their passing football and on 28 minutes, from a well-worked corner Oki won the ball at the back post and McClean applied the finishing touch, but unfortunately the eagle-eyed referee was well positioned to call it offside.
They say football is a game of two halves and that proved to be the case here, for within two minutes of the second half kicking off Terenure had pegged it back to 2-2.
The hosts now had the upper hand and on 45 minutes they scored a third goal to make it 3-2.
Drogheda tried hard to get a foothold in the game and slowly they started to impose themselves in midfield again and get the ball out wide.
For the last 10 minutes the pressure was constant from Drogheda and McClean took a pass from Smith and whipped in a right-wing cross which was scrambled wide.