Tigers: Christian, Darragh, Patrick, Fionn, Callum, Andrew, Ronan, Finn, Jack, Peter
The Tigers played Hillsborough at 9:30am on Saturday 16th of April at Loughmoss. This was a high scoring encounter with a disputed goal, a penalty and lots of good football between 2 evenly matched teams.
Hillsborough got the game underway. Patrick started in nets. Peter, Christian and Andrew made up the defence. Callum, Fionn and Ronan made up the midfield. Hillsborough got off to the quicker start in the match. They were pressing early and the pressure eventual paid off with a couple of near misses, one was controversial – did it cross the line or not? This coach is saying that it didn’t cross the line and I had a pretty good view. J Perhaps Loughmoss will pay for goal-line technology in the future. As the period progressed the Tigers got more into the game and started to make their own opportunities. Callum, Fionn and Ronan made themselves busy in the middle of the field. Peter, Christian and Andrew were quickly closing down the attacks. Any attack that did get through was being dealt with by Patrick in nets. However, Hillsborough did manage to work an opening goal and ended the period one up.
So into the second period and the Tigers decided that it was time to take the game by the scruff of the neck and get some rewards for their pressuring. Christian was in nets, Darragh, Patrick and Callum were the defence and Jack, Finn and Peter made up the attacking midfield. Hillsborough were thwarted time and again by a rigid Carryduff defence. Peter and Finn added real threat to the Carryduff attack with both breaking away from the Hillsborough defence numerous times and getting serious goal scoring opportunities. Jack provided the first line of defence making it difficult for the Hillsborough team to get out of defence. All the pressure from Carryduff provided the first goal when Finn broke from midfield at speed, drifting pass the defence and slotting the ball in the back of the net. Then came Carryduff’s ‘wonder goal’, as the players are now calling it. Ronan from near the side-line decided to try his luck with a long range shot. It sailed strong and true over the keeper and into the top corner of the net. “We’re not Brazil we’re Carryduff Tigers! “ Hillsborough were on the ropes and had to weather some more sustained pressure from the Tigers. Eventually the pressure told and Carryduff went through for another score, a mirror of his earlier goal Finn drifting past the defence at speed to score. Hillsborough soaked up the remaining pressure in the period and managed to get a goal by the end of the period.
And so, into the final period. Andrew took up duties in nets. Christian, Darragh and Patrick were in defence. Jack, Fionn and Ronan were in midfield. This was an evenly matched period. Both sides traded opportunities. Andrew impressed as keeper, not one of our usual keepers, made a string of good saves including a penalty save where he pushed the ball onto the crossbar and then caught the rebound. Christian, Darragh and Patrick again held a solid line at the back. Darragh was in the middle, organising those around him to foil the Hillsborough attacks. Jack again busied himself trying to close down the Hillsborough midfield and Hillsborough defence, making it difficult for them play it forward. Fionn and Ronan harassed the Hillsborough defence and again Carryduff managed to break through with a well worked move. It was a shot from outside the area which squeezed past the keeper near the post. Likewise Hillsborough managed to work some very nice moves and got some just rewards to also manage to get a goal.
The Carryduff boys can fell very proud of themselves. I’m going to call this one a win for the boys, ignoring the controversial was it, was it not a goal in the first period J
Well done boys!