Malachians Shamrocks vs New Santos
Nelson Cup Round 1
15/01/2011 2pm, Grosvenor Road
Majority of the match report taken from Malachians' website (with a few changes to include Santos related details).
New Santos faced Division 1 side Malachians Shamrocks in the first round of the Nelson Cup with their first match in almost 2 months due to the adverse weather conditions.
With regular right back Small missing the home team brought in Stephen McLoughlin up front and young Soupie in goal for their Shamrocks debuts.On a cold day the game opened in bright sunshine with the premier outfit determined to stamp their authority on proceedings, and playing with the breeze the early chances went their way. However Stevie McLoughlin cleared several dangerous through passes and young Soupie in goal dealt competently with anything Storm, Osborne or Stevie missed. Indeed the keeper's catching and kicking was very impressive throughout the game.
The Shamrocks relied on breaks in the opening twenty five minutes with Osborne linking well with Collins on the left side and both Docherty and the other Stephen McLaughlin putting themselves about, but the New Santos keeper was largely untroubled.
Just past the half hour mark New Santos went in front. Simon Magee, who caused problems all game, broke down the wing going past three Shamrocks players who all slid in and went to ground too easily, and pulled the ball back. Paddy O'Reilly poked the ball into the top corner from close range. The Shamrocks pushed forward with Cushnan and Hughes exchanging passes and creating an opening for Osborne who had came up to support but shot wide of the target.
However the game was lost in the ten minute period leading to half time. First a long punt down the pitch by the Santos keeper JP Byrne was going through to Soupie when McLaughlin decided to head it on back, only succeeded in heading it passed the keeper and the Santos forward Ciaran Caldwell ran it in. Within minutes the Shamrocks defence again committed suicide. Having won the ball on the bye line the defender instead of clearing chose to turn towards his own goal, and slipped allowing the Santos player to shoot. Soupie saved but in pushing the ball out the retreating Cushnan somehow managed to get his head to the ball and diverted it back into the net.
From a comfortably scoreless position playing into the wind the Shamrocks looked shell shocked at 3-0 down. This position got worse when from a Santos corner on the whistle the premier team scored again as Gaz Cullen scored a trademark left footed effort.
Half-time: Malachians 0-4 New Santos
The Shamrocks management decided to change the formation at half time, going to three at the back with three up front. Gilmore replaced Docherty and McCurry came on for Gallagher. Initially the changes had no effect as Santos won a corner. Having initially cleared the danger the ball was played back into the box and broke to David Fergusoin who notched his first Santos goal with a cracking drive into the top corner. However the Shamrocks then started to show some spirit. McCurry and Cushnan started to gain possession and feed the wide men up front of Hughes and Gilmore, and McStravick got a number of crosses into the area which were cleared.
On the hour mark Collins played a one two with Osborne and crossed. The ball was cleared and fell to McCurry thirty yards out but he dragged his shot wide. Osborne then picked the ball up on the half way line, dribbled passed three challenges and found Gilmore. He switched play to Hughes on the right and his cross was just missed by McLaughlin. Cushnan then had a shot charged down but the Shamrocks were now on top and deserve credit for their attitude and committment.
With fifteen minutes left the home team eventually got a reward for their efforts. Storm, who had an impressive again at centre back, won a header on half way and then played a pass forward towards Collins. His cross seemed to be going through to the keeper but McLaughlin chased and got to the ball first. The big Cushendall man then cleverly squared the ball whenever everyone expected him to shoot and Gilmore tapped home. Within five minutes Shamrocks further reduced the arrears. Again the away keeper was unsure when Cushnan played the ball into the box and McLaughlin scored from close range, a deserved reward for running himself into the ground and chasing every lost cause.
In the last minute McKay who had replaced the other Stevie McLaughlin at the back won a tackle and found Hughes. His pass forward found McCurry in the box and after a scramble where several shots were blocked the keper somehow managed to scramble the ball round the post with the resultant corner cleared. At this the referee brought the game to a conclusion.
It was a comfortable victory for Santos with the game all but over after the first half, but credit to the Shams who controlled the majority of the second half despite the deficit. Santos will face another Division 1 side Colin Bhoys for a place in the Quarter Final.
Full time: Malachians 2-5 New Santos
New Santos team:
GK - J.P. Byrne
LB - Gareth Cullen
CB - Johnny Halliday
CB - Martin Magee (C) (Joe Magee)
RB - Conor Chambers (Ronan Doherty)
LM -
Simon Magee (Kevin Carson)
CM - Kieran Seaward
CM - David Ferguson
RM - David Thompson
ST - Paddy O'Reilly
ST -Ciaran Caldwell
Goals - C Caldwell, P O'Reilly, G Cullen, O.G, David Ferguson
MOTM -Simon Magee
