New Santos vs Suffolk Swifts
After Nelson Cup action, Santos were back in league duty with a ‘six-pointer’ game with Suffolk Swifts who sit one place above Santos and out of the relegation zone. Having escaped the reverse fixture with a fortunate 2-2 draw, Santos they would need to be on top of their game if they were to get a vital win.
The importance of the game seemingly didn’t kick into Santos and certainly didn’t show in their performance early on. After a spell of pressure in which Santos cleared the ball of the line, the ball fell to a Swifts player on the right of the area and he diverted the ball back towards goal and it was headed in to the corner to give Swifts the lead.
Soon after Santos conceded a second as Joe Magee failed to connect properly with a headed back-pass and Suffolks’ forward nipped in and converted the gifted opportunity.
From a free kick around the half way line, the ball was played into the box and fell to Suffolks’ Curns who toe poked the ball into the corner from the edge of the area and Santos were left with a mountain to climb going into extra time.
Half-time: New Santos 0-3 Suffolk Swifts
The Santos team that came out for the second half seemed like a new side. Pol Douglas came on for David Harrigan in a tactical reshuffle. Santos started to dominate much in the same way Suffolk had in the first period. They came close to equalising through Darran Holland but his left footed effort from 12 yards was well saved by the keeper. Joe Magee then stabbed the ball just over from 10 yards following a goalmouth scramble.
With 30 minutes left, both sides were reduced to 10 men as Kieran Seaward was sent off for a dangerous tackle on the Suffolk left winger, who also saw red for his reaction to the tackle.
Santos had left it too late by the time Martin Magee tapped home with 15 minutes left and Suffolk wrapped the game up late on following David Dougans’ sloppy miss-hit back pass which resulted in Chris Oscar grabbing a fourth for Suffolk in a deserved win.
With Turf Lodge beating St Lukes 5-4, Santos are faced with a 5 point gap between themselves and Newington in the battle against relegation from the top flight.
Full-time: New Santos 1-4 Suffolk Swifts
Team:
GK: JP Byrne
DL: Kevin Carson (Alan Harper)
DR: David Harrigan (Pol Douglas)
DC: David Dougan
DC: Joe Magee
ML: Stevie Copeland
MR: Martin Magee
MC: Johnny Magill
MC: Kieran Seaward
SC: Paddy O’Reilly (Martin Cunningham)
Goals: Martin Magee (Darran Holland assist)
M.o.t.M vote results:
Stevie Copeland – 3
Johnny Magill – 2
Martin Magee – 2
Kieran Seaward – 1
