Challenge game match report on May 7th 2016
The team’s
first competitive game of 2016 started at 10.30 on Saturday May 7th. The weather was good, the soccer field at WSSU had been transformed into a Gaelic football field and everyone was excited. As team manager Cormac O’Donovan named the team and provide words of advice, jerseys were being passed out to the ‘first 13’. All the training and drills we had engaged in over the past four months had culminated into the games we were about to play in.
As we are still a team who is building, it was important to focus on specific individual successes so we could grow the team as a whole. We knew playing Raleigh was going to be a tough game – they always are – but we were excited to be able to give them a competitive game.
GAME #1
Raleigh opened up the game with some quick points and straight away we were on the back foot…but with 30 minute halves we knew we had a lot of time to work with. We started passing the ball with more purpose and eventually got on the score board. Raleigh were strong and fast and managed to slice through our defense and net 2 goals in quick succession. Half way through the first have we were behind BUT only starting to get into our stride. Some brilliant work by the Wolfhounds forwards resulted in Josh Monk been fouled on the 30-meter line, which Tim Cronin took and comfortably put the ball over the bar. A five-minute period saw the Wolfhounds go on a scoring spree, with Tim Cronin scoring 2-02, with one goal being dropped in by the goal keeper himself…luck of the Irish ;)
The half time score was respectable but we still had an uphill battle if we were going to win this game. Raleigh battled hard and at times dominated possession with silky moves that resulted in good scores. Then the unthinkable…Raleigh hot a purple patch and scored 3-02 in the space of 5 mins and now the uphill battled had turned into a mountain. Yet the Wolfhounds never gave up. That Wolfhound heart still beating strong (An croí na Cú Faoil). Some great movements by the Wolfhounds resulted in a great “Schillaci” style goal by John O’Brien when he followed up a shot by Tim Cronin that rebounded off the post. This was a much needed boost! Two minutes later another great movement from the backs, pushed the ball all the way up the field which resulted in a pass to Ryan Nuffer to net his first goal of the game…The Wolfhounds were not out yet…
However, it was too little too late for the Wolfhounds. Raleigh had put the ball in the net 11 times by the end of the game and it was just too much for us to overcome. We had some unlucky times between the posts, with our primary keeper Paddy Quinn getting a hand injuring and needed 3 stiches, a second keeper (Dan O’Donnell) having reinjured his already hurt fingers and the our 3rd and final keeper (Hunter Klein) debuting his goal keeper skills as well. The goal keeper rotation hurt us in the long run but unfortunately this part of the game.
The final score in the first game was Raleigh 11-10 v Winston-Salem 6-07
1st 13 Wolfhounds: Paddy, Erik, Shawn, Fearghal, Hunter, George, Tim, Denis, Josh, Nick, Jeff, Ryan, Trevor
Subs: John, Spike, Adam, Adam, Dave, Dan, Cormac, Billy
Referee: Joe
GAME #2
The second game started better for us when after 5 mins the teams were tied 0-02 to 0-02. Some great defensive work coupled with tired legs from both teams led to this close opening 5 minutes. The second game was shortened to 20 min halves to accommodate some of the Raleigh players that had other commitments later that afternoon. The teams were well matched for most of the first half until Raleigh scored 2-02 unanswered within the last 7 min of the game. This put the score at 2-04 v 0-3 at the half BUT did not give a true reflection of the effort the Wolfhounds were leaving on the field.
Winston-Salem came out in the second half hungry to get back in the game. The first 5 mins was going to be very important if we were going to shift the balance of scoring in this game to our side. A point on 4 minutes by Winston-Salem was the start we were looking for but unfortunately the scores did not come quick enough. Raleigh could not be stopped putting the ball over and under the Wolfhound’s crossbar either, after notching up another 1-02 before the final whistle was blown with Winston-Salem getting a consolation point 3 mins from the final whistle.
The final score was Raleigh 3-06 v Winston-Salem 0-05
1st 13 Wolfhounds: Hunter, Erik, Shawn, Fearghal, George, Spike, John, Josh, Nick, Cormac, Ryan, Billy, Dave
Subs: Adam Pendlebury, Adam Puentes, Tim, Denis
Referee: Mike