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You are > Home > Soccer: Moments of madness ruin thriller
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Friday, October 17, 2003
Soccer: Moments of madness ruin thriller
By Adrian Flanagan
Match of the week - Permanent TSB U-13 C League
St Saviours 1, Ballyduff 3
IT IS a sad thing to say that football was not the winner in this top of the table clash between St Saviours and Ballyduff in the under 13 league. Going into the match only a single point separated the two teams and at the end of the game, Ballyduff led the league by four points following a hard fought but well earned victory. However, the scenes that were witnessed with less than two minutes remaining and also at the final whistle showed clearly the way that football in general is going. Sportsmanship plays a big part in any sporting organisation and one would feel if you cant play the game the way it should be played then there is no real point of playing it at all.
Over the last number of months, sportsmanship is beginning to be forgotten about not only in schoolboy or junior soccer but in the game at all levels across the board. The violent and verbal abuse of players, referees and managers has to stop or else, we will not be playing the game for much longer in this country.
The people who run football clubs, GAA clubs or any sort of club do it for the love of the game and at the end of t h e d a y g e t no real thanks for it. To see three players sent off by the referee in any underage game is a big shame but to see them been sent off for verbal and physical abuse to other players and also to referee is a very sad sight indeed.
ACTION NEEDED
Players as young as 11 or 12 years of age, who are meant to be out on the field of play enjoying themselves at this age group are involving themselves in some actions that are just not acceptable. Moments of madness ruin matches and this was the case in this encounter. So what are the reasons for this? Only god knows the answer to this question. However, one would hope that the powers that be stamp out this sort of behaviour in future games. It is also up to the club themselves to take control of this matter and I have no doubt that the parties involved in this game will deal with this matter fully and leave no stone unturned to make sure this type of behaviour doesn’t happen in future matches.
It was the home side that started the brighter of the two teams and they had the first chance of the game after only seven minutes. Richard Grant played the ball out wide into the path of Liam Walsh but his low angled right-footed effort was well saved by the Ballyduff goalkeeper Adam Daly.
Just two minutes later and the visitors took the lead. An excellent pass from the centre of the defence from Darren Butler found Martian De Paor, he took the ball around the hosts keeper Anthony Kiely and shot home from close range to give his side the ideal start.
Just minutes later, De Paor had his second goal of the game. This time, it was a brilliant ball from midfielder Jamie Flavin that found the unmarked striker out on the right. He once again took the ball around the keeper before shooting high into the roof of the net from close range. This was just the start that the home side did not want. But after 21 minutes of the first half they pulled a goal back and what a goal it proved to be. Peter Crowley played in a beautiful ball for Richard Grant.
He turned the Ballyduff centre half Rory Smith before shooting low to the bottom right-hand corner of the net from 14 yards.
This put the home side right back into the game. It has to be said that both teams played some excellent football and there was some nice talent on view. This was the final piece of action in the first half. The second half was dominated mostly by the visitors to the Ballybeg grounds.
CLASS ACT
It has to be said that they did have a number of chances in the second period to put the game beyond doubt but failed to take them. A youngster by the name of Martian De Paor was the best player on show and he had the best of the chances that fell his way. A combination of both the crossbar and the Saints keeper Kiely denied him. His first effort of the second half came after 33 minutes when he shot narrowly over the crossbar after showing some great skill. After 47 minutes, the home side keeper produced one of the saves of the season.
An overhead kick from the man of the match De Paor looked set to fly into the back of the net but somehow the number one for the home side tipped the effort onto the bar. In the 50th minute of the contest, Liam Walsh had the chance to equalise but he hesitated in front of goal and shot straight at the keeper of Ballyduff. Ballyduff hit the crossbar two minutes later when a free kick from Martian De Paor came crashing back off the woodwork. This denied him a hat trick. With less than four minutes remaining, the game was made safe when Ger Stephenson shot low past Kiely from just inside the penalty area.
Then came the first of the dismissals followed by a second. When the referee then blew the final whistle, another player was showing the red card for striking an opponent. In an excellently contested game ruined by moments best forgotten.
ST SAVIOURS: Anthony Kiely, John Maher, David Phelan, Michael Cawley, Richard Grant, Stephen Power, Bernard Behan, Peter Crowley, Liam Walsh, Darren O’Loughlin, Ger Mc Mahon, Roy Halligan, Greg Hennessy, Willie Grant, Jason Keane and Craig Keane.
BALLYDUFF: Adam Daly, Conor Daly, David Fahey, Darren Butler, Rory Smith, Jonathan O` Connell, Jamie Flavin, Gary Shannon, Coleman Power, Ger Stephenson, Martian De Paor, Stephen Fitzpatrick, Paul Cummins and Michael Cummins.
Referee: Mark Lucas (St Pauls)
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