Premier ‘B’ – Ballymac Galaxy 2 Fenit Samphires 6
Last Wednesday evening we kept our push for promotion alive with a superb performance against Ballymac Galaxy. The midweek kick-off meant we were without some of our hardcore supporters but we didn’t let this distract us. We knew we needed to win to be in with any chance of going up and we started the game in scintillating fashion as Daniel Clinton and Ger McCarthy caused all sorts of problems for the Galaxy back four.
Our strikers were well supported by Bill Mullins and Kevin Walsh who were threatening from wide positions and we took the lead when Ger headed home from a Jack Savage corner. Ger then picked up his second when he finished with another header. Most of our good play started from the back as John Maher, Darren Lynch, Kieran O’Mahony and David O’Sullivan were excellent in possession. Ger then completed his hat-trick when he finished from the penalty spot after Daniel was fouled in the area.
Ballymac hit back with a goal soon after when former Samphire Glen McCarthy finished from close range as the ball fell to him after our keeper Eoghan O’Brien made a superb save. We restored our three goal advantage when Ger grabbed his fourth goal of the half after finishing from close range. In truth we could have scored a few more in the half but Ballymac’s keeper made some outstanding saves.
We seemed to ease off a bit in the second half but still managed to put some excellent passages of possession together as Jack Savage and Ruairi Kelly looked to control the game from the middle of the park. Kieran and David were now attacking at will and we continued to create some decent chances. Ballymac pulled another goal back when we failed to clear a cross and they finished from close range. This didn’t cause us too much concern and we continued to play some fantastic attacking football. We scored our fifth when Ger put Ruairi in behind the defence and his cross was deflected into the net by a Ballymac defender.
We introduced Cormac O’Connor and James Sweeny midway through the half and they brought some energy and pace to the team as we began to tire. Bill then scored our sixth when he beat a defender before smashing the ball to the back of the net.
It was an outstanding performance by the Samphires as we showed how good we can be when playing open, attacking football. Thanks to Ballymac for a sporting game and referee Del O’Shea for officiating. We play Ballymac again in our final league fixture knowing that we need to win in order to be in with a shout for promotion.
U17s: Fenit Samphires 3 Mastergeeha 3
The 17s winning streak finally came to an end last weekend at home to Mastergeeha which ended up 3 all, a result that probably was the fair result even though both teams will point to chances that might have won the game for either. It was an even affair with a good bit of bite and a moderately strong south westerly blowing diagonally in from the sea towards Tawlaght. Both teams had players who could and did keep the ball on the ground despite the conditions and served up a very entertaining game.
You might think from the result that both defences were not at their best but actually it took some quite sharp play by the forwards that yielded the goals, the first of which went to Mastergeeha after Eoghan O’Brien saved a free but the ball fell to one of their forwards who tapped into the net. We equalised through Frosty Ronan after a great move down the left involving Jamie Hogan intercepting and then giving it to David Egan who played it to Gary Nolan. He spotted Thomas Dwyer down the wing, he played a perfected weighted pass which Thomas played first time across the six yard box for Frosty to score.
David Egan scored a brilliant 2nd goal for us as he slalomed through their defence to make it 2-1 which was the score at half-time. Our opponents had the better of it for the first 20 minutes of the second half especially with the wind but we were solid at the back with Padraig O Connor, Jack Kelliher, Paul Nolan and Jamie but after 20 minutes we were picked off twice with sloppy passing at the edge of our box and it did not look good for us now being 3-2 down, but this is not a team that gives up and we dominated for the last 20 minutes.
David Murphy up front held the ball up expertly throughout and set up many attacks. Sean Higgins and Oisin O Brien on the wings at this stage were getting in behind but some last gasp defending kept them in it. Eventually we had to score and it was David Murphy who pounced on a breaking ball in the box after some probing play by Thomas Lenihan and shot across the goals.
The wind kept it out but the onrushing Bobby O Regan was on hand to score. We pressed for the win but couldn’t force another goal but Mastergeeha were dangerous on the break so it finished a draw. Well done again to all the lads for a gutsy performance especially in the 2nd half.
