- OUR PARTNERS
It was a bright morning indeed but there was some lightening at Albert College. Following a battling 2-1 win and a 3-2 loss, the match reporter found his keyboard again and took off on the 17A bus to report on this league game which took place just south of Ballymun Village. It was a true 6 pointer, if SKB win, they win the league, if Castleknock win, they are favourites for the league. Excited minds the week before in training and the night before and early risers on Saturday as all the players were looking forward to this game. With 3 training sessions under their belt this week, it was all about the start of the game for this team. In recent times they have been caught cold from the off and paid the price. So greater support in defence was requested and the players were doing well in practice.
With only one player missing, there were plenty of options available for the coaches. The team set up in a 1-2-4-1 formation, looking to use the pace of Nkemjika Onemwerhe up front to unsettle the St. Kevin’s Boys defence and give Castleknock a good opportunity to play the game in their opponents half. A good warm up and we started with Glue Gloves himself in goal, Mr Dawide Biernat, who was also captain for the day. Dylan Thompson, Ethan O’Reilly and Adam Geraghty in defence, Bradley Creighton, Dylan Coyne, Jake Rice and Dylan Osborne in midfield and Nkemjika Onemwerhe leading the attack. So, game on and here comes that lightening we were talking about. Ten seconds in and Dawide pushes a shot away. A corner cleared. St Kevin’s first to the loose ball, play it out wide, whip the ball in and like a flash of lightening it was 1-0. 80 Seconds on the clock. But this team have good character and are always dogged in their play if and when they find themselves behind.
While St Kevin’s Boys started the brightest, it was the pace of Nmemjika that was causing the most problems with three 1v1s created in the first 10 minutes. Unfortunately through good goalkeeping Nkemjika was unable to convert his chances, but he made them and he was in the right place at the right time. But you felt SKB were a yard faster to every ball everywhere else. It was only for the skills of Dawide Biernat that kept SKB at bay. When Castleknock did try to play ball, they were creating the chances, working the ball wide, a ball into the channels and Nkemjika using his pace. It was causing SKB all sorts of trouble but Castleknock were not quick enough to recover the ball and not mobile enough when in possession. Also, too many times they gave possession back to SKB. It was fleeting chances for Castleknock but still only 1-0. Adam Geraghty, flown in for the game from another continent (this U12A1 is serious stuff!!!!) was exceptional in his marshalling of his troops and was calm on the left, helping stem the flow of SKB. But there was nothing he could do and SKB were soon 2-0 up.
Castleknock started to get into the game. Cian DaCosta, Josh Holland and Evan Ryan came in to add some energy. Evan was running the channels and giving his players an out ball, showing great desire. Cian added some bite in midfield and Josh some great awareness of his teammates. With 28 minutes on the clock SKB won a free out wide, a hopeful ball lobbed in but it fell to 2 SKB players, left unopposed in the box and 3-0 it was. So, Liverpool v Milan sprang to mind all those years ago in Instanbul. Keep possession, get the ball wide and work harder than SKB was the message. Indeed a visiting 7 year old supporting his cousin Dylan asked his dad "why does Dylan’s team keep giving the ball to the other team”. He was right, a future Manuel Pellegrini in the making right there!. The first 10 minutes were more even, Castleknock playing down the hill. Evan unlucky when he worked a great angle, but a fantastic tackle just as he was about to score prevented a definite goal. Like in Instanbul it was important that Castleknock get the next goal, but playing out from defence, a sloppy pass on the right and SKB had an overload which they used to great effect and BOOM it was top corner. Best goal of the day and a peach at that, nothing Glue Gloves could do.
The SKB team had 3 outstanding players down the spine of the team and this gave them the platform to go on attack after attack. A classy, left footed centre half was the pick of the bunch. She was the best player on the pitch when Castleknock won 1-0 on the first day of the season and she proved it again with a masterful defensive display: guile, composure and desire getting the better of anything Castleknock could throw at her. Their No.10 was their CDM, aggressive when confronted by the movement of Dylan Coyne and calm when he won the ball back. He sat in front of the back 2 and controlled the midfield, oh, he also won every header that came within 10 yards of him. And then there was their willing centre forward, fast over 20 yards, willing and hungry for every ball that came his way. He had a hat trick under his belt as he walked off victorious.
Two more goals went in as the SKB players felt the game and league title was theirs and the Castleknock players felt the pace. 6-0 it finished and a well deserved League Victory for St Kevin’s Boys. But the Castleknock players know they have to focus on their remaining 3 games, one of which is a must win to secure promotion. SKB were undoubtedly better on the day, but this was primarily because of their desire and their energy. They never gave the Castleknock players time on the ball, whereas sometimes this team is guilty of letting the other teams have any amount of time to make decisions.
On the first game of the season v SKB, it was Castleknock who were quicker to every breaking ball. This Castleknock team has great ability, they just need to show more desire than their opponents, all of the time, and that includes training. And so, Man of the Match. Of the outfield players Adam Geraghty was back to his best, calm in possession. Ethan O’Reilly also a candidate, for although he had a tough day, fending off multiple attacks, he never once stopped trying, not once. But it has to be Dawide Biernat, for if it was not for him there may have been a quite a few more goals. Well done Dawide, good game.
