Northend United 1 St. Patricks 3   Saturday 2nd November 2024

The third round of the SBYL Premier division for the Pizza Parlour sponsored 2009’s was a trip to Carrick to play a top of the table clash against established premier side St Pats. Today’s challenge was already difficult but made more an uphill task for the blues with their keeper missing from action as well as a depleted side with no subs but credit to the boys from the off they started the better side with a very fast approach to their play. A few early sighters from Northend gave a positive start that they were up for the fight, it was to be the high press in the attack that would bite the blues early, a ball played through was overplayed and went straight into the hands of the St. Pat’s keeper, who quickly punted the ball up top and it caught the Northend back line out with no one picking up the St. Pat’s forward he quickly took the keepers kick under control and was through one on one with the Northend keeper and fired home to put St. Pat’s one up. Northend where left shell shocked and struggled to get the rhythm going again that they had started with and on the seventeenth minute found themselves 2-0 down. Again another long ball played up front found its way fortunately to the back post, with the St. Pat’s player free, he quickly capitalised and slotted to put St. Pat’s 2-0 up. Northend finally responded. A through ball played from McQueen gave Duncan his first real chance of the game, having smartly seen the keeper of his line dinked a ball over only to see it agonisingly spin the wrong side of the post. The blues continued the pressure and it was another cutting ball from midfield had St. Pat’s on the back foot. McGarel had made the run in behind and as the ball was played over the defenders head he deliberately handled the ball and prevented McGarel from a one v one with the keeper. Somehow a yellow card was only brandished much to the Northend dismay and the resulting free kick went sailing over the bar. Griffin continued to hound the St. Pat’s defence and had a few chances just wide the last of which brought the half to an end. Half Time 0-2

The second half start was a carbon copy of the first Northend where sharp and moving the ball quickly and within five minutes got one back. A looping ball played over the St. Pat’s back line had McGarel closing down the bouncing ball and as he and keeper contested the St. Pat’s keeper spilled allowing Kian to latch on to the loose ball and set the game alight 2-1. The blues had found their mojo and continued to battle hard the back line of A. Pekala, H. Pekala, S. Kerr and L. Barnett had shored things up and got the blues moving forward at every opportunity while the midfield of McArdle, Lavelle and McQueen where having some joy getting the ball down and finding the gaps to keep Northend on the front foot. The next opportunity fell to McGarel, fellow forward Griffin slipped Kian through and as the keeper came of the line Kian lobbed the keeper bit to his agony watched as the ball bounced the wrong side of the post. Griffin had the next clear chance minutes after, Lavelle playing another through ball saw Joey beat the left back for pace and with only the keeper to beat surely had the chance he had been waiting for, sadly though for Griffin his mishit shot was well saved and out for a corner the ball went. St. Pat’s continued to be on the back foot and the next opportunity came from a corner, as the ball was cleared it fell to the feet of Lavelle who could only fire over. Another corner to Northend resulted in more controversy, another cleared corner found its way to Pekala who crossed the ball back in first time, the ball deflected off a St. Pat’s defender and to the feet of McArdle, he quickly hammered the ball home and as the blues set off to celebrate the equaliser the celebrations where quickly halted as the referees whistle blew for an off side having not picked up on the deflection. The Northend heads dropped and so too did their play, and on the sixty second minute it was to be the final nail in the coffin for the blues, another long ball down the St. Pat’s right saw their number 10 break in behind the Northend back line he lifted the head and played the ball across goal for the St. Pat’s striker to slam home and make the game 3-1. Northend to their credit battled to the final whistle but were unable to find any other real clear cut chances and the game was to come to an end much to the boy’s disappointment. Full Time 3-1

It was a day to learn for the blues and ponder on what could have been but they deserve nothing but applause for how they played the game. Daniel gets a special mention, he stepped up when the team needed by going in to goals and certainly did not let the team down at all, good handling and impeccable kicking today. Very well done.

Panel: Adrian Pekala, Hubert Pekala,  Scott Kerr, Eoin Lavelle (c),  Josh McQueen, Lucas Barnett, Sam McArdle, Joey Griffin, Daniel McErlean, Kian McGarel, Ben Duncan

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