February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Jay Mwamba
St. Barnabas went on a goal-scoring spree in the second half to rout New York Albanians, 5-0, in a First Division match at Evander Childs High School in the Bronx last weekend.
Freddy Fitzpatrick, who shot the Saints ahead in the 50th minute, sparked the blitz. David Fitzgerald (59th, 63rd) and Vinny Norton (82nd, 88th) then added a brace each to lift St. Barnabas (2-1-1, 7 pts) into fourth place on the table.
St. Barnabas official Aidan Dennis, one of the scorers in the reserves’ 4-2 romp, was elated. "It was a great performance," he said. "The Albanians are a good side, but once the second goal went in, the game was over."
Dennis lauded coach Tom Whitty for whipping the Saints back into shape. "He’s doing a good job," he said.
St. Barnabas’ other reserve scorers were Mark MaGuire and Sean O’Flynn (two).
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The Saints’ destruction of troubled Albanians was the perfect warm up for their clash this Sunday with red-hot New York Dinamo, the First Division’s surprise leaders who knocked off Polonia S.C. 1-0 in Queens to register their fourth straight win.
Mured Ibrahimov’s blistering shot from outside the 18-yard box (35th) decided the match for the promotion side (4-0-0, 12). It was his fifth goal in four starts.
"We had some other scoring opportunities, but we’re glad to get the win," said Dinamo’s Frankie Curanovic.
Late winner
John Guildea scored Shamrock’s first league goal this season, but it wasn’t enough to prevent New York Hungaria from stealing a 2-1 victory at Downing Stadium with a late strike (89th) by Pal Akos. Shamrock, whose reserves prevailed 1-0 on John Walsh’s effort, fell to 0-4.
"This (Hungaria’s late winner) happens when things are not going your way," lamented Shamrock coach Dermot Clarke. "You just have to keep plugging away."
Guildea’s goal, from a penalty kick on the hour, had canceled out Akos’ ice-breaker (15th) for Hungaria.
The real McCoy
In contrast to their senior side’s poor start to the season, the Shamrock organization’s Third Division team is in outstanding form. It improved to 3-0 at the top of the Eastern region with a 2-0 result over Barnstonworth Rovers on goals by Bart O’Rourke and Emmett Murphy.
Ronan strikes
Lansdowne A.C. forward Ronan Creedy salvaged a point for the Bronx club with a second half equalizer in their 1-1 tie with Bergen Kickers at Van Cortland Park. Steve Carenza (30th) had tallied earlier for Kickers.
Lansdowne (0-1-2, 2) remain second from the bottom in Division Two (West). Paul Doherty gave the Lansdowne reserves a 1-0 victory.
And in Div. Two (East), promotion side Astoria Gaels succumbed 6-0 to S.C. Eintracht at Randalls Island to remain winless after three weeks. Eric Oram (three), Vicine Prado (two) and Tommy Strumpf did the damage for Eintracht, whose reserves fell 1-0 to Eugene Kyne’s winner.
NYAC held
Ronan Downs’ CSL champions New York Athletic Club played out a goalless tie with New York Croatia in Boonton, New Jersey, that left NYAC five points behind frontrunners Dinamo.
"Either side could have scored a few goals. It was a hard fought game and the draw was a fair result," noted Downs, who picked veteran Glen Livingston as his MVP for superbly marshalling the NYAC defense.
Easy picking
Charles Balsamo (15th), Steve Masinkowitz (30th), Martin Murgado (40th), Roy Kelly (50th), and Carlos Torres (75th) connected in Fairfield/Westchester United’s 5-1 thrashing of Banatul that kept the First Division’s other promotion side (9) in touch with Dinamo. Andjelko Bogadanov (70th pen.) got Banatul’s consolation goal.
"It was pretty easy today. Shamrock and Albanians put up a much tougher fight than these guys," Gary Megennis, comparing hapless Banatul to Fairfield’s other victims this season.
Fairfield took the reserve meeting 4-1.
Second Division
Olimpiu Roman (16th) and Sebastian Lazar (73rd) led Second Division (West) leaders Ripenisia-Romania (9) to a 2-0 win over Homenetmen of New York at Grover Cleveland High School. The Homenetmen reserves lost 5-0.
Second-placed Koha S.C. (7) hammered Clarkstown 4-0, while Jason Durand got on the score sheet for B.W. Poughkeepsie in a 3-1 loss to Concord Sporting Club. The Concord reserves won 3-1
In the East, CD Iberia and Barnstonworth Rovers battled to a 1-all tie in an early top of the table clash. Pablo Abelleira was on target for Iberia (7) who stayed on top. Rovers, whose reserves were beaten 2-0, dropped to fourth.
Wandering forward
Senegalese native Lo Noliage’s 65th minute penalty lifted New York Wanderers over Nag’s Head United, 1-0, and into second place in the East, a point behind Iberia. Nag’s reserves won 1-0 on David Powell’s goal.
Manhattan Kickers, meanwhile, had goals from 19 year-old Gabonese Phillipie Renembon (18th) and Norman Pile (28th) in their 2-1 victory over Ukrainian S.C. at McCarran Park that elevated them into third place (6). Bernard Pierre (80th) replied for Ukrainian, 2-1 victors in the reserve meeting.
"We pretty much controlled the game after our second goal," said Kickers’ player-coach Mike Fitzgerald who had a slow day between the posts.
Third Division
Central Park Rangers kept the pressure on Shamrock in the East with a 3-0 thumping of Jam’s at Randalls. Richard Beysey (two) and Alessandro Parise connected for Rangers, who lost midfielder Roger Clark with a broken jaw.
Rangers (9) are second to Shamrock on goal difference.
B.W. Gottschee massacred nine-man Fenerbahce 7-1 at Randalls, courtesy of Cesar Markovic (two), Ian MacLean (two), Jackson Davis, Terrence Heywood and Oscar Garcia. Hafiz and Sinan tallied for Fenerbahce.
Also on Randalls Island, Shin Furutate (25th) and Keigo Yonemoto (35th)
were on target for S.I.C.J.A. in their 2-1 win over Krimean Turkish, who got
one back through Raf’l Sicheran.
And at Grady Field, Onder Koksol earned Sunnyside Genclik a 1-1 tie with Brooklyn Stars in an all-Turkish affair.
Metros roll
For the third week running, East leaders G.H. Metros chalked up a 3-0 win in the Over-30 Division.
"I hope we can keep on winning," said Metros boss Rory Finn after goals by Jose Lopez (55th pen), Julio (65th) and Guyla Hegyi had dispatched N.Y. Greek-American/Atlas at the Con Edison Field.
Despite the comfortable victory, Finn gave kudos to Metros goalie Amandio for his exploits between the posts. "He made some terrific saves, including two definite goals," Finn said.
Ed Kracker and Pablo Perez struck for Gottschee who defeated S.C. Eintracht 2-0 to move into second place behind Metros.
Pele thrashed
Guyana Veterans trounced their sister club, Pele Masters, 5-0 at Carnasie Beach Park to claim first place in the West. Junior Walker (three), Derek Johnson and Brian Briton scored.
Scala Brasil are second on goal difference after a 1-0 decision over
NYAC.