February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Pierce O’Reilly
It took a desperate diving save from goalkeeper Jack Stepnowski with 6 minutes left for the Rovers to maintain the pole position at the top of the Long Island First Division at windy Whitestone on Sunday afternoon.
Rovers found the going tough against a very well-organized Istria side. The presence of several top-class strickers in the Istria side meant that the Rovers’ back four of McGowan, Brosnahan, McGlynn and Daly had to be at their best from the start.
In a tight first half, the Rovers had a few chances from Diver and O’Hagan. Playing into a strong second-half breeze, the Rovers had to battle hard to keep in contention.
In the First Division reserve league, Eddie Beji scored twice in a 3-0 victory for Ray Quinlan’s men. It was also a day to celebrate for Keith Carty, who bagged his first goal after making a comeback from a head injury. The Rovers’ side were a more determined unit, driven by the efforts of Dean Gibson and Peter Keeley. Mark Hopper was a powerhouse in the middle of the park and used all his guile to supply the ball to the hungry forwards.
In over 30s football, Rovers faced a determined N.Y. Olympiaco’s side in Astoria and came away with a 2-2 draw.
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The Rovers took a deserved lead through comeback kid Nigel Cunniffe, but two quick goals from the Greeks midway through the second half meant the Rovers’ lofty third-place position was in serious threat. However, after a period of pressure, Marshall McAdoe finished expertly from 15 yards to earn the Rovers a point. Paul Kehoe earned the assist. Playing well for Rovers were Gerry Coyle, defender Matt Chen and Peter Hallinan.