February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Jay Mwamba
Shamrock ended a string of near misses in the Cosmopolitan Soccer League’s top flight with their first win of 2002 at Msgr. McClancy last Sunday. They edged Koha 1-0 on Paddy Gerathy’s 20th-minute goal.
With coach Billy Henderson forced to suit up to make up for several missing starters, the Rocks put up a determined fight against one of the First Division’s early title contenders.
There was goalmouth action on both ends, but it was the home side that broke the ice following a brilliant build up involving five players including the 32-year-old Henderson.
Sweeper Nick Hennessy started the move in defense, which, after some excellent interpassing, ended with Gerathy firing home.
“We were a little bit undermanned but fought hard,” Henderson said. “We missed two of three chances in the first and should have scored more.”
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Shamrock, who improved to 6-3-6 (24 points) in the middle of the table, took to the field with no subs but had big contributions from a number of players. Henderson singled out Hennessy, defender Mike Bishop, former St. Barnabas man Anton McKeon, and goalie Jim Keady.
“Hughie Daley was also dominating upfront,” the coach added. “It was a good game for us and a win like that can boast our confidence. I think we’re on the right track.”
Shamrock, whose reserves won 5-0, received a shot in the arm going into the game in the form of a set of jerseys from club sponsors J.T. Magen, co-owned by David Stack and Maurice Regan.
Shamrock’s third team had its Metro Div. 1 game with BW Gottschee postponed because of a venue clash.
Gaels slip
A goalless tie with Gotham FC at Red Hook proved costly for Astoria Gaels (8-1-4, 28) who saw the five-point gap between them and Metro Div. 1 leaders Roosevelt Island International expand to seven.
Roosevelt kept bottom side Manhattan Celtic winless with a 2-0 victory at Red Hook. Alexander Sinclair (35th) and Adam Cieciuch (70th) scored.
“Disappointing on our behalf because we needed the points,” said Gaels manager David Browne. “Our defense was excellent and goalie Timmy Lynch outstanding, but we missed three to four golden opportunities.”
There was also the usual sterling effort by center half Michael Coyle, midfielder P.J. Burke and forward Derek McKenna, who won a lot of balls in what Browne described as a “tough, physical game.”
With three games remaining, Gaels face pace-setters Roosevelt at Red Hook this Sunday in the putative title decider.
Bhoys edged
Petar Angelov’s first half braced was enough for United Bulgaria to hold off Metro Div. 2 (West) top side Lansdowne Bhoys 2-1 at Van Cortland Park.
Gaelic crisis
The annual spring lure of Gaelic football forced St. Barnabas to forfeit their Metro Div. 2 fixture against Kandia at SUNY-Purchase. With a number of Saints switching sports, only eight players showed up for the game.
“It’s always been a problem, but this year it seems to be more of a problem than usual,” said Aiden Dennis, one of the eight soccer faithfuls.
Split decision
Brooklyn Celtic and Pele Masters battled to a dramatic 2-2 draw in a “B” Division (East) top-of-the-table clash at Wards Island that ended with a goal blitz.
Eddie Bastien (65th) drew first blood for Celtic, whose Jim Murray said should have been up 4-0 in the opening five minutes alone.
“We squandered so many chances,” Murray remarked.
Pele (11-1-2, 35), nevertheless, hang on and leveled in the 80th minute when Brentnol Fraser scored with aplomb directly from a corner. Celtic (9-3-2, 29) were stunned again five minutes later when Linden Layne bounced a 30-yard shot into the net.
Celtic’s response was swift. They forced a series of corners from which Danny Shields connected (89th) to bring his three-match tally to six goals.
“Any neutral watching [the] game would have been hard pressed to figure out why we didn’t win 7-2,” Murray said. “We hit the bar, hit the post, had two [cleared] off the line, but at the end of the day were lucky to get one [point] since they went up with five minutes left.”
Also in the “B” Division, Rory Finn’s GH Metros succumbed 1-0 to Doczy Bundy’s 75th minute strike for SC Eintracht at Roosevelt Island.
“On mistake and that was it,” Finn was left ruing.
NYAC blow
And Athletic Club were left with only a mathematical chance of retaining the First Division title after a goalless tie with second from the bottom CD Iberia at Travers Island. NYAC’s reserves prevailed 3-1.
It was the second costly draw with a lowly side in two weeks for NYAC, who on April 7 split points with Polonia.
“We actually played great, but against a much improved Iberia,” said coach Ronan Downs, who has led NYAC to six of the last seven championships.
With New York Albanians routing Polonia 6-1 to improve to 12-0-4 (40), NYAC (8-2-4, 28) fell 12 points behind the leaders.
“We’re building for next year,” Downs said, conceding the race to the Albanians.
Tony Camaj (10th, 75th), Prel Gjolash (47th), Roland Demo (57th, 85th), and Dilon (70th) tallied for Albanians in the Polonia rout. The reserves toed 1-1.