February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
Astoria Gaels continued their winning ways when they traveled to Grady Field to take on Krimean Turkish last Sunday.
After 90 minutes of hard football against a Turkish team more interested in their man than the ball, they came away with a 2-0 victory after a display of hustle, fire and great self-control.
A good set-up from Brendan Donoghue and Kevin Nagle ended with McKenna flashing a header off the crossbar after 20 minutes.
In the second half, a long ball from Kevin Nagle was muffed by the keeper and McKenna did the job on the set-up, scoring from 10 yards.
The Gaels were now attacking in waves and the second followed through great work from Doherty finding McKenna again. He made no mistake from 18 yards with a screening shot.
This was a workmanlike display from Astoria. Donoghue and Nestor Allen made some strong runs down the wings. Man of the Match McKenna up front has found the form he showed with Gaels Gaelic football in the summer, while Steve Deherer at center half showed he has a future in the WWF when the soccer season ends. The only blemish was the referee taking a dislike to Vivion White’s footwear. Twice, White was told to leave the field due to a problem with his boots. Time to invest again, Vivion.
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Astoria Gaels dinner dance is Saturday, Oct. 31, at the Astoria Manor. Guest of honor is Fr. Colm Campbell. Music by Raglan Road. For information, call Siobhan at (718) 797-9288.
Barnabas thirds lose
St. Barnabas third team fell to a 3-0 defeat to Chile F.C. in their league campaign.
The first couple of minutes saw a lot of tough play and aggressive tackles which seemed to set the tone for the entire game. The Saints were unlucky not to grab the lead midway through the half when a Feichin Gilsenan corner kick created a scramble in the Chilean goalmouth only to see the defenders clear the ball off the line twice in the same sequence of play.
Chile struck with their first goal only two minutes into the second half. Their second goal came about 15 minutes later amid Barnabas’ offside claims.
Battling performances were displayed by John Nolan, Vinny Norton, and Brendan McDonagh.
Next week, the thirds will play away to the Brooklyn Stars at 1 p.m., while the first and reserves play away to NYAC at noon and 2 p.m.
St. Barnabas will also be hosting their annual presentation night on Nov. 14 at Rory Dolan’s. For information, call Tadgh O’Callaghan at (914) 237-5782.
Rovers Reserves 3, Islip 2
The Rovers advanced in the League Cup thanks to a gutsy performance at Islip. But they needed every bit of the experience of defenders While Dempsey and the outstanding Mick Kavanagh to survive an early onslaught.
The Rovers took the lead on 20 minutes when Nick Sebastian finished a good move with a cool finish. However, a Sean O’Neill blunder allowed Islip to tie the game just before the interval.
Back came the Rovers in the second half as the game became a typical cup tie, end to end stuff. Paul Keogh brilliantly bent in a corner to put the Rovers back in front, and Niall Coogan set up Eddie Miraa Beji, who chipped the keeper for number three.
Islip came back and received a dubious penalty for handball against Dempsey.
Mick Carby made a fantastic save, but from the resulting corner O’Neill put the ball in his own net. The last few minutes were frantic but Carby was excellent in goal and the Rovers held on.
Massapequa Over 30s 2, Rovers 0
The Rovers Overs 30s bowed out of the league cup on Sunday with a 2-0 defeat by a Massapequa side containing seven ex-pros. The Rovers worked hard and were unfortunate not to capitalize on some early goalkeeping errors.
After just three minutes, Massapequa beat the offside trap and took the lead. Kieron Branagan was outstanding in goal and kept the Rovers in the game, and with Peter Halligen marauding down the left wing, the Rovers always had a chance.
Peter Quinlan had a good shot and, in the second half, Nigel Cunniffe had a shot turned over, but it wasn’t to be the Rovers’ day and Massapequa scored later on for a deserved win.
Shamrocks soccer
Andy Marcoons must be scratching his well-groomed head in wonder at how he has yet to play on a winning team this year. The big Cockney has turned in some sterling performances, but on Sunday the third team gleaned their first point of the season, with him between the sticks. The team won their first two games but Marcoons missed these through injury.
A goal down against the run of play, the boys in green fought back, and when Dave Kennedy equalized, it looked as if they would go on to victory, but despite the best efforts of Terry Horan, Anto May and Niall Carolan, a draw was all they could muster.
The second team continued to stay in contention with a fine 2-0 victory over Banatul at Downing Stadium. New signing Kevin Brennan, enjoying a purple patch at the moment, poached both goals, one in each half, to secure the points. The wrapper-up was a far-post header from a cross by John Walsh. But it was the first goal that Brennan will remember: a cracking volley from 30 yards past a helpless Banatul keeper. Fine performances from Paul Woodley, Emmet Macken and Seamus Pilkington helped ensure that Brennan’s goals would be enough to win the day.
The depleted first team proved to the doubters that they can live in comfort in the premier division when a below par performance was still good for three points. The team entered the fray without the inspirational Terry Lawless, still under suspension, and with two of his midfield partners Billy Henderson and Darren Thunder, carrying injuries, it looked like being a tall order for the Rocks. The team began brightly, but as the first half wore, on Banatul took control and pinned the Shamrocks back until they inevitably scored on 20 minutes.
When Ray Elsesser scored on 44 minutes, it served the Shamrocks well on two counts: (a) they we back on level terms and (b) the adverse effect it would have on the Banatul boys who were about to walk in at the break a goal to the good.
A stern talking seemed to work somewhat for the Shamrocks in the second half as they began to resemble themselves a little. Thunder finally surrendered to his injury and Aiden Welsh took over. This left Johann Lannon to move into midfield, and it was Lannon’s telling pass that set up the winner. His inch-perfect ball found Elsesser on the edge of the box. Elsesser skipped past two defenders, the second of whom decided he would go no further and upended him as he bore down on goal. The red card, the penalty award and the conversion were all formalities, given the severity of the tackle in the box and the consistency with which Paul Wilson punishes such an offense, 2-1 to the Shamrocks.
The Shamrocks had several chances to wrap up the game, most notably a piledriver from 25 yards from the boot of the once again excellent Ray Elsesser, that rattled the crossbar, and a John Guildea header that struck the same piece of apparatus. When Ger Watson waltzed through the Banatul defense for the umpteenth time, though, the game was over as a competition as the last man in their defense saw fit to drag the — about to score — Watson by the shirt tail and the referee had little option but to produce the red again. The Banatul defense held it at 2-1 until the end, but the three points were in the Rocks’ bag.
Lansdowne hand Fiona’s 1st loss
In the Bronx Irish soccer league, leaders Fiona’s slumped to their first defeat of the season, going down 3-1 to the Lansdowne A.
Despite taking the lead through a first-half Hillary Kelly goal, Fiona’s were unable to contain a second-half comeback from the winners as they fell apart defensively.
Fine goals from Anne Marie McMunn, Fiona Ward and Sadie Bolger sealed the points for the Lansdowne and the score would have been higher but for a penalty kick that was well saved by Ger Mahon.
The Southbend extended their winning streak to three games when defeating the Parlour Moms by 1-0. A goal from Rosie Downey separated the sides in a tight encounter where good defending from Caroline Conway and Aibhlish Dineen reigned in Karen Rice and the Parlour Moms attack.
An Beal Bocht held out in a 2-1 victory over the Starting Gate Harps. The Bocht took an early lead when a goal-bound shot from Laura Gannon was punched off the line by a Harps defender and Mary McEvoy converted the resulting penalty.
Sustained pressure from the Harps failed to yield a score even though Teresa Brink and Sandra Swinbourne came close. Then at the other end, Monique Edourdo conjured a goal from a very tight angle to leave An Beal Bocht 2-0 up at the break.
Within 30 seconds of the restart Harps grabbed one back through Hillary Potkewitz and for the remainder of the match it was a battle for the equalizer which never came, thanks to staunch defending from An Beal Bocht backline.
On her final game with the Harps before returning to Ireland, the league’s top goal scorer, Ann Carr, couldn’t find the target. While her absence will be rued by her teammates, defenses throughout the league will heave a collective sigh of relief while wishing her the best of luck in tormenting the defenders in Ireland.
O’Malley’s certainly made up for their goal drought when securing their first win of the season with a 5-2 defeat of the Lansdowne B. Lisa Margiotta had a hat trick, while Chris McGarvey and Maria Beckerle rounded out the tally. Christine Manny and Trish Quinn replied for the losers.
Next week’s fixtures see Parlour Moms vs. Harps and Gilligan’s vs. Fiona’s at 11:30 a.m., while at 1 p.m. O’Malley’s play An Beal Bocht and the battle of the Lansdowne teams takes place.