February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
“We really didn’t play too well, to be honest, but we came away with three points,” the Bray-reared Woodcock admitted after the Red Hook encounter.
He felt the match could have gone either way even after McPherson’s 34th minute effort had put Celtic ahead, and it wasn’t until after Thomas’s insurance goal (80th) that the visitors could relax.
Celtic (2-2-1, 7) remained sixth in the nine-team Second Division, level on points with NIFA but with an inferior goal difference.
ROCKS DASHED
Shamrock’s Over-30 team were within two minutes of their first win in the “B” Division when a late goal at Dyker Field earned hosts SC Gjoa a 2-2 draw.
“They got an equalizer in the last moment of the game. We were very unlucky,” lamented Shamrock coach Sean Keogh.
The Rocks played with gusto, coming from a goal down at the interval to lead 2-1 with two well-worked goals.
John Munnelly’s leveler (50th) was particularly memorable. The new signing chested a high ball, beat a man and powered in a hard shot.
Ten minutes later, skipper Randall Friedman took a free kick on the edge of the box that midfielder Carl Hickey finished off.
But just when it seemed the Over-30s (0-2-2, 2) would register their first success of a thus far frustrating season, Gjoa, also winless at the foot of ‘B’ Division East pulled a rabbit out of the hat to pick up their first point (0-5-1, 1).
METRO BLUES
Depleted by several no-shows and the flu bug, Shamrock’s Metro Div. 2 side suffered a relapse after two straight victories in league and cup competition, succumbing 6-1 to Sporting Astoria at Long Island City High School.
Former coach Billy Henderson grabbed the under-strength Rocks’ consolation goal from a second half penalty.
Sebastian Acosta (three), Patria Prakasa, Gerry Fahey and Danny Garcia were on target for Astoria.
“All we can do is take it on the chin and keep on battling,” shrugged coach Robbie Walsh.
He could only muster six regulars for the fixture and had to rely on several Over-30 players, including himself, Hickey, goalie Joe Mulligan and Owen Sweeney, to make up the numbers yet again.
Among the missing stars were the influential Bingo O’Driscoll and Paddy O’Connor, both of whom starred in the 4-0 mauling of CD Iberia the previous work.
“A lot of guys work on Sunday,” Walsh explained.
BHOYS ECLIPSED
Lansdowne Bhoys’ poor marksmanship let them down again in the First Division where New York Albanians outshot them 4-2 at Tibbet Brook Field in Yonkers despite spotting the Irish an early goal.
Anthony Toner connected to a Damian Mescall (20th) cross to raise Lansdowne’s hopes midway through the first half, but the Albanians went into the break on level terms thanks to Elise Llagami (38th).
“We had six or seven good chances; our keeper had to make one save and he picks the ball out of the net,” Paul Doherty said, protesting his club’s bad fortune.
It got worse in the second half when the Albanians fired in two more goals by Besim Shalia (43rd) and Frank Dedvuka (60th) to go up 3-1.
The Bhoys, however, refused to surrender and pulled one back through a Marty Griffin header (75th) from a Dessie Beattie corner. But Albanians nipped any hopes of a late Lansdowne resurgence when Vladimir Prenga scored on the restart.
“It’s not going too good,” Doherty conceded, before offering some hope for the remainder of the season. “Once this team learns to win, they will win.”
For now, Lansdowne (0-5-1, 1) shore up the six-club Division One (West) standings.
RESERVES SHINE
Lansdowne’s reserves beat their Albanian opponents 4-2 in the curtain raiser to improve to 2-4 (6).
Pete McGinn and Aubrey each had a brace in the victory.
SMYTH DEUCE
Dubliner Jimmy Smyth struck twice and had two assists in the 5-1 thrashing of Banatul at the Metropolitan Oval that put Central Park Rangers White atop the Division Two table (4-1-1, 13).
Naldo, Evan Knight and Brian Leitien were CPR’s other scorers, while Tio netted Banatul’s face-saver.
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