February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By Jay Mwamba
Three players were ejected in a hot-tempered affair at Downing Stadium that ended with Shamrock S.C. slipping to their fifth defeat of the season in the Cosmopolitan Soccer League (CSL), against nine-man New York Albanians last Sunday.
Shamrock were hit hard and early, when the Albanians took a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes on goals by Mirsad Hisseinovic (15th) and Nino Pjetri (20th).
Midfield workhorse John Guildea pulled one back from the penalty spot in the 35th minute, and for a spell Shamrock’s hopes of getting back in it looked good.
Then the match, one of two CSL First Division fixtures played on a cup-laden day, took a wild turn. Albanians had two players red-carded for rough play in the 47th and 57th minutes, and Shamrock started pushing forward in a bid to make their numbers count.
The ‘Rocks paid dearly for that, conceding a killer goal by Angelo Badis ((75th) on the break.
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The reserve game finished goalless.
"When we were 2-1 (down) at the half we looked good. But the final pass was lacking," said Dermot Clarke, who is still searching for his first win as Shamrock’s coach.
"It was a tough game. They tackle hard and they don’t quit," Albanians’ Joe Shrekli said of their Queens rivals who beat them on penalties in the League Cup final last June.
Albanians (9 points) climbed into fourth place with the win while Shamrock remained rooted to the bottom of the First Division.
Turkish threat
In an Ireland-Turkey meeting in the Third Division, Shamrock dispatched FC Fenerbache 2-0 on Willie Murphy’s brace.
The junior Rocks (5-0-0, 15) share first position with Central Park Rangers, although the CSL newcomers, who knocked off Chile FC 4-1 at Mitchel Field in Long Island, have a better goal difference.
David Lockyer (two), Mike Savage and Alessandro Parise connected for Central Park, while Vargas (86th pen) hit Chile’s consolation.
Split decision
Lansdowne AC (3) moved two spots up from the foot of the Second Division (West) after a 2-all tie with Clarkstown S.C. at Van Cortland Park. Ronan Creaney netted both goals, lifting the Bronx club into sixth position in the process.
Lansdowne’s reserves battled to a 3-3 tie with their Clarkstown opposites, courtesy of Paul Tuffy, Kevin Madden and Ray Barrett.
Gaels thrashed
Six no-shows from his starting eleven had coach Jimmy Ralph hopping mad after Astoria Gaels were routed 9-0 by CD Iberia at Randalls Island.
Juan Carlos Fontenada had the hat-trick, while Roberto Lugris, Victor Gonzales, Omar Dominguez, Sergio Micas, Jose SanMartin and Pablo Avelleira scored for Iberia (10) who took the lead in Division Two (East).
Surprisingly, Iberia led only 1-0 at the interval. "We missed a ton of goals in the first half. After that (we) got our feet straight," said Iberia sweeper Michael Torres who claimed to have made only two touches the entire game.
Nigel MacKenna was on target for the Gaels reserves in their 2-1 loss.
NYAC advance
First Division champs New York Athletic Club got past Glen Cove 1-0 in the first round of the Dr. Manning Cup at Travers Island. Andre Parris, making his first appearance of the season, outjumped the Glen Cove defense to nod in a corner in the 70th minute.
"We were the better team, but it was a close game all the same," said NYAC boss Ronan Downs whose reserves outshot Islip 4-2 on penalties in the Heidecker Cup.
Fair result
First Division leaders New York Dinamo (13) drew 2-2 with fellow promotion side Fairfield/Westchester United in a fiercely contested match at Allerton Field.
Both Dinamo goals came from the penalty spot — Tony Camaj (30th), Mured Ibrahimov (55th) converted — while Matt Kelly (10th) and Steve Marinkowitz (75th) replied for Fairfield.
"They’re one of the best teams we’ve played so far. They gave us a good game," said Dinamo coach Kristo Curanovic.
"We played really well and could have put it away in the last 15 minutes," observed Fairfield’s Gary Meginnis.
The Fairfield reserves run off 6-1 winners.