Aghabog 0-11 Rockcorry 1-15

Streamline Coaches Intermediate Football League, Round 4 – Sunday 25^th April 2010

Impressive Rock Claim Win Over Aghabog.

Team: Jamie Smith, Colin Reilly, Damien Matthews, Garry Calvert, Stephen McGuirk 0-4, Johnny Reilly, Keith Daly, Mark Daly 0-6, Liam Connolly, Noel Carroll 1-1, Martin Carroll, Dwayne Rooney 0-1, Paul McKeown 0-2, Mark McGuirk 0-1, and Conor McGeough.

Subs: Anthony Tate for Conor McGeough 

We travelled to Paric Emmet on Sunday 25^th April to play Aghabog. Played in slippery conditions, Mark Daly gave us the lead, in the first minute, when he elected for a return pass from a forty-five and he sailed over a fine point. From the ensuing kick out, Paul McKeown won the breaking ball and off-loaded to Stephen McGuirk, who took a few tough tackles, but he was able to setup his younger brother Mark who was fouled and Mark Daly was on hand to convert the free kick.  

In the sixth minute, Dwayne Rooney kicked a mighty point from the left wing to extend our lead. Aghabog responded in true fashion and notched over a fine point from play a minute later. Mark Daly restored our three point advantage when he curled over a lovely point after good play from Conor McGeough and Dwayne Rooney. In the ninth minute, Mark Daly fouled his opponent on the forty-five metre line, however, the free kick landed short and was broken down but an Aghabog forward was quickest to react and he fired over a point to leave the score 0-2 to 0-4. Aghabog closed the deficit to a single point, in the twelfth minute, when they launched a long ball into our defence and Colin Reilly was deemed to push his opponent in the back to give them a simple free taking chance, which they duly availed off. Stephen McGuirk increased our lead from a free kick after Dwayne Rooney was fouled on the thirteen metre line. A couple of minutes later, Mark McGuirk raised the white flag with a terrific point from play after he collected a pass from his older brother Stephen to open up a three point lead. However, that score was cancelled out within thirty seconds as Aghabog attacked and notched over a fine point from play to close the gap.

The crucial breakthrough came in the 19^th minute, when Noel Carroll completed arguably the best move of the game.  Paul McKeown directed a measured pass into Dwayne Rooney and he burst through a couple of tackles and he off-loaded the ball to Noel Carroll who collected superbly and sent an unstoppable kick to the net to give us a thoroughly deserved 0-4 to 1-6 lead. In the 21^st minute, play was stopped to allow an Aghabog player receive treatment. When play resumed Paul McKeown made a terrific solo run down the right wing, evaded two defenders, and sent a brilliant point over the bar to open up a six point lead. With a couple of minutes remaining in the first half Dwayne Rooney fouled Garry McBride on the twenty-one metre line and the Aghabog free-taker made no mistake to narrow the gap. A Martin Carroll shot at the posts, in injury time, drifted wide and we went into the break with a comfortable 0-5 to 1-7 cushion. 

Trailing by five points Aghabog looked determined to get back into contention and within forty seconds off the restart, they were awarded a free kick after Mark Daly fouled his opponent and they tapped over a simple free kick. The kick-out was fielded by Noel Carroll who directed a lovely pass into Dwayne Rooney but his effort at the uprights landed short and into the hands off the Aghabog keeper. However, our forwards were determined to win possession back and put severe pressure on the Aghabog defenders and when Martin Carroll intercepted a pass, he burst through the Aghabog defence, shipped a few heavy tackles and found his younger brother Noel who fired the ball over the bar.

Mark Daly, stretched our lead, in the 3^rd minute, when he weaved his way through the Aghabog defence to slot over a neat point after great defending by Keith Daly, Damien Matthews and Noel Carroll. We were guilty of losing possession during the next passage of play. Luckily the first shot drifted wide, but in the ninth minute Aghabog took advantage of another bad pass in our defence and they notched over a fine point. They hit another wide in the tenth minute but when Jamie Smith uncharacteristically hit a poor kick-out, Stephen McGuirk done extremely well to claim possession but appeared to be  fouled in the process, after a sliding tackle, and Aghabog won the ball back and scored to close the deficit to four points 0-8 to 1-9. Anthony Tate was introduced for Conor McGeough in the 12^th minute and when Mark McGuirk was awarded a free kick along the sideline it was brought in by the referee for dissent and Mark Daly calmly slotted over the free-kick to open up a five point margin. Martin Carroll won the kick-out but he was not able to hold on to possession and when Johnny Reilly fouled his opponent on the left wing approximately twenty metres from goals Aghabog curled over a fine point.

We restored our five point lead in the 17^th minute when Paul McKeown displayed some off his individual brilliance. He collected a pass from Anthony Tate, turned his man, soloed past another defender before firing over a powerful point from the right wing. Aghabog missed opportunities in the 18^th and 19^th minutes but they remained a constant threat and our defence had to stay vigilant and when they launched a long high ball into our goal mouth Garry Calvert was up for the task as he raised the highest to punch the ball clear from the danger zone.

A couple of minutes later Stephen McGuirk kicked over another excellent point, that completed a great move down the field which included Johnny Reilly, Anthony Tate and Mark Daly. In the 24^th minute, Aghabog launched another high ball into our goal mouth and luckily we were awarded a free out for a square ball. One minute later, Dwayne Rooney was fouled approximately twenty-five metres from goals, after receiving a perfect pass from Martin Carroll and Mark Daly again demonstrated his superb free taking ability when he slotted over the free kick. Mark Daly made it 0-9 to 1-14 in the 27^th minute when he sailed the ball right between the posts after a swift build up involving a number of players. We lost possession in the 28^th minute and Aghabog scored a point and they scored another shortly afterwards when their initial shot hit the post and the rebound was collected by an Aghabog player who fired the ball over the bar. We were awarded a late free in the 30^th minute after a powerful solo run by Martin Carroll and Stephen McGuirk converted the free-kick to secure victory on a score-line Aghabog 0-11 Rockcorry 1-15 in what was at times a thrilling, sporting and very enjoyable game of football.

Pairc Emmet is never an easy place to get a result in and our team management will be pleased with the efforts shown during the match and the two league points. With games coming thick and fast, victories over Eire Og and Aghabog should give our lads the confidence to collect more league points in this competitive league. Keep up the good work lads!