Currin 1-10 Rockcorry 2-11

Streamline Coaches Intermediate Football League, Round 7 – Sunday 16th May

McGuirk’s Goal Helps Rock to Secure The Points

Team: Jamie Smith, Colin Reilly, Damien Matthews, Garry Calvert, Keith Daly, Johnny Reilly, Stephen McGuirk 0-4, Mark Daly 0-2, Niall McKeown, Keelan Clerkin 0-1, Martin Carroll, Noel Carroll, Mark McGuirk 1-2, Paul McKeown, Dwayne Rooney 1-1.

Subs: Liam Connolly 0-1 for Keelan Clerkin, Barry Patterson for Damien Matthews (injured).

On Sunday 16^th May we made the journey to Scotshouse to play Currin in the Streamline Coaches Intermediate football league and continued our winning ways with a hard fought but a richly deserved victory over a determined Currin side on a score-line Currin 1-10 Rockcorry 2-11.

Currin started the game aided by a slight breeze and had the first chance to get off the mark but they failed to hit the target after thirty seconds of play. Stephen McGuirk was first to get his name on the score sheet when he converted a free-kick, from a tricky position in the 3^rd minute, after Noel Carroll was fouled on the left wing. Niall McKeown made a determined solo run towards goals in the 5^th minute but his strike at the goals was well saved by the Currin keeper that resulted in a forty-five which Mark Daly took short to Keelan Clerkin and he tapped the ball over the bar to extend our lead.

Currin had an opportunity to score in the 9^th minute but their effort went wide. In the 11^th minute, Johnny Reilly burst out of defence and was fouled in the process and we were awarded a free-kick where the ball landed. Stephen McGuirk took the kick but his effort drifted to the left and was cleared by the Currin defence. Currin were awarded a penalty in the 12^th minute when Colin Reilly was adjudged to foul his opponent in the square and Jamie Smith pulled off a fabulous diving save to push the ball wide for a forty five which subsequently they kicked wide.

Currin finally opened their account in the 14^th minute with a fine point from play. We responded a couple of minutes later when Noel Carroll delivered a pass into Mark McGuirk who was brought down and his bother Stephen curled over the free-kick to open up a two point lead 0-3 to 0-1. However, this lead was short-lived as Currin replied immediately with a neat point from play and the sides were on level terms shortly afterwards when they slotted over another fine strike. A minute later Currin took the lead when they converted a simple free-kick on the twenty metre line. In the 24^th minute, Johnny Reilly made a good run down the middle and he found Mark Daly who kicked a superb point from play to draw the sides all square with 0-4 apiece.

We were awarded a penalty two minutes later when Dwayne Rooney was fouled after an excellent passing move down the field that involved a number of players. Dwayne took the penalty kick and hammered it home to open up a three point gap. Noel Carroll made one of his trademark solo runs in the 29^th minute but on this occasion his attempt was off target. Currin closed the gap in the 29^th minute, with a long range free-kick and they missed two opportunities in injury time to leave the half-time score Currin 0-5 Rockcorry 1-4.

On the restart, we were guilty of losing possession that resulted in us gave away a simple free-kick which Currin duly converted to close the gap to a single point. In the 3^rd minute they drew level when they curled over another free-kick from the right wing and should off gone ahead in the 7^th minute but their effort on this occasion drifted slightly wide.

We responded swiftly when Mark Daly won the ensuing kick-out, with a wonderful high catch, and he delivered a pass to Noel Carroll who soloed towards goals and he off-loaded to Mark McGuirk who skipped past his marker and notched over a tremendous point to leave the score 0-7 to 1-5.

Liam Connolly was introduced to the game in the 9th minute and he soon made an impact as he slotted over a superb point a couple of minutes later to open up a two point lead. In the 14^th minute, Currin grabbed a goal when their attacker rounded three of our defenders ran right through our defence and smacked the ball to the back of the net to reclaim the lead. This setback seemed to wake us up as we came storming back with a goal and two points within a five minute period. The crucial score coming in the 17^th minute when Mark McGuirk fired a strong shot past the Currin goalie, after a terrific move down the field involving Noel Carroll, Martin Carroll and Johnny Reilly.

A couple of minutes later Stephen McGuirk converted a free-kick from the right wing to put us three points ahead 1-7 to 2-7. In the 20^th minute Martin Carroll was fouled and Mark Daly sailed over a massive point from beyond the forty-five metre line to stretch our lead to four points. Currin kicked wide in the 22^nd minute but they did manage to close the deficit a minute later when we once again lost possession in defence and we gave away a free-kick which they duly converted. In the 25^th minute, Noel Carroll was fouled but on this occasion, Stephen McGuirk’s attempt at the uprights was off-target and drifted to the left and wide. Noel Carroll won the ensuing kick-out by not letting his opponent out easy and he delivered a measured pass into Mark McGuirk who tapped over the bar. In the 26^th minute Dwayne Rooney collected a pass from Barry Patterson, who came on for the injured Damien Matthews, and he turned and kicked over a beautiful point to increase our advantage by five points.

Currin managed to close the deficit back to three points when they converted two free-kicks, one in the 28^th and the other deep into stoppage time. However, Stephen McGurik had the final say when he completed the scoring with a wonderful point from play to put the contest beyond doubt and leave the final score Currin 1-10 Rockcorry 2-11.

The quality of football on show may not have been to the highest quality, but it is results not aesthetics that earn you the points in the league table and I’ve got to say that every player showed great determination and gave their best and worked hard for each other as they were definitely tested by a committed Currin side that battled to the very end. However, to be truthful there were times during the game when we squandered a lot of opportunities and wasted a lot of possession. Improvements in this and a number of other areas will need to be achieved before we face Currin, in a couple of weeks, in the preliminary round of the Intermediate championship.