Rockcorry 0-20 Emyvale 1-9

Streamline Coaches Intermediate Football League, Round 5 – Friday 30th April 2010

“Rock on Fire”

Team: Jamie Smith, Colin Reilly, Damien Matthews, Garry Calvert, Keith Daly, Johnny Reilly, Stephen McGuirk 0-1, Mark Daly 0-8, Liam Connolly, Keelan Clerkin 0-2, Martin Carroll, Noel Carroll 0-5, Mark McGuirk 0-1, Paul McKeown 0-3 and Dwayne Rooney.

Subs: Niall McKeown for Keith Daly, Pauric Reilly for Liam Connolly, Colin Quinn for Paul McKeown.

The rock band, Kings of Leon had a massive hit last year entitled “Sex on Fire”, the boss Bruce Springsteen had a hit  “I’m on Fire” and last Friday evening our senior team were “On Fire” as they produced a great performance to defeat Emyvale in the fifth round of the Streamline Coaches Intermediate Football league on a score-line Rockcorry 0-20 Emyvale 1-9.

We started brightly with a point after thirty seconds of play from the boot of Noel Carroll following an impressive solo run right down the middle. Indeed a shot at the goals may have entered his mind, but he opted for the safest option to get us registered on the scoreboard. A Paul McKeown effort in the 2^nd minute drifted wide, but a minute later Mark McGuirk was awarded a free kick and Mark Daly took it quickly to Paul McKeown and he notched over a fine point. Martin Carroll and Noel Carroll exchanged passes in the 4^th minute to set-up Mark McGuirk for a point which he took very skillfully to extend our lead. 

Emyvale opened their account, in the 5^th minute, when they were awarded a free-kick after Colin Reilly fouled his opponent and they tapped the free over the bar. A Keelan Clerkin shot went wide in the 7^th minute but when Stephen McGuirk won the ensuing kick out he directed a lovely pass to Noel Carroll who sailed over a terrific point. A minute or so later, an Emyvale player rounded Garry Calvert but his attempt at the uprights drifted wide. In the 9^th minute Mark Daly found Keelan Clerkin and the young lad kicked a fine score to open up a four point lead.

Liam Connolly shot wide in the 10^th minute before Emyvale closed the deficit, after Johnny Reilly pushed his opponent in the back, they took a quick free and the Emyvale attacker slotted over a neat point. Good defending by Johnny Reilly resulted in the Emyvale player over carrying the ball and the free kick was taken to Stephen McGuirk who received a nasty tackle and the referee awarded a free kick where the ball landed. Mark Daly delivered a long pass into Mark McGuirk but his attempt drifted wide.

At this stage Niall McKeown was introduced for Keith Daly, who had to retire early from the game with a side injury, and he soon made an impact when he found Mark Daly with a wonderful pass and Mark accurately fired it over the bar to open up a four point lead 0-6 to 0-2. Emyvale responded in the 18^th minute with a fabulous long range point to close the gap back to three points and they were awarded a free-kick a minute later when Johnny Reilly touched the ball on the ground but their effort went wide.

We reacted straight away when Johnny Reilly directed a pass to Keelan Clerkin, who off-loaded to Liam Connolly, rounded his marker, returned the ball back to Keelan Clerkin and he  completed a fine move with another excellent point to leave the score Rockcorry 0-7 Emyvale 0-3. We extended our advantage in the 21^st minute, with our defence performing extremely well under pressure, Damien Matthews won possession he off-loaded to Stephen McGuirk, who set off down the left wing and he found Mark Daly and he directed a measured pass into Paul McKeown who finished the move in style with a brilliant taken point.

A minute later Johnny Reilly was deemed to touch the ball on the ground again and the Emyvale free taker made no mistake to sail over a long range point to close the deficit. Emyvale should off closed the gap during the 23^rd and 24^th minute but they were off target on two occasions. We took advantage as we notched on two additional points. The first coming from the boot of Paul McKeown and the second from Noel Carroll to open up a six point lead 0-10 to 0-4. Mark Daly completed the scoring of the first half, with a fine individual effort. He received the ball along the line, made a powerful solo run down the left wing, cut inside and fired over a terrific point to leave the half time score Rockcorry 0-11 Emyvale 0-4.

Within a minute of the restart, we were awarded a free kick, on the left wing towards the dressing-rooms and Stephen McGuirk effortlessly and accurately fired it between the uprights.  Mark Daly won the ensuing kick-out and he off-loaded to Noel Carroll who raced through from midfield with one of his surging solo runs and rifled the ball over the bar.

From the kick-out, Martin Carroll won the breaking ball, after Mark Daly broke the ball down, but he was surrounded by Emyvale players and was unable to find a green jersey and lost possession. Emyvale sent a long ball into our danger zone and Damien Matthews did really well to keep them out but the Emyvale player somehow sent a low kick towards goals but Jamie Smith advanced swiftly to thwart the Emyvale attacker from scoring a goal.

Mark McGuirk missed an opportunity in the 5^th minute when his shot drifted slightly wide. The kick-out was won by Emyvale who directed a long pass to their forward line. Niall McKeown, and Garry Calvert were on hand to clear the danger to Johnny Reilly who off-loaded to Martin Carroll but he was penalised by the referee for taking too many steps, free-kick to Emyvale on the forty-five metre line. They lobbed a teasing ball into our goal mouth and Jamie Smith once again was on hand to deny the Emyvale player a free opportunity to strike at goals and the ball went wide.

Emyvale won the kick-out and quickly set up another attack but the efforts of Colin Reilly won back possession and he off-loaded to Damien Matthews who found Liam Connolly in acres alongside the dugouts and a swift move involving Niall McKeown and Keelan Clerkin found Noel Carroll and he sent a low pass towards Dwayne Rooney who turned his opponent but his effort drifted to the left and wide. The Emyvale goal came, in the 9^th minute, when they won the kick-out and after a couple of passes around mid-field they pumped another long ball into our danger zone and on this occasion Colin Reilly was fouled on the 13 metre line on the left wing. Garry Calvert took the free kick, and uncharacteristically, he hit it straight to an Emyvale player and through his efforts to regain possession, he fouled his opponent and while we were questioning the decision, the Emyvale player lobbed a ball into the square and Colin Reilly was at a height disadvantage, the Emyvale player fielded, turned and shot past the on rushing Jamie Smith to leave the score 0-14 to 1-4.

A minute later Emyvale missed another scoring opportunity this time going wide. Mark Daly won the ensuing kick-out and he off-loaded to Noel Carroll, on the stand side of the pitch, and he found Keelan Clerkin who went on a solo run but unfortunately he lost possession and as he tried to win it back he fouled the Emyvale player on the forty-five metre line. Emyvale directed another long ball, this time into the right corner forward but his cross over towards the goals was intercepted by Niall McKeown who directed a measured pass to Dwayne Rooney, just in front of the dugouts, and he sent a superb cross field pass to Mark Daly who burst through the initial challenge, made a couple of yards and kicked a brilliant long range point.

Niall McKeown won the breaking ball, in the 13^th minute, after Liam Connolly broke the ball down, and he went on a solo run towards goals and was fouled on the forty-five metre line. However, the referee brought the ball up for dissent after an Emyvale player kicked the ball away and Mark Daly tapped over a fine free kick. To say Emyvale made an instant reply is an understatement as they registered a point within ten seconds – catch the kick-out, an off-load, a fist pass, one solo and a fine strike to score.

In the 15^th minute, Martin Carroll was fouled as he was fielding the kick-out and Mark Daly sent the ball into Paul McKeown who rounded his man lovely and off-loaded to Mark McGuirk but his shot at goals, from an acute angle, was well saved by the Emyvale keeper as he pushed it wide for a forty-five. Noel Carroll took the forty-five but his attempt was prevented from going over the bar by the Emyvale keeper and they broke at pace and when Stephen McGuirk broke down their attack he found Mark Daly but on this occasion Mark was guilty of over carrying the ball and a free kick to Emyvale which they duly converted to leave the score 0-16 to 1-6.

Martin Carroll spurned a wonderful scoring opportunity in the 17^th minute as his attempt from the 13 metre line landed softly into the waiting arms of the Emyvale keeper. Paul McKeown and Mark McGuirk worked hard to win back possession and forced Emyvale into making a mistake and Mark Daly, who was proving to be a real handful, contributed another neat point when he gathered the lose ball and sailed the ball  over the bar. Emyvale responded immediately, but Garry Calvert was out in front and was awarded a free-kick. On this occasion, he did find a green jersey Johnny Reilly, who played a great cross field pass to Mark McGuirk who made a darting run towards goals and was brought down on the 13 metre line and Mark Daly converted a close range free.

Emyvale closed the gap in the 22^nd minute when Niall McKeown was penalised for over carrying, and they tapped the free over the bar. We responded in great fashion when the kick-out was initially won by Emyvale but they lost possession and  Mark Daly collected and off-loaded to Keelan Clerkin who found Noel Carroll who passed it to Martin Carroll who sent a pass into Paul McKeown and he off-loaded it to Mark McGuirk, ( I know, it’s going on a bit, but its nearly over!) and he supplied Noel Carroll who off-loaded to Paul McKeown and he passed it back to Noel Carroll, who decided enough was enough, and his effort from a tight angle went over the bar.

Emyvale replied a minute later when they launched a direct high ball into our goal mouth area and Garry Calvert, who is not the tallest player but what he lacks in that department he makes up with pure uncontrolled passion, jumped the highest to fist the ball wide for a forty-five. The forty-five was collected by Mark Daly and as he was bursting out of defence he was fouled which relieved the pressure. With four minutes left to play, you would normally see teams taking their time, wind down the clock by using up some valuable seconds. But not on this occasion, we were “on fire” and Mark Daly took the free quickly to an unmarked Dwayne Rooney and once again he directed a lovely pass, inch perfect, into our forward line, this time Paul McKeown was the target and he sent a terrific point over the bar.

In the closing stages, Emyvale scored two further points, one from a free kick after Colin Reilly was deemed to foul his opponent and their last score came with only seconds remaining as they made one last desperate attack and they did manage to come close to score a goal, but Garry Calvert was the right man in the right place as he deflected their shot, which was heading for the top corner, over the bar to leave the final score Rockcorry 0-20 Emyvale 1-9.

Overall the team management will be happy with the win, but will be astutely aware that improvements in certain areas will need to be made as we progress through this very competitive league. Giving away simple frees like over carrying or touching ball on ground, giving away possession and not converting simple scoring chances needs to be worked on if we are to be involved in the business end of the season. Nevertheless, we thoroughly deserved the win as we were far slicker, sharper when compared to a more physically stronger Emyvale side. We moved the ball quickly, with great purpose and showed a great work ethic and teamwork and we need to repeat this performance this weekend as we have another tough encounter against Tyholland. Good work lads, keep it up!