Minutemen FC 1:5 Green Briar O30's
The Over 30's continued their winning ways at Cutter Field in Sudbury in the return fixture against Minutemen FC. It would be a another day of goalkeeper by committee as John Hickey and John Flannery took a half each just as they did in the previous meeting with Minutemen.
A few of the Briar players were struggling with their first touch early doors on the wet turf field surface. As the opening half progressed the team's passing and movement improved.
The scoring began after a low cross from Kilber-Stearns was spilled in the box by the Minuteman keeper. Leo O'Connor was quickest to react, picking the ball up in the area with his back to goal. With a neat turn and chipped shot Leo found the net with his seventh goal of the season.
Gary Keane was hoping his bench could produce some magic on the day and immediately after the introduction of Conor Bagnell good things began to happen. Bagnell's movement and link up play with strike partner McDonagh was excellent and eventually bore fruit.
The lead was doubled when Stephen McDonagh created some space for himself inside the area. Although the shot was on, he unselfishly laid a nice squaring pass to Conor Bagnell. Conor allowed the ball to roll across his body and then wrapped his left foot around the ball to find the net with a low shot.
Conor returned the favour minutes later. He gained possession on the right flank and cut the ball back to Stephen McDonagh at the edge of the box. Stephen swept a beautifully curling shot across the keeper and high into the left side of the net.
Making the turn at 3-0 Gary Keane still felt there was much room for improvement from his side particularly with their use of the ball in good positions. One key change at the half was the introduction of John Hickey upfront with John Flannery taking up the goalkeeping duties.
Keane did not get what he asked for however. The Briar side began the second half with very sloppy play. Less than emphatic and decisive play at the back invited pressure on the Briar goal as the side generally lost some shape and control of the game.
John Flannery's goal was living a charmed life at times as his back line were making poor decisions and getting a little too cute in trying to play out of defense. Flannery turned a shot over the bar on one occasion and a deep cross bounced off the crossbar and behind on another occasion.
The clean sheet was lost in typically sloppy fashion. The Briar defense were looking more like the Keystone Cops rather than the side that leads the division. The ball was poked home at the back post between Flannery and Glynn after the Minutemen attack was allowed too much space initially down the right.
So the Briar needed to come again in an attempt to regain the ascendancy, if not on the score sheet but in general play. John Hickey was definitely making use of his time in the field. Time after time his incisive runs down the right flank produced dangerous deliveries into the box. One delivery in particular flashing across the six yard box with nobody gambling at the far post.
It would be Hickey who would add to his assist total when he delivered a corner at pace to David Coen. Davey crashing the box and bundling the ball home in true Lee Chapman fashion. Davey would nearly add to his total later on with a sweetly stuck shot from distance. The inside of the right post was all that stopped the ball as the Minuteman keeper was beaten all ends up.
Leo O'Connor has been enjoying a rich vein of playing and scoring form this season, however he is not immune to the odd howling miss either. An absolutely exquisite in-swinging delivery from a free kick on the right was literally put on a plate for O'Connor. Leo only managed to blast the ball over from close range however.
An important trait of a great goalscorer is a short memory and minutes later Leo O'Conner shook off the missed chance from before to score his eighth goal of the season in the OTH league.
David Coen gained possession on the left and drifted inside and across the 18 yard box. A delightful reverse ball found Leo O'Connor in space in the box and O'Connor would slide the ball home under the keeper.
That would round out the scoring on the day as the Briar inch closer to their playoff berth. Although the score suggests a dominating performance, the Briar's play in the second half was poorer than the quality that Gary Keane expects and demands from his side. As the regular season closes out, the Briar will hope to tidy up their play in preparation for the playoffs.
A few of the Briar players were struggling with their first touch early doors on the wet turf field surface. As the opening half progressed the team's passing and movement improved.
The scoring began after a low cross from Kilber-Stearns was spilled in the box by the Minuteman keeper. Leo O'Connor was quickest to react, picking the ball up in the area with his back to goal. With a neat turn and chipped shot Leo found the net with his seventh goal of the season.
Gary Keane was hoping his bench could produce some magic on the day and immediately after the introduction of Conor Bagnell good things began to happen. Bagnell's movement and link up play with strike partner McDonagh was excellent and eventually bore fruit.
The lead was doubled when Stephen McDonagh created some space for himself inside the area. Although the shot was on, he unselfishly laid a nice squaring pass to Conor Bagnell. Conor allowed the ball to roll across his body and then wrapped his left foot around the ball to find the net with a low shot.
Conor returned the favour minutes later. He gained possession on the right flank and cut the ball back to Stephen McDonagh at the edge of the box. Stephen swept a beautifully curling shot across the keeper and high into the left side of the net.
Making the turn at 3-0 Gary Keane still felt there was much room for improvement from his side particularly with their use of the ball in good positions. One key change at the half was the introduction of John Hickey upfront with John Flannery taking up the goalkeeping duties.
Keane did not get what he asked for however. The Briar side began the second half with very sloppy play. Less than emphatic and decisive play at the back invited pressure on the Briar goal as the side generally lost some shape and control of the game.
John Flannery's goal was living a charmed life at times as his back line were making poor decisions and getting a little too cute in trying to play out of defense. Flannery turned a shot over the bar on one occasion and a deep cross bounced off the crossbar and behind on another occasion.
The clean sheet was lost in typically sloppy fashion. The Briar defense were looking more like the Keystone Cops rather than the side that leads the division. The ball was poked home at the back post between Flannery and Glynn after the Minutemen attack was allowed too much space initially down the right.
So the Briar needed to come again in an attempt to regain the ascendancy, if not on the score sheet but in general play. John Hickey was definitely making use of his time in the field. Time after time his incisive runs down the right flank produced dangerous deliveries into the box. One delivery in particular flashing across the six yard box with nobody gambling at the far post.
It would be Hickey who would add to his assist total when he delivered a corner at pace to David Coen. Davey crashing the box and bundling the ball home in true Lee Chapman fashion. Davey would nearly add to his total later on with a sweetly stuck shot from distance. The inside of the right post was all that stopped the ball as the Minuteman keeper was beaten all ends up.
Leo O'Connor has been enjoying a rich vein of playing and scoring form this season, however he is not immune to the odd howling miss either. An absolutely exquisite in-swinging delivery from a free kick on the right was literally put on a plate for O'Connor. Leo only managed to blast the ball over from close range however.
An important trait of a great goalscorer is a short memory and minutes later Leo O'Conner shook off the missed chance from before to score his eighth goal of the season in the OTH league.
David Coen gained possession on the left and drifted inside and across the 18 yard box. A delightful reverse ball found Leo O'Connor in space in the box and O'Connor would slide the ball home under the keeper.
That would round out the scoring on the day as the Briar inch closer to their playoff berth. Although the score suggests a dominating performance, the Briar's play in the second half was poorer than the quality that Gary Keane expects and demands from his side. As the regular season closes out, the Briar will hope to tidy up their play in preparation for the playoffs.
Line Up: Hickey, Glynn(YC), Hannick, Graham, McElwain(c)(YC), O'Donnell, Coen, Hall, Flannery, McDonagh, O'Connor
Subs: Kilber-Stearns, Kelly(YC), Shursky, Gillick, Bagnell
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