Green Briar O30's secure 1st place in Division on forfeit

Green Briar O30's 3:0* Boston Gunners (Official)

Green Briar O30's 5:2 Boston Gunners (Friendly)

It didn't happen the way it was expected to happen (i.e. by forfeit), but that wont take away from a season long effort that saw the inaugural Green Briar Over 30 team gell as a unit and lead the OTH Division 5C from post to post. This is only the preliminary work however, as the playoffs are around the corner and each player will need to ensure they get everything right to secure promotion from the knock out format.

 

With this in mind the Briar took the opportunity to scrimmage their short handed opponents on the day, in order to maintain their match fitness. With some Briar players volunteering to make up the numbers for the Gunners, it was game on.

 

With the edge taken off of the contest, it can only be assumed that the Briar players switched off. They found themselves trailing after 4 minutes to a speculative lobbed shot as the Briar defense allowed too much space at the edge of their box. This seemed to serve as a wake up call for the players.

 

John O'Brien had the ball in the net but did so from an offside position. John Hickey sent a drive over from 20 yards and he would turn provider minutes later only to see John O'Brien mistime his connection on the half volley.

 

With the chances going begging the Briar would find themselves 2 down after 20 minutes. Again sloppy defending allowed a shot from 18 yards to beat Ken Mullane and ricochet off the cross bar and up into the air. The next piece of action was pure magic.

 

Chasing down the loose ball, Tom McElwain found himself looking skyward and facing his own goal from 6 yards out. With no immediate pressure around him Tom decided to take "the clearance" on the volley. Showing great agility he contorted his body into a position Gerd Müller would have been proud of. And just as Gerd did in 1970 versus England, Tom smashed the ball home on the volley with aplomb. The next edition of the Merriam-Websters may have a picture of Tom next to the words Horses Ass as he pole vaulted into the lead for the not so coveted end of season award.

 

Things needed to improve in the second half if the Briar were to save face. The inspiration for the come back came all the way from the west coast of Clare. Patrick "Muscles" Kelly from Kilkee Co. Clare with forever be spoken in the same breath as Rossi vs Brazil in 1982 and Fowler vs Arsenal in 1994. Kelly in 2011 was the hatrick hero. The first player in the history of the club to record such a feat.

 

His first on the road to Green Briar immortality came just after the 5 minute mark of the second half. He controlled a diagonal ball to the left edge of the box with his first touch and with a dip of the shoulder and a flick past the defender he made room for a shot that was driven with such ferocity, low to the keeper's left, that as the keeper got a hand to it, he was unable to change the tragectory of the ball's journey to the net.

 

 His second came in the most oppotunist of fashions. A ball that was bouncing around the Gunners box was contested in the air by Gavin Hall and Elie Nasser. As Hall fell one way and the ball fell the other, Kelly pounced on the loose ball like a stray cat behind Fitzpatricks of Kilkee and hit a sublime shot on the half volley low to the keepers left.

 

The trifecta was completed just 10 minutes before full time. John O'Brien unselfishly passed the ball off in the box to Kelly. From closer range than his previous two strikes it was merely a formality for him to control and shoot to the net to crown a great performance.

 

In other news, John O'Brien scored two sloppy goals to complete the victory.

 

Line Up: Mullane, Glynn, Concagh, Hannick, McElwain(c), Kelly, Joyce, Hall, Shursky, O'Brien, Hickey Subs: O'Donnell, Caldwell

Games for June 11th and 12th

Please be at the field at least 30 minutes in advance of Kick Off

Green Briar O30's vs Boston Gunners ( 8AM Kick-Off  )
JUNE 11th
Danehy Park (Grass#3)
166 New Street
Cambridge MA 02140 (Map)

Green Briar O30's vs Rovers FC ( 8AM Kick-Off  )
JUNE 12th
Middlesex School Field
1400 Lowell Road
Concord MA (Map)

Green Briar FC vs FC Canon Sportif ( 12PM Kick-Off  )
JUNE 12th
Danehy Park (Grass#3)
166 New Street
Cambridge MA 02140 (Map)

Another tough defeat for the Briar

Suchi FC 4:2 Green Briar FC

With a weakened squad through injury and general absense, the Green Briar looked to bounce back after their heavy defeat last time out against Olympiakos. Alas it was not to be against a Suchi side that the Briar players will feel were there for the taking.

As the game started, the Briar was not at full strength but nonetheless began brightly and when Peter Miller took the field the team settled down and played some tidy football on the familiar turf field of Colombus Park in South Boston.

The Greens could not convert their possession into a lead however and with a combination of individual mistakes and a backline that was exposed for pace, Suchi raced to a 3:0 lead at the half. Every player is prone to a mistake but repetitive untidy play and poor decision making in the defensive third suggest problems with concentration and composure under pressure rather than anything to do with bad luck. Such school boy errors will need to be eliminated if the team is to get back on track this season.

A teams's ability to play as a united front in the face of heavy pressure and an individual's ability to dig in with his fellow team mate showing support, comradery, concentration and accountability for their own performance level will help the Briar right the ship and pick up the points they know the hard work in training deserves.

The players showed great desire to get back into the contest in the second half. Captain Colin Goin had a hand in the Briar's reply. A great driven freekick was met in the 6 yard box by Brian McGuinness who powered a crisp header to the net.

Unfortunately Suchi FC found a fourth with a quality goal from distance to restore their 3 goal cushion. Green Briar came again however and added their second from the spot after a handball in the box. Brian McGuinness stepped up and bagged his brace confidently.

Rob Coyne was next to threaten the Suchi goal. A late run into the box was perfectly timed to meet a low cross from Eamonn McCarney. His sliding strike only found the under side of the bar and bounced to safety. As the Briar pushed forward in search of the comeback, another defender got into the action. Gary Hennessy found a yard of space in the box but was unable to connect with his head as the ball flashed across the goal.

With two games left before the mid season break, the Green Briar have a chance to forget the recent run of poor results and start climbing the table again. That can start on the 12th June against fellow strugglers Canon Sportif FC. This is a tie that should be targeted for a good performance as Lowell Utd wait in the wings the following week.

Line Up: Mullane, Hennessy, Goin(c), Lally, Coyne, Claus(75'), McGuinness, Doonan, Samati, McCarney, DelPieri(15')

Subs: P Miller(75',YC), G Clarke(15')

Hard fought win for Over 30's

Green Briar O30's 2:1 Harvard

With only a few games to go in the season and holding the lead in Division 5C, the Briar needed to navigate a tricky game against Harvard on a holiday weekend with many squad members absent. In fact Harvard would also be struggling for numbers on the day but nonetheless put in a decent performance.

This week's game would start like many others this season. The Briar are notoriously slow starters and with many players clearing their heads from a night of drowning the Champions League sorrows, it was to prove an even slower start than usual.

The Briar were struggling to unlock the offside trap of Harvard and it could be said they squandered much of the possession they enjoyed in the early going. Time and again the Harvard defense was aided by mis-timed runs and even slower deliveries out of the back resulting in an annoying number of offside decisions.

Kevin O'Donnell contributed with at least five offsides in the space of the first five minutes he was on the pitch as he tried to cheat the line and gain that yard he has lost in recent years.

The notable chances in the first half fell to Stephen McDonagh. After a cross was only half cleared, Kevin O'Donnell turned it goal ward. A defender stopped the attempt on the line and the rebound fell to McDonagh who snatched at his shot and sent it over from 6 yards. Later he would be on the end of a teasing cross from John Hickey only to see the effort go over once again from a free header at the back post.

Gavin Hall added to the abysmal showing in front of goal minutes later when an untimely bobble undone his good run from midfield and his shot went harmlessly behind for a goal kick.

The deadlock was finally broken with a nice strike from distance. A ball over the top from Paul Glynn on the right wing was mistimed by the Harvard defender and Michael Graham settled the ball to play a neat one-two with Gavin Hall on the edge of the box. After receiving the return ball he found space for a shot from just outside the area. His effort looped into the top left corner over the despairing keeper.

With the slender 1:0 lead at the turn the game was still in the balance. That lead would be relinquished fairly soon after the restart when an innocuous ball over the top caught Conor Hannick and Danny Concagh flat footed. Danny won the race to the ball but hurried his back pass which rebounded back off the keeper to the trailing Harvard attacker who made no mistake with his finish.

A rude awakening for our side who began to rue the missed chances from earlier. The response was good however as the Briar made some good chances in the ensuing minutes. Conor Hannick was unlucky not to hit the target from a towering header from a corner kick and John Hickey spurned two good chances also. His first effort finding the side netting from a barreling run of his own when perhaps the squaring ball was the better option. Later he was on the end of a cross from the left but shot wide on the half volley.

The lead was finally restored with a great move down the right wing. John Hickey made a run and was found with a nice ball over the top. He charged to the bi-line and cut an inviting ball back to Leo O'Connor who side footed the ball to the bottom left corner with deadly precision.

The Over 30's are doing well to keep the steady flow of wins coming in and with only 2 games left in the regular season they will need to regain some goal scoring form as the crucial playoffs approach.

Line Up: Keane, Glynn, Hannick, Concagh, McElwain(c), Graham, Joyce, Hall, Hickey, McDonagh, O'Connor

Subs: Kelly, Shursky, Nassar, O'Donnell

"Fast 6" Star filming in Watertown

The king pin of the Fast and the Furious franchise Eli Nassar (stage name Vin Diesel), took some time out from filming the much anticipated sixth installment of the high octane film series (Fast 6: Watertown Drift) to check out the team playing. The boys were more interested in why he left Jordana Brewster on the set rather than the unusual plot twist of his character, Dominic Toretto going under cover as a german footballer.

Games for May29th

Please be at the field at least 30 minutes in advance of Kick Off

Green Briar O30's vs Harvard ( 9AM Kick-Off  )
Fillipello Park (Grass)
110 Arlington Street
Watertown MA 02472 (Map)

5-Spot for Over 30's

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.

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