ULAA 1-1 Herbertstown
Chris Ryan was sent off after ten minutes in this game, making it an uphill battle. Stephen Lyons put us a goal up six minutes from the end however we conceded a penalty a minute later. The final score 1-1.
Coonagh 1-1 Herbertstown
With both ourselves and Coonagh in the top three of the division this was always going to be a tough tie. In the first half Coonagh were the better side, carving out three or four good chances but only taking one. The goal arrived twenty minutes in when our back four were unlucky to allow a Conagh player in while they sprang their offside trap and he duly finished to the net. In the first half Conor Wallace made some great saves and when Pat Dooley had to retire with a torn muscle in his buttock things looked bleak.
At half time though John O'Shea got to grips with the players and in the second half Herbertstown were a different team altogether. We took the game to Coonagh and on seventy minutes we scored a cracker of a goal through Alan Bourke. A ball was played into Brian Higgins and with his back to goal Brian laid the ball off perfectly to Alan powering through. With great determination, speed and strength, 'The Bourkie' showed great control to get the ball down and power a rocket past the Coonagh keeper.
From here on in, it looked like we could sneak a winner and when James O'Dea was fouled on 85 minutes we thought a penalty was inevitable but play was waved on. Both teams had their chances to win the game and at the death a Coonagh player got through and was about to send a piledriver to the net until Mike Ryan intervened with a tackle that would have jacknifed an artic, to earn us a point.
This was a good result for the B team, with John O'Shea's men showing great heart and plenty of hard work to come back from a goal down. Conor Wallace was excellent all through, the back four did well with James O'Dea giving a great display. In midfield, we battled all through with some neat passing and up front Keith Keogh and Brian Higgins were a constant threat. Fair play to all the lads who wore the jersey last Sunday, it was a point won rather than two lost. And with players of the quality of those who did not even get a game last Sunday, things are looking well for this team.
Team: Conor Wallace, James O'Dea, Paul Monks, Mike Walsh, Steve Higgins, Don Wallace, Shane Keogh, Mark Bermingham, Pat Dooley, Keith Keogh, Brian Higgins
Subs: Alan Bourke for Pat Dooley, Wayne Wright for Mark Bermingham, Mike Ryan for Steve Higgins. Leo Keogh, Ger Fitzpatrick, Kevin Higgins, Shane Mulcahy, Thomas Wallace.