Sacred Heart Boys 6
Victoria Park 2
Sacred Heart played their first home game of the season at Solitude in the second round of the Edco U-11 cup with a place in the quarter finals at stake. Sacred Heart continued with their underdog status as the smallest remaining school left in the competition. However, the boys have already proven to be more than capable of punching above their weight with their slick passing and counter attacking football.
Sacred Heart started the brighter of the two sides when Matthew Gallagher’s pin point cross found an unmarked David Breen at the back post to head Sacred Heart into the lead. With confidence flowing through the Sacred Heart squad, David Breen intercepted the ball in the middle of the field and drove through the Victoria defence to slot home his second goal of the game. Sacred Heart were looking very comfortable with Alvin, Jamie and Lórcan dealing with every Victoria attack until a mix up at the back just before half time allowed the Victoria winger to cut inside and hammer home from close range. Half Time.
Victoria came out of the blocks early in the second half pushing forward and causing Sacred Heart problems in midfield only to be kept out by BJ’s quick reaction saves. Their excellent one two passing and movement created chances and it was only a matter of time before their striker found time and space to level the game at 2-2. It was nothing short of what Victoria had deserved. Sacred Heart had lost their rhythm and were relying on Cayden, Leo and David to carry the ball forward and relieve some pressure on the defence.
Leo was dribbling through the Victoria midfield before he was taken down by a Victoria defender on the edge of the box. The big striker dusted himself off before perfectly placing the free kick under the wall and into the bottom corner of the net; restoring Sacred Heart’s lead. As Victoria piled players forward looking for the equaliser Leo was finding space in behind Victoria’s backline. A long hopeful ball over the top allowed Leo to go through on goal and a cool finish gave Sacred Heart a 2 goal lead.
Victoria were not a team to roll over and continued to fight and battle for every ball. Cayden Markey’s excellent hold up play and vision again found Leo’s run who caught the bouncing ball sweetly, giving the keeper no chance and earning him a well-deserved hat trick. Leo was not finished there though. Matthew Gallagher later in the game drilled in a low ball from the left hand side and found the big striker a few yards out. There was only one outcome…..which completed Leo’s fourth of the game! Victoria were very unlucky with some of the goals and the score line flatters Sacred Heart in what was truly a very competitive game.
Man of the Match: Leo Snodden
TEAM
BJ Lindsay Cormac Moore Lórcan Loughens Alvin Tancogne
Matthew Gallagher Jamie Doherty Corey Keenan David Breen
Leo Snodden Cayden Markey
