Feature Game

KDFL Under 20 Division 1.

Ballycane Celtic FC 4 Coill Dubh AFC 3

Ballycane and Coill Dubh played out an entertaining and physical game in which the

home team came away with three points in this seven goal thriller. The home team

started quick and won a corner in the first minute of the game but Coill Dubh defended it

well and broke on the counter and earned themselves a corner down the other end.

Swinging in a lovely corner Coill Dubh headed in the opener at the back post. Ballycane

got going again straight away and after a couple of decent efforts on goal working the

away keeper they finally got an equaliser from a corner of their own. Harry Jones swung

the ball in and Eoin Byrne knocked it down to Jake Connolly who calmly slotted the ball

into the bottom corner of the net to make it 1:1.

Both teams were now creating chances and although Ballycane were having more

attempts on target it was Coill Dubh who went ahead for the second time when they

swung in a lovely cross from the right and their striker got a lovely header on goal leaving

Ryan Nolan with no chance in goals. 2:1 Coill Dubh and Ballycane needed to get going

again and they did some nice passages of play led to both Harry Jones and Lewis Knox

working the away keeper. Right-on half-time Sam Murray tried his luck from range but

found the away keeper in the way again however from the resulting corner Harry Jones

found Eoin Byrne at the back post and he couldn't miss his header from two yards out.

2:2 at half time. 

The second half became a bit more physical with both teams going hard to try and get the

advantage. Eventually Ballycane’s Conor Norton put the home team ahead after a lovely

switch ball from Conor Malone played him in one on one and this time Norton found the

net having spurned a couple of similar opportunities earlier in the half. Ballycane began to

sit in and invited the away team but they were struggling to find the equalizer. Apart from

a couple of times when the home keeper made good saves Ballycane were fairly

comfortable and it was them who got the next goal when a long goal kick from Ryan

Nolan was pounced on and calmly finished by Conor Norton to make it 4-2 to the home

side.

At this stage Coill Dubh threw everything forward. They finally broke Ballycane with

virtually the last touch of the ball when they floated a corner to the back post and Ryan

Nolan in goals was unlucky not to keep it out. The home side held out for an important

three points. In an all round team performance best on the day for the winners were Jake

Connolly , Talen Kelly , Conor Norton , Charlie Cahill and Harry Jones.