KDFL under 20 Division
Caragh Celtic FC 6 Clongorey FC 2
Caragh Celtic welcomed Clongorey FC to a rain soaked Donore on Saturday for this KDFL U20
league fixture. This was Caragh's final home league fixture in the inaugural season of the U20 league
and the home team finished their home league campaign in style with a comfortable 6-2 win.
The home side opened brightly with some slick passing and dominated the early possession stakes.
However Clongorey stunned the home support after five minutes when they took an unexpected lead
with their first venture into the Caragh half. There didn't appear to be any real danger to the Caragh
goal but an under hit back pass in the wet conditions gifted possession to Clongorey striker Conor
Kealy who gratefully accepted the gift to put his team 1-0 up.
This unexpected setback didn't seem to unsettle Caragh though and they continued to pass the ball
well and put the Clongorey lads on the back foot. The home team didn't have to wait long for the
equaliser that their good play deserved when after ten minutes a Shane Malone free kick delivery
from the left flank into the visitors area was met perfectly on the volley by Ross Ward to find the
corner of the net. The home team went on to dominate possession and chances for the remainder of
the first half.
Next up for Caragh was Adam Fleming after fifteen minutes, when he was switched on to get on to
the end of a quick free by Ross Ward, to finish emphatically from close range. Caragh noses now in
front for the first time, a lead they wouldn't give up. Caragh grew in confidence as the half progressed
and played some smashing football in the trying heavy conditions. Jamie Cullen then made it 3-1 to
Caragh after twenty five minutes when he chased what looked like a lost cause and he managed to
pick up on a slip from the Clongorey keeper and finish to an empty net.
Both the home team full backs, Dylan Free and Niall Cramer, were causing the visitors all sorts of
problems with their up field forays. After thirty five minutes Dylan Free scored the goal of the game
when he spotted the Clongorey keeper off his line and smacked his shot from thirty five yards out on
the wing into the top corner to make it 4-1 to the home side. Niall Cramer then tried to match Dylan's
effort when he cut in from the left wing and unleashed a shot from twenty five yards that looked
destined for the back of the net but for a super full stretch finger tip save from the keeper to deny
Niall's effort. But Caragh didn't have to wait long to extend their lead. From the resulting corner on
the stroke of half time a goalmouth scramble ensued that Clongorey couldn't deal with and the ball
was eventually bundled over the line by Jack O'Neill to make it 5-1 to Caragh at half time.
The second half followed the same pattern as the first albeit without the same volume of goals. With
both teams now making multiple changes the tempo of the game dropped but Caragh were always in
command. Daniel Hamill and Shane Malone in the heart of the home teams midfield worked tirelessly
throughout and must have covered every blade of the Donore pitch. On the hour mark Caragh got
their sixth and final goal of the day when Ross treaded a pass through to Luke Martin who took one
touch before finishing in style from just inside the box. The game petered out after this and became
quite scrappy for the remainder. Clongorey did get a final consolation goal though when Declan
Adebayo got on the end of a corner to finish from close range to make it 6-2 at the final whistle.
An excellent performance by the home team to finish out their home league campaign in some
style, with everyone playing their part with some really slick football in very tough conditions.
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