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KDFL Lumsden League Cup (Round 1)

Allenwood Celtic FC 6 Longwood FC 1

On a blustery morning in Allenwood we Welcomed Over 35 Division 2 side Longwood FC to Killina Rd for the first round of the esteemed KDFL Lumsden League cup. The home side came away with a resounding victory to put themselves in the draw for the second round of the League Cup. 

The game started with both teams feeling each other out. On the eleventh minute the home side broke the deadlock when Evan Moore latched onto a through ball from Dara Wade in midfield and left the keeper with no chance to put Allenwood Celtic 1-0 up. 

Longwood didn’t let this early lead by their more fancied opposition faze them and went on the attack from the tip off and disaster struck for the home side when Allenwood keeper Alex Bontas missed the ball and fouled the Longwood attacker to give away a penalty and also received a yellow in the process. K O Malley dispatched the penalty with aplomb to level matters on the twelfth minute. 

Allenwood reacted almost immediately to redeem themselves and went regained their advantage just two minutes later when Arkios Kasonga after some good work down the left wing hit a pass across the box for Marian Chis to come in from the right wing and smash it home to make it 2-1.  The visitors battled hard and the game ebbed and flowed with neither side taking control until the forty first minute when the impressive  Arkios played off a ball that fell to left back Brian Connaughton who rifled home from all of thirty five yards, goal of the day to double the home side’s advantage.

Longwood were under pressure leading into halftime and Ben Roche hit a stinging shot from an assist by Marian Chis that was too hot for the Longwood keeper who spilled it into the net to make it 4-1 to the home side going into the break. 

Allenwood made a substitution at half time with the introduction of Jamie Stafford for Marian who was carrying an injury from a tackle in the first half. He made an immediate impact when he added Allenwood’s fifth, after getting a free inside the box following a corner from Dara Wade, to head it into the back of the net to make it 5-1. 

To their credit Longwood kept going to the very end.  The last goal for Allenwood was a counterattack when Evan Moore got the ball on the right and played a perfectly weighted pass into the path of second half substitute  Mo Azzam who clinically dispatched it with the instinct of a real good finisher. The game finished 6-1 to the home side. Best for Allenwood were Evan Moore up top. Brian Connaughton at left back and Dara Wade and Jason Wyse working tirelessly in midfield. Longwood number 8 and number 3 were best for them on the day.