With the weather starting to pick up the Plunketts seem to follow suit, earning another 4 points on the road on Sunday. Possibly the longest away trip of the year but it was worthwhile with both the Reserves and the seniors winning, meaning the Seniors are joint top and the reserves force their way into 3rd in the table, so it’s safe to say with the league one third of the way threw we are well on track. Though both teams can only look ahead to the next two points. The reserve match was a case of goals that were and goals that should have been and the seniors could have done with a couple of goals to settle any nerves and put the game to bed.
Due to late arrivals on the behalf of Pomeroy lads as Google maps had given incorrect directions and the fact Aghyaran could only rustle up 14 players the game started as a 13 a side affair. Emmett Campbell reliably informed me that the reserve league in fact is only meant to be 13 a side and if 15 a side is to be played both teams must agree. Just shows how far football has grown and progressed that this rule is only now a whisper among such experts as Campbell, however I know he has a higher source supplying such unique information, though the sources identity is safe for now.
This more open game suited the reserves and they dominated from the throw in. Stephen McKenna was relishing his new role at midfield winning lots of possession with the help of his partner Eunnie “Hoc” McCourt. They were linking play between defence and attack very effectively, hitting pin point passes and spreading the ball well. Even when Aghyaran did manage an attack it was well snuffed out by the impressive Ryan Begley, Niall McKeeber and Gareth McAleer ( Gareth loves Pearl Harbour by the way, he says it is the historical accuracy???) if the opposition did manage to get a point or wide it was soon negated by quick counter attacking kick outs by Justin Lamb. That’s right, Justy Lamb. As Anthony Mckenna is still on forced sabbatical we were without a keeper, so Justy stepped in. what he lacked in height and distance he more than made up for in bravery and quick accurate kick outs. This helped create wave after wave of attacks.
Two goals were scored, great goals they were to with Kezzy Nugent making the right decision on a two v one situation but as I said it was more about the goal chances missed. I am sure that in a more important match these chances would have been dispatched with the usual authority but on this occasion it wasn’t to be. The bomber was the first up to miss a guilt edge chance, he then went on to miss another, scoring a great point in between from a tight angle. The frustration was starting to show and the fence behind the goals got the brunt of it as the orange boots got the taste of steel. Though within a few minutes normal business was restored as he scored the goal he craved after some great work by John Paul McNamee. Winning the ball in front he turned and decided to take on his man and what followed would be hard to believe, only I was there to see it myself. Bendy tried the most audacious dumbie you are ever likely to see, it was so good it even caught himself out, so much so he could be heard at the far side in the stand shouting, and I quote “ ah for f” and before he got to finish his sentence he had retrieved the ball before it hit the deck and his marker was eating dust. Maybe it was for the best he didn’t get to finish the sentence, though knowing him well I can only assume it would have been flip sake.
Bendy also set up another score using all his experience and strength with a great break down. The Plunketts had a very healthy half time lead. I did not get to see the second half, but I believe they pushed on hard and won the game at a canter finishing of yet another great team performance. Apparently there could have been 3 more points difference in the score, by all accounts Johnpaul McNamee was at his duming best again sending the keeper the wrong way leaving an empty net but for some unknown reason he hit the ball wide from half a yard out, as the story escalates people have even said he was under the crossbar at the time but my view is that this is only hearsay. Once again having great knowledge of the player I can only assume he had sympathy on the opposition. Just a nice humble guy who loves football and respects all players who do also.
The seniors had travelled to the St Davogs club mentally prepared for a tight tough battle which is to be expected up in Aghyaran as they give nothing away easy on home soil, possibly taking advantage of the tight field and the weary legs of the traveling team. The game unfolded in a completely contrasting manner. Aghyaran were obviously depleted as they could only manage to tog out 3 subs all of whom had played an entire reserve match which could not have been easy as it was an energy sapping day with the humidity at an all-time high for 2013. That’s according to the weather bible on countryfile.
The match itself started at a fast pace and the Plunketts got two early points with one reply from Aghyaran. Then as we started to dominate possession the game seemed to fall into an eerie lull. The home team became very uncompetitive and the crowd were not getting behind any team as there was nothing to cheer or even to boo as there were no incidents of note. The best way I could describe the situation is that it was like an uncompetitive friendly match played at the end of January. We kept plugging away chipping over a few points from Justy McCaffrey, big John Loughran, Hugh McNamee and the pick of the bunch from Olly McCresh, stepping inside his marker and scoring a delightful effort from out near on the wing.
Aghyaran tagged on one more point before half time to leave the score 08-02. Clearly we could have added on a few more scores possibly a major or two and this would have put the game beyond doubt but we failed to do so. In saying that, 6points is a good half time lead in any game. As the intensity level wasn’t what we had prepared for or at the level we had experienced in our previous two matches against Urney and the Rock we probably didn’t feel we had played to our potential. Only to be expected the home team lifted their game in the second half, pride can sometimes be a great incentive to get back into a match. Unfortunately for them Pomeroy had already tagged on another two points straight from the throw in thanks to some good work from John Loughran and the 8 point deficit at this stage was a target too high for them to overcome. We dropped our levels to 60% and I think this was mainly due to nature of the match.
Due to this lapse in concentration we had to survive a mini onslaught with Aghyaran pulling it back to a 4 point game, this is as close as they could get to level terms, the first time they got it to four we stepped it up a little bit and scored two points of our own, one from flying half back Brendan Burns who finished of a fine run from Aidan Cunningham who had started back in his own square. He had slithered and negotiated his way through a minefield of tackles until he had reached the opposite 40 metre line. Credit again must go to Aghyaran who kept fighting away and searched hard for that elusive goal but Brendan Cunningham was in an unforgiving mood at full back, putting in two blocks taking his total to 7 in the last three matches.
Brendan done very well to maintain focus as he had little to do in the opening 40 mins. I can only assume in this period of time he was working on his already impressive builders tan/burn or going over his silky dance moves in his head for the upcoming STRICTLY. Either way he was steady as a rock again in his new position. The final whistle blew and I believe both teams were just glad it was over. Nothing can be taken from the game for either side but it is another two points on the board and a professional attitude made sure we won the game while nowhere near our best.
All we can do now is look ahead to next week and take it two points at a time. We have Gallbaly who are also riding high in both leagues so it is sure to be an interesting Sunday ahead. It is a derby however that word seems to be over used especially when you read the Democrat, they consider Pomeroy v Gortin a derby. Strange to say the least but next week is a real derby, opposing neighbours, friends and family so get there and see a battle.
