College Corinthians rally and beat Blarney Utd in CSL U12 tie
Corinthian defenders Luke Higgins and Ollie Peterson close in on Jack Donovan, Blarney United, in the Cork Schoolboys League Division 1 game. Picture: Larry Cummins
Blarney United 1 College Corinthians A 3.
COLLEGE Corinthians A came from behind to secure a valuable three points in the Blackwater Motors U12 First Division as they defeated a talented Blarney United on the astro-turf at O’Shea Park.
A great strike from Ben O’Connor had given Blarney the lead midway through the first half but goals from Adam Ahern, Kristian Walsh, and Maciej Strachura ensured Corinthians battled back to earn a significant victory.
Due to the wet and blustery conditions over the weekend and the days leading up to it, a number of games across the entire Cork Schoolboys League were called off, particularly if they were set to be played on a grass pitch.
Thankfully this match could be played on Blarney’s excellent astro-turf surface and both teams played their part in a brilliant contest.
It was the home side that settled the quickest and they twice threatened to take the lead inside the opening minutes but after Alex Healy fired the ball into the side netting from a tight angle, Ben O’Connor saw a shot saved by goalkeeper Zack Hartnett.
But they would deservedly take the lead with just 12 minutes on the clock as O’Connor made no mistake with his next shot which he expertly drilled into the bottom left corner after it broke kindly to him in front of goal.
But Corinthians A, to their credit, responded well to that setback and just a few minutes later they levelled terms with their first effort of the morning.
Good work on the edge of the box from Kristian Walsh created the opportunity for the excellent Adam Ahern and he blasted an unstoppable effort into the back of the net.
Blarney had their incredible keeper Daniel O’Riordan to thank for ensuring they went into half-time level as he made a number of sensational stops to frustrate his opponents before the break.
First, O’Riordan raced from his line to deny Richard Ellis when he was through one on one before he produced an incredible double save to thwart Luke McMahon’s initial hit and Walsh’s subsequent rebound from close range.
The visitors would carry that momentum into the second period and they somehow failed to complete the turnaround shortly after the restart as both McMahon and Sam Pollock rolled the ball inches wide of the bottom left corner from great positions.
But Corinthians would finally make it 2-1 with close to a quarter of an hour remaining thanks to an exquisite finish from Kristian Walsh.
The number 10 created space before rifling his shot across the keeper and into the back of the net with the help of the inside of the far left post.
They soon needed Hartnett to make an acrobatic save to tip Michael O’Mulliean’s hit past his top right corner and prevent Blarney from making it 2-2.
And that proved to be decisive as Corinthians sealed the win moments later when Maciej Strachura tucked the ball home after racing onto a great through ball from Ellis late on.
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