Under-17
Corkbeg – 1
Carrigtwohill – 1
Although Carrigtwohill vs Midleton matches are considered the real local derby, in this age group, it is Carrigtwohill vs Corkbeg which has been the most regular fixture because the two teams have so often in the past played in the same division.
The previous encounter between the two teams back in November had delivered a hard fought 1 all draw, although Carrigtwohill had hit the crossbar in the last minute of play.
This match, with more at stake for league leaders Carrigtwohill than for Corkbeg, seemed to be headed in a different direction this time with Carrigtwohill 1 nil up with 15 minutes to go, but in the end, Corkbeg took advantage of very drastic weather conditions to equalise with only 12 minutes to go. Try as they might, Carrigtwohill could not regain their advantage and the hosts might even have won it in the end if their strikers had been more inspired in front of goals.
The business end of the season: with Greenwood losing out to Corinthians the day before, Carrigtwohill were looking to stretch their advantage at the top of the table, but their hosts had other ideas and took the better start. It took a full 20 minutes for the visitors to settle and start passing the ball. They played through the middle a bit too much however and the ref called offside them time and time again, although at times, it seemed more than marginal. On 40 minutes however, Carrigtwohill played a repeat of the goal scored against St Mary’s two week prior with Robert Adam playing Rian Notley through the middle with a sharp through ball for another clinical finish by the Carrigtwohill striker.
The second half was marked by a strong wind against Carrigtwohill which went from strength to strength and literally turned into a gale as time went on. Carrigtwohill were still in control of the game and seemed to hold the result they wanted, still creating many chances, but tellingly, not capitalising. With 20 minutes left on the clock, mother nature unleashed a gale of hailstones on the pitch and Carrigtwohill were under massive pressure, every clearance turning back towards their goals. Sensing the opportunity, Corkbeg through caution to the wind (!) and created upheaval in the Carrigtwohill defence. With 12 minutes to go, a moment of confusion in the 18-yard box led to a free strike from 15 yards out which left no chance for an otherwise impeccable Darren Flynn in the Carrigtwohill goals.
So 1-1 it finished, probably a better results for Corkbeg than for Carrigtwohill, still on top of the table, but with only a slim lead on Greenwood who have three matches in hand, with Innishvilla and St Mary’s not far behind. It is a sure sign of the improvements and commitment of this team that a draw and a 12 league match unbeaten streak can seem like a disappointing performance!
Man of the match : Sean de Burca