NDSL 9A1
Saturday,4thDecember
2004.
This
was a bruising encounter between two well-matched sides. Swords got a shock with
the passion Celtic showed straight from the kick-off. The pressure told when
Eoghan O’Donnchu was about to score but was callously taken down
in the box. Ryan Moore Kearney converted the resultant penalty. Swords
piled on the pressure and Eoin Sweeney pulled off a string of saves, one, of which, was
a full-length dive to tip it over the bar…class.
In the second quarter,
Phillip Fitzpatrick came on and seemed to be behind every move. He combined with
Tom Fogarty and Dan Ring to create several chances. Celtic deserved 2 or 3 goals
for the effort they put in. Against the run of play, and, with a hint of
hometown decision, Swords were given a dubious penalty. 1 ..1
After half time, Castleknock roared back. They broke down the Manor defence with skill and determination. The deadly duo were at it again……..Ryan and Phillip combined superbly for Phillip to finish off a well - worked move. 2-1 Celtic.
Unfortunately,
after such good play from Celtic, they were caught on the rebound and Swords
Manor equalised 2-2.
Swords
thought they had broken the back of this courageous side but they were in for a
surprise. Hard tackles were met with equally hard tackles. It was a credit to
Castleknock that they were the cleaner of the two sides. Tom, Danny Byrne and
Luke Henshaw went down in some tough tackles. Luke had to retire after one and
anyone who knows Luke realises that he must have been hurt bad. Patrick Rocca
and Eve Farrelly were rock solid in defence and kept a clean sheet for the final
quarter.
The official referee did not turn up and it was agreed that each team would officiate either half. Sean O’Donnuchu ‘volunteered’ and deserved praise for the unbiased nature of his refereeing considering some of the comments he was getting from the sideline.
The
result was hotly debated on the bus on the way home. Whether Celtic deserved to
win or not, this was a Premiership performance.
Team
: Eoin Sweeney,Patrick Rocca,Eve Farrelly,Tom Fogarty,Dan Ring,Danny
Byrne,Eoghan O’Donnuchu,Ryan Moore Kearney,Phillip Fitzpatrick,Luke Henshaw.