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Match Report · Joined: 25 Oct 2006 Posts: 127

U-18 v Ahorey
(7-a-side, Semi Final)
24/03/2009

Knocknamuckley and Ahorey met for the second occasion in this years Lurgan BBOB Sevens. In the previous encounter Muckley had ran out 3-2 winners in the group stage. With Ahorey having knocked Knocknamuckley out of the competition last year, at the quarter final stage, this promised to be a tight game.

The first chance fell Muckley’s way, when a long throw from Gregg Harrison picked out John Henderson’s run, but Hendo glanced his header just wide.

Ahorey were playing with the wind at their backs in the first half, and tried to utilise it at every opportunity. This was playing into Knocknamuckley’s hands, more often than not, as the ball got caught by the wind and drifted long. However, one such long ball nearly led to the first goal of the game, as the ball was allowed to bounce between the two centre backs, amongst some confusion. The Ahorey striker was on hand to fire a powerful shot on target, but Seth Mathers pulled off the save.

Knocknamuckley opened the scoring half way through the half. Andy Calvert displayed some composure on the ball and attempted to pick out Adam McKeown with a long ball. The pass was slightly over hit and bounced through to the goalkeeper. The goalkeeper managed to fumble the ball, and McKeown had stayed alert and followed the ball in, allowing him to tap into an empty net for the opening goal.

Calvert and McKeown combined again soon after, as the centre back dribbled the ball out of defence with some neat control before playing a pass left to McKeown, who was unlucky as his first touch allowed the defender a chance to get in the block and take away the opportunity. The next opportunity of the half came from a wonderful long throw from goalkeeper, Mathers. The throw put the Muckley attack past the Ahorey defence, unfortunately both McKeown and Stephen Russell went for the ball, when a clear call was needed, and McKeown, who got to the ball at the same time as Russell, saw his shot was blocked by the goalkeeper.

As the half drew to a close Knocknamuckley were beginning to control the game more, as some slick passing was putting pressure on the Ahorey defence. Despite the improved play and some good moves, they didn’t manage to fashion a clear chance at the end of the half, and went into the break one goal to the good.

Half time 1st Knocknamuckley 1 v 0 Ahorey

Muckley who were now playing with the wind at their backs were the side applying the pressure at the beginning of the second half. Seth Mathers was managing to put pressure on the Ahorey defence and goalkeeper, with some well judged goalkicks into the Ahorey box, and with some quick long throws, when he had the ball in hand.

John Henderson again threatened the Ahorey goal, by getting on the end of a throw in, just as he had in the first half. A long throw from Simon Grey picked out the run of Henderson, but his header was saved by the alert goalkeeper. However, Hendo didn’t have long to wait to get his goal. A Harrison pass across goal was aimed at Henderson but appeared to be running out of play. Hendo didn’t give it up as a lost cause and from an impossible angle managed to strike a powerful left footed shot on target, which the keeper couldn’t manage to gather, and the ball nestled in the net, for a fantastic goal.

Henderson was in the thick of the action again soon after, when a rather innocuous challenge from the midfielder led to his opposite number falling to the ground with a cry of pain. The Ahorey player’s knee twisted as he turned in the challenge, and had to be helped off the field after a short break for treatment.

The Knocknamuckley defence was at fault for throwing Ahorey a lifeline with five minutes to go. The ball could and should have been cleared on numerous occasions as the ball bounced around the Muckley box, before an Ahorey player got his two to the ball which rolled into the corner of the net passed a completely unsighted Mathers.

The Knocknamuckley players were determined to reach the final of this very competitive event, after the disappointment of losing in the Quarter Finals to Ahorey last season, and this showed with a very gritty display in the closing moments.
As Ahorey piled forward in the hope of snatching a draw it was actually Knocknamuckley who came the closest to getting a goal. Jonny Mawhinney made a great intercept deep in his own half, before surging up field with the ball. Showing great awareness he picked out a Stuart Campbell with a cross field ball playing the striker through on goal. Unfortunately Soupy just lacked the necessary composure and blazed over the bar.

The game finished 2-1 to Knocknamuckley, who can now look forward to their second final at Mourneview Park in three years. Despite not having put in any dazzling displays to date, there is still a lot more to come from this group of players, who despite having failed to hit top form yet, have still a 100% record in this competition, and are well capable of beating any side put in front of them.

Full time 1st Knocknamuckley 2 v 1 Ahorey

Team: Mathers; Grey, Calvert; Mawhinney, Henderson, Harrison; McKeown: Cowan, Russell, Campbell.

Goals: McKeown, Henderson.