Match Results & Reports

Blackcastle 'A' 3 - Rearcross 'A' 4 

It is impossible to win the race unless you venture to run, impossible to win the victory unless you dare to battle.
Richard M. DeVos

 

Rearcross A travelled to Templemore last Sunday to take on league leaders Blackcastle Utd in a must win game for both sides. Despite a rousing speech from the Rearcross management team prior to kick off it was the home side who applied all the early pressure, Cathal Leahy and Eanna Jones in particular coming close on a number of occasions. On the 15th minute mark the home side took a deserved lead through the boot of Cathal Leahy and a comfortable home win looked to be on the cards. Rearcross gradually felt their way into the game after this however, reinvented central midfielder David O’ Toole and his brothers Liam and Declan in particular beginning to assert more influence as the game progressed. On the half hour mark a foul on yet another reinvented central midfielder, Simon Kennedy, saw Derek O’ Toole coming close from the resulting free on the edge of the box. A string of half chances followed for the away side, Declan O’ Toole and Brian Sheehy both seeing their snap shots swing wide of the upright. Five minutes before the break a Greg Kennedy corner was met by the head of Diarmuid Sheehy who guided the ball into the path of Eamon Gleeson who volleyed the ball to the net from five yards out to level the game. Rearcross came out all guns blazing in the second half but somehow found themselves three goals to one down after two swift counter attacks within the first ten minutes -  Mel Mc Bride scoring his side’s second of the game after a goalmouth scramble, Cathal Scully scoring the third with an exquisite header to the corner of the net after a blistering move down the left flank. Two goals down to the in-form team of the Premier League, Rearcross knew they had to dig deep to salvage something from this tie although nobody, the prophet Isaiah and perhaps even the great man Nostradamus himself, could have predicted what happened next. The fightback began with a number of chances being created by the home side, Declan O’ Toole and Simon Kennedy coming close with efforts inside the box. A through ball by Simon Kennedy with twenty five minutes remaining found the onrushing Derek O’ Toole who coolly slotted the ball to the corner of the net and suddenly the visitors began to believe. Eamon Gleeson then knocked the ball to the net five minutes later, the jubilation being short lived however as play was called back and a corner kick was deemed to be the correct decision by the referee on this occasion. A gung-ho approach from the away side ensued and an equaliser duly arrived with  four minutes remaining on the clock, Derek O’ Toole slotting the ball to the net from the penalty spot after a Blackcastle defender was penalised for handling the ball on the line. A momentous victory was subsequently secured less than one minute later when an Eamon Gleeson surge resulted in the ball running on to Derek O’ Toole who copper fastened his second hat trick in two consecutive games to spark scenes of sheer joy and exultation amongst Rearcross players and supporters alike. Three minutes of injury time saw substitutes Liam Ryan (R) and PJ Mc Loughlin come to the fore to retain possession and put in numerous important tackles to secure the win. Credit must go to all the squad members and especially the management team of Derek O’ Toole and Sean Sheehy who weren’t afraid to tinker with both personnel and positions to guide their team to a very important three points.

 

Rearcross 'A': Sean Sheehy, Liam O’ Toole, Diarmuid Sheehy, Martin Mc Loughlin, Greg Kennedy, Simon Kennedy, Declan O’ Toole, Davy O’ Toole, Brian Sheehy, Derek O’ Toole, Eamon Gleeson.

Subs: PJ Mc Loughlin, Liam Ryan (R), Eamon O’ Toole

 

Referee: Jim McGrath

 

Report Compiled by Simon Kennedy