Strand UTD V Wgh U12 League Division 3

On Sunday October 30th wgh U12 travelled to Strand United for their third league game of the season. With two league games played and two loses it was important that wgh got a result in this game to kick start their league. With two wins in the national cup since the last outing in the league, wgh were going in to this game with confidence. However with the start of the game wgh took a long time to settle. Strand playing a very attack minded game, with three up front and playing a very high back line, Strand played offside to a very high level catching wgh centre forwards of Sean Desmond and Niall O Sullivan offside on a regular basis. Wgh struggled to adapt their play and really had to work hard to put a mark on the game. With some lovely balls been played up the left wing from Tom Murray, our centre forwards Sean and Niall were very unlucky not to capitalize on some great opportunities. With the game on a knife edge Strand were putting wgh back line under great pressure, 20 mins gone and against the run of play wgh got a free kick just outside the edge of Strands penalty box. Up stepped Colin Cronin to float a beautiful ball in for Sean Desmond who struck first time to the top corner of the Strands goal for the opener. Strand 0 - 1 wgh. Wgh started to work their way into the game and with 25 mins gone Tom Murray received a ball from Jake O Brien, Tom accelerated down the wing to put another lovely cross into the box. Timmy Hegarty raced down the right wing and connected at the back post to bury the ball in Strands goal. A fantastic counter attack by any standards. Half time finished Strand 0- 2 wgh. With the start of the second half and some words of encouragement from the wgh management team. Wgh tried hard to take control of the game but found it difficult to deal with the now four man forward line of strand who were now going for broke. Under ever increasing pressure and with 10 mins gone wgh conceded a foul on the right wing. Strand put a ball into the box that wgh attacked with no real conviction. Strand slotted the ball into wgh net. Strand 1- 2 wgh. In fairness to Strand it was no more than what they deserved for their constant pressure. With some immediate changes on wgh team, wgh started to step up a gear and with a fantastic immediate reaction to Strands goal wgh broke down the left wing with Tom Murray yet again, slotting a ball in for Sean Desmond to grab his second of the day. Strand 1- 3 wgh.Wgh now started to play with some more conviction and with the back line of Padraig O Leary, Seamus Ahern and Jake O Brien starting to take control of Stands forwards and playing some lovely balls out to the midfield, wgh were now beginning to show a bit more belief in themselves.Wgh were now dominating the play in Strands half, Strand now under some immense pressure started to concede more ground and corners. With a conceded corner,Jake O Brien for wgh floated a lovely ball to Niall O Sullivan who jumped to meet the ball and drive it past the strand keeper to get Wgh's fourth goal of the day. Strand 1 - 4 WGH. With only ten minute remaining on the clock and wgh keeper Padraig O Brien acting as a sweeper in the Wgh back line,it was Padraig who set up the move for the final goal of the game. With the ball played to Seamus Ahern from Padraig O Brien, Seamus played the ball down the wing to Tom Murray to run onto. Colin Cronin ran deep from midfield to meet the on coming cross to score wgh fifth goal of the day. Strand 1- 5 wgh. With Tom Murray contributing to wgh every goal and absolutely running riot on the left wing it was an easy decision to award Tom Murray Man Of The Match. While the final result will show Strand 1 - 5 Wgh, wgh were made to work for everything and on another day strand would have been a lot closer on the score sheet then the what final result was. Wgh will take confidence from this result and start to move up the league table and start showing why there in the third round of the national cup. With a special thanks to all the parents and fans that turned up to support wgh. Well done to all wgh the players from 1-12.