We Are Going Up!

Pictures courtesy of Mick Ring and Blink of An Eye Photography




What a bloody night!

Promotion, a 5-0 win, and an encounter with one of Ireland's most famous goalkeepers capping off a fantastic start to the Easter holidays. Before heading off to the Cross, there was the small matter of taking my own side one massive step closer in our premier promotion bid. A late winner saw us beat this years champions and means we only need one more point from our last game to go up.

Anywho, after the late dramatics I got back to the dressing room and immediately checked my phone to see four texts reliably informing me that Graham Cummins had already bagged himself a brace. Happy days! I talked one of the lads into giving me a lift and so made it out just before the half, and besides an uncomfortable save by Mark McNulty, I saw little action by the time half-time was called. The game commenced at a slow pace, Finn Harps had little to offer, and seriously lacked any sort of firepower up front, which goes a long way to explaining why they haven't managed to pick up a win thus far in the 2011 campaign, while City were cruizing in second gear, clearly saving their energy for the following week's trip to Salthill.

The game re-woke in the 65th minute though, through a goal from an unexpected source. Davin O'Neill had been absolutely annonymous in the game up to that point, but scored an absolute peach, when he cut in from the left hand side and curled an Henry-esque shot across the helpless Ciarán Gallagher and into the far corner of the net. From there City forgot about saving themselves, and put the sword to a completely out-of-sorts Harps. Vinny Sullivan had a rasping shot blocked, and Gearóid Morrissey saw his effort go wide. But it was third time lucky for City, and it was Vincent Escudé-Canadu's turn to score his first goal for City.

Morrissey turned provider and played a sublime ball through the Harps backline to an onrushing Canadu, and the Frenchman showed composure in abundance, slotting the ball though Gallagher's legs and into the Harps net for the fourth time. Then it was five! Davin O'Neill felt agrieved after having been brought down in the box and given nothing in return, but ref John Grimes relented a few seconds later after Cummins had his legs taken away from him. The man himself converted to complete his hat-trick, the first one by a man in City colours since Roy O'Donovan! (Or so I'm told, I can't remember it's been that long!)

A nasty collision between Timmy Kiely and 'keeper Gallagher saw the Harps netminder with a nasty headache, but a free-out by the compassionate Grimes. And on his full time whistle the Shed sung proudly in City's biggest competitive win since June 2008 against Cobh Ramblers! As previously mentioned (if you were paying attention) we're all off to Salthill on Good Friday, and that's where the next post will be set (but not from, can't afford a laptop, recession like!)

Le semaine prochain,
Kev