13th December 2008

 

Kircubbin played hosts to Queens II last Saturday, a team currently lying third in the league standings. This was always going to be a tough encounter as the Queens team usually has a substaintial pool of players to choose from. The home team started off brightly with an excellent chance to score in the opening minutes. Some good football down the right wing allowed Sean Masterson to deliver a perfect cross to his brother Brendan, but somehow he managed to miss the target from only five yards out. Brendan did make up for his early miss by giving Kircubbin a well deserved lead midway through the half. A missed clearance from the Queens defence allowed Brendan to scoop the ball home from close range. Kircubbin were in control of the game, but minutes later the entire Kircubbin team stopped play for what looked to be a blatant foul, however the referee allowed play to continue and the Queens striker made no mistake with a powerful shot from the edge of the box. 1-1 at the break.

In the second half Kircubbin were now playing with a slight wind advantage. Brendan and Matthew were working well up front, allowing the Queens defence no time to dwell on the ball. The midfield quartet of Sean Masterson, Ciaran Taylor, Ross McCann and Adam Arthurs were all up to the task , going forward as well as helping out at the back. Fergal and Cahal controlled the defence as usual with Paddy O'Prey and Jamie Fowler. Fintan was a spectator in goals for long spells of the game, but when called upon he kept the Queens threat to a minimum. Ten minutes into the half Kircubbin were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box. With regular free taker and team captain Jonnie Clarke unavailable through injury, Ciaran Taylor stepped up to curl the ball high to the keepers right hand side. The keeper managed to get a hand to the ball but was only able to palm it to Brendan Masterson to tap home his easiest goal of the season and give Kircubbin a slender lead. The Queens team didn't panic at this stage with plenty of time left, and continued to play the same style of football. Luckily for Kircubbin their attacking was not up to their usual standard and the home team managed to hold on to the lead until the final whistle. Final score 2-1 and a well deserved three points.

Next week the team are at home to Bangor Rangers in the league. Team to meet at 1pm. Remember you can now view all Kircubbin's results and league table on the club's website kircubbinfc.com.