30th January 2010

 

Kircubbin kept the pressure on league leaders with a hard fought 2-1 victory away to Rooftop FC. The home team have been predicted to finish in the top five of the league this year, and Kircubbin knew they were not travelling to Belfast to simply pick up the three points required to maintain their second place position in the league standings. It was a bitterly cold afternoon on the Shore Road playing fields, and the playing surface had to undergo a pre-match inspection to ensure that all the over night frost had disappeared.

Once the match got underway, Kircubbin made their intentions clear from the kick off with a long ball into the corner for Mick O'Prey to chase down, immediately putting the Rooftop defence under pressure. The home team were much changed from previous seasons, with only a few of the regular team from past years still playing in the current squad. Height was an obvious advantage the Rooftop team possessed with several tall players throughout the team. This caused Kircubbin problems on a number of occasions when Rooftop got any set pieces around the Kircubbin penalty area. Kircubbin took the lead early in the game with an excellent ball from Adam Arthurs over the Rooftop defence, allowing Turlough Bell to hit a snap shot low into the corner of the net from the edge of the box. This spurred Kircubbin into action as the team piled the pressure on the Rooftop defence, but without creating many scoring opportunities, and in truth both keepers had very little to do for the remainder of the half.

In the second half Rooftop came out on top and made their pressure pay off with an equalising goal, an almost carbon copy of Kircubbin's goal earlier in the game. After the goal however, the home team seemed to become more casual, allowing the Kircubbin players more time on the ball. This gave Mick and Adam more space on each wing, allowing them to capitalise on the slack marking. Turlough and Matthew Clarke constantly threatened the Rooftop defence, cutting through almost at will, but again without finding the elusive final ball into the danger area. It actually took a captain's goal from Philip McCarthy to regain the Kircubbin lead when he was first to react to a bouncing ball inside the area and managed to control his half-volley into the net. Adam Arthurs made way for the more experienced Fintan Bell and Jonnie Clarke made his second appearance of the season as the Kircubbin management looked to secure all three points with time running out. Even though Rooftop pushed everyone forward in search of an equaliser, it was Kircubbin who came closest to scoring again when Matthew Clarke raced through on goal only for the approaching keeper to smother the attempted shot. Kircubbin held on for a well deserved 1-2 victory.

This week the lads travel to Carrickfergus to play Barn Utd of Division 1A, in the second round of the Clarence Cup. Team to leave at 11.30 for a 1.30 kick off.