The last couple of games for this group of players have been difficult for them for different reasons. One where they had played relatively well and were a bit unlucky in the end while the second against todays opposition they certainly hadn’t played well.
The worry is that confidence takes a bit of a battering. The challenge for this game was to get back to our usual passing game from the beginning and to start at a high tempo.
From the off the lads looked like the team that we know they can be. They were playing with great composure and playing as a team, passing the ball and supporting their teammates. While each member of the team is an individual it is the collective group that wins matches. The Park owned the ball in the first ten minutes of the game, passing it from Liam in goal through a back line of Darragh, Jack, Sean and Josh to Cianan, David and Conor and on to Colin up front. While they were playing really well a goal wasn’t coming and this is always a concern as it only takes a long ball over the top and the opposition can score. That almost happened when Celtic with their first trip into the Park’s danger area fashioned a chance that Liam saved brilliantly. Not long after this the lads got the goal they deserved. A ball into Colin was controlled and laid back to Cianan who picked out David unmarked in front of goals and he finished to put the Park a goal to the good. This move illustrated why it is important to pick out the player in the better position.
We continued to control possession and went in search of a second that would take any pressure off. There were a number of chances but shots from really tough angles and other reasons meant that the lads had to wait until close to half time before getting a second through a finish from the edge of the box. At this stage David who had run himself into the ground had been replaced by Danny, Cillian had come on for Colin up front, Ben had come in at full back and Samuel had come in at the back to great effect
H-T Killarney Celtic 0 – 2 Park A
Venice came on upfront for the start of the second half and was in the action right from the beginning when he held the ball up and played a good ball to Josh who finished first time to the net to make it 0-3 to the Park. At this stage the Park were in full control and playing really well. They were causing lots of problems from corners, free-kicks and crosses. Colin, Cianan and Sean had chances to extend the lead but it was Darragh who the ball broke to on the edge of the box who struck a fine shot home to make it 0 – 4 and game over.
F-T Killarney Celtic 0 – 4 Park A
A deserved victory but more importantly a very good performance. Of course there are still many things to work on but in general we played positive team football and thats what this group need to concentrate on. Well done lads.
Match report by Pat Doody .
