St. John's U-16's remain unbeaten

Expert Electrical U-16 C Championship

St. John’s 3-8 St. Michael’s 1-13

St. John’s remain unbeaten

St. John’s made it 2 wins out of 2 in this year’s Expert Electrical U-16 C Championship but had to fight all the way against a resolute St. Michael’s side who can count themselves very  unlucky not to have won the match  having struck the crossbar on no less than 3 occasions writes Michael McGee.

Ryan Walsh had an outstanding match and would end as top scorer with a personal tally of 1-8 for the young St. Michael’s star. Walsh was quick into his stride his shot came off the crossbar in the first attack. The St. John’s goalie had to alert had to make a great save from Eamon Keavney.  It was Walsh again that opened the scoring on 3 minutes with a left footed point on the right wing.  Two minutes later a defence splitting pass from St. John’s Cameron Keavney to Darren Neilis who blasted to the net from 14 metres.  Keavney pointed himself soon after with St. John’s leading 1-1 to 0-1.

Four Points from the impressive Walsh and one from Jack Haran in an dominant 8 minute spell seen St. Michael’s into 0-6 1-1 after 16 minutes.   Haran had a chance of a goal when he gathered a weak kick out from the St. John’s goalie but he shot tamely wide with the goal at his mercy. The St. John’ s management made  an astute substitution when bringing on Darren Somers for Evan Davy after 19 minutes and he made an immediate impact when slotting over a point.  The St. Michael’s goalie Richard Fallon pulled of a tremendous save from Cameron Keavney for a 45. Keavney took the free off the ground and Somers rose highest to punch the ball to the net for a great individual goal to put St. John’s into a 2-2 to 0-6 on 24 minutes.   Fallon in the St. Michael’s goal denied Cathal Jordan what looked like a certain goal 2 minutes later.  Points from Ryan Clancy & Ryan Walsh ensured both teams would go into the interval level with St John’s 2-2 to 0-8 St.Michael’s . 

Darren Somers raced 20 metres before off loading to Scott McGarry who point at the start of the second half for the Carraroe side.  Walsh kept St. Michael’s in it with a free from 20 meters.   Scott McGarry had an excellent chance to put St. John’s further ahead after been put through by Somers intelligent ball. McGarry couldn’t control it and the ball dribbled harmlessly wide.  St.Michael’s missed a number of good scoring opportunities and a number of bad wides with  the ball dropping invitingly into the arms of the St. John’s goalie. James Baker steadied St. Michael’s with a long range point.  Patrick McDonagh found Darren McNeilis in space and McNeilis popped it over the bar to level the match at 2-4 to 0-10.   Cathal Jordan’s brace of points put a little daylight between the teams.   Ryan Clancy reduced the St. John’s lead with a well struck score.   St. Michael ‘s began to get on top and Ryan Walsh ran at the St. John’s defence and cracked a powerful shot off the crossbar following a sweeping counter attack  and put St. Michael’s into an 1-11 to 2-6 lead with 18 minutes gone. Walsh gave an outstanding display and again pointed a 14 metre free.  Back came St. John’s again with a point from Darren Somers and almost immediately  Darren McNeilis scored his second goal following good work form Keavney. Patrick Donagh  added a point with time almost up.  In almost the last passage of play St Michael’s Ryan Healy had a chance to win it but his goal bound shot came off the crossbar. Kyle Crawley gathered the rebound and pointed to end the scoring with St. John’s getting an almighty scare from St. Michael to win by the narrowest of margins 3-8 to 1-13. St John’s best players were Darren McNeilis, Darren Somers, Cathal Jordan, Cameron Keavney, Conor McGovern while St. Michael’s had the outstanding Ryan Walsh, Ryan Healy, Ryan Clancy and James Baker all making telling contributions.

Scores St. John’s  Darren McNeilis 2-0, Darren Somers 1-3, Cathal Jordan 0-2, Cameron Keavney 0-1, Scott McGarry 0-1, Patrick McDonagh 0-1,

St. Michael’s  Ryan Walsh 1-8, Ryan Clancy 0-2, Jack Haran 0-1, Kyle Crawley 0-1, James Baker 0-1

St. John’s : Conor McGovern, Patrick Hansbury, Darren Fleming, Cathal Byrne, Shane Egan, Cameron Keavney, Cathal Jordan, Scott McGarry, Patrick McDonagh, Evan Davy  Jordan Gorman,

Subs used: Darren McNeilis ,Joe Spratt, Darren Somers, Dillon Lynch McMorrow

St.Michael’s :Richard Fallon, Kyle Crawley, Niall Mullin,  Ryan Clancy, Darren Kelly, Jack Haran, Ryan Healy,  Ryan Walsh, James Baker, Kevin Baker, Eamon Keavney.

Subs used: Jack Clerkin,

Referee: Rory Dillon.