Round Tower 1-5 v St Oliver Plunkett Eoghan Ruadh 2-12, Under 21 B Championship, Community Centre, 9th November
Failure to take goal chances left our Under 21 Footballers chasing St Oliver Plunkett Eoghan Ruadh and ultimately succumb to a heavy defeat in the Under 21 B Championship, writes Mick McGlynn. Towers created goal-scoring opportunities in the first-half but the failure to find the back of the net left them trailing by 6 points with 30 minutes remaining.
Towers were on the backfoot in the opening quarter and were two points behind when Eoghan Moore tracked back to palm away a handpass across goal that looked certain to be finished by an inrushing forward. Plunketts pointed from the resulting play but Towers then came into the game. A 40 metre pass with the outside of the boot by Conor L’Estrange was fielded high by Paddy Stynes and he palmed off to Micheál Walsh who pointed from close range. It might have brought a goal and Towers almost netted with the next attack when the pacey Shane Boland cut inside and he found a surrounded Tom Curran who passed under pressure to Alan Gavin and he struck well from the ground his effort was palmed away by the keeper. The deficit was reduced to a point on 22 minutes when Gavin pointed a 21 metre free from the ground. Another goal opportunity arose when Eoghan Moore’s high ball broke to Manus Smith and he struck under pressure but sliced his effort wide.
Plunkett’s number nine was influential throughout and he kicked a score to edge them two points ahead before a misplaced pass was punished when Plunkett’s number 15 seized upon it and broke at pace past three defenders before finding the net. Number 9 kicked another excellent score to leave Towers trailing 1-5 v 0-2. On 28 minutes Towers surrendered another goal opportunity. Smith ran at the retreating defence from midfield and after being fouled on the 40 he took a quick free to find Walsh in space and he struck a shot across goal that went just beyond the post. A goal before the break would have brought Towers right back into the match and another opportunity was denied when Boland and Smith built up from the half-backs and found Walsh in the inside forwards. He passed across goal to Curran but the keeper was quick off his line to deny at close range.
Towers were not deterred and moments after the restart L’Estrange found Daniel Craig, who moved from the full-back line to the forwards, and a good interchange with Walsh provided an opening for the latter but he shot just wide. Plunkett’s kicked two points before a great crossfield pass from Walsh found Boland up from half-back cut inside and kick a point. Substitute Joey Murphy pointed with 14 minutes remaining after he played a one-two with Stynes. Walsh was involved in the move and his vision was creating opportunities but we could not make the required inroads. Plunkett’s kicked three points before a goal left it 2-10 v 0-4.Boland again showed his attacking prowess from the half-backs when Murphy did well to control in a tight corner and found Walsh whose pass to the half-back was finished to the top corner of net. L’Estrange pointed a late consolation from a 21 before Plunkett’s finished with two further points.
Round Tower: Darren Core, Aaron Whelan, Daniel Craig, Seán O Donnagain, Jack Whelan, Conor L’Estrange, Shane Boland, Eoghan Moore, Michael Cleary Burns, Fergus Callely, Manus Smith, Alan Gavin, Micheál Walsh, Paddy Stynes, Tom Curran. Used sub: Joey Murphy
