Spielbericht

Our Minor boys’ team ‘locked horns’ with Colaiste de Hide following the scintillating 6-6 draw before midterm break, in the replay of the Leinster Cup quarter-finals. The winner would be playing the winner of O’Connells or Drimnagh Castle in the semi-finals.

Our boys didn’t get off to the best of starts when they conceded after only two minutes. Colaiste de Hide won a throw-in on their left wing and played developed to the edge of the St Kilian’s penalty area before a speculative shot by an opposing midfielder took a deflection and looped over Adam in the St Kilian’s goal. Our boys responded well and after good play down the left wing between Adam Abu Shabab and Hubert Rebow, the former crossed in for Hugo Heisterkamp to convert to the net. However, the referee’s whistle dampened the St Kilian’s celebrations as the goal was ruled out for offside.

Midway through the first half, Colaiste de Hide doubled their lead when a free kick from the halfway line caused problems for the St Kilian’s defence and the opposing striker reacted quickly to finish the move with a shot into the bottom corner of the net. St Kilian’s cause was delivered another blow five minute later when, following excellent approach play by the opposing right winger, he crossed a tantalising ball into the St Kilian’s penalty area for his teammate to divert the ball to the net.

St Kilian’s responded immediately when a good interchange of passes between Abubakr Elhag and Josh Wynne resulted in Marti Marti Gomez being played through and he calmly rounded the keeper and finished to the empty net. Shortly after, Hugo Heisterkamp was played a precise pass from defence by Michael Borodin. He coolly beat two defenders and was bearing down on goal before unleashing a shot that the keeper did well to parry. Unfortunately, no St Kilian’s player could get to the rebound before the ball was scrambled away for a corner by the Colaiste de Hide defence.

St Kilian’s continued their dominance and two minutes from halftime, they won a penalty when Adam Abu Shabab was upended in the box. Marti Marti Gomez’s well struck shot was goalbound until the intervention of their keeper who anticipated the way Marti was shooting. He saved it well and the whistle went for halftime just as Colaiste de Hide were about to clear the danger from the penalty area.

The second half saw St Kilian’s continue their relentless search of a second goal and their way back into the cup tie. Five minutes into the half, an interchange of passes between Ryan Phillippe and Marti Marti Gomez saw a perfectly weighted pass being played into Hugo Heisterkamp. Hugo and the closest defender raced for possession of the ball and Hugo just got there first to prod it past the keeper. However, bewilderment befell the St Kilian’s players when the referee’s whistle went and Hugo was adjudged to have been offside – harsh!!

However, St Kilian’s didn’t have long to wait and after another passing movement in midfield, the ball was played through for Adam Abu Shabab. The advancing keeper was favourite to win the race to the ball but Adam’s acceleration was lightning and he got there just in time to ‘toe’ it past the keeper and finish to the net. GAME ON! St Kilian’s were dominant but Colaiste de Hide still posed a threat on the counter attack. However, our backline of Alex Otto, Daniel Partridge and Charles Sabella remained alert to their duties and ensured that the game’s momentum and tempo remained firmly in St Kilian’s favour.

With fifteen minutes remaining, Hugo shrugged of the attentions of two defenders before firing a shot across the face of the goal. The shot came back of the foot of the post and Adam Abu Shabab raced in to finish the rebound. However, a miraculous defensive clearance from the defender on the goal line denied St Kilian’s the elusive equaliser. Adam was involved again minutes later as he raced onto a pass from midfield. The pass had put him clear of the defence with only the keeper to beat but, to everyone’s dismay, the referee blew his whistle and awarded St Kilian’s a freekick for a foul on the midfielder who had played the pass.

With 8 minutes remaining, Daniel Partridge left his defensive role and added a new dimension to the St Kilian’s attack. Time was ticking away but it still looked possible that St Kilian’s could find a way past the resolute Colaiste de Hide defensive line. However, on one of their isolated forays forward, Colaiste de Hide won a corner and from a St Kilian’s clearance, the ball fell to one of the opposing midfielders who despatched to the bottom corner of the net. With only two minutes left, it was the last twist in the saga of a pulsating cup game, over the two ties.