Could Have Been For Could Have Beens

Wednesday Division 3

The veteran Could Have Beens secured second spot in the table, with a fine win over the champions Bobcats. Although it was an understrength Bobcats side, it was a fine performance from the Could Have Beens, winning their fifth league win on the bounce. After spending 8 weeks rooted to the bottom of the league and losing some tight games earlier in the season, the Have Beens hit some fine form in the last few weeks to move up the table and impressively finish runners up. Ken Hourihan was the Have Beens star man with a fine hatrick. Derek O'Brien was their other scorer for their fourth, with an excellent strike to put the game beyond doubt as the Bobcats came back into the game after being 2-0 down at half time. Mike Holland and Darren Murphy were very solid at the back for the winners. Jack McLoughlin and Darragh Laffan were on the mark for the Bobcats, but they were always second best on the night.

John Duggan secured the Most Valuable Player award with another fine performance for Balaga Tongo helping them to a tight 4-3 victory over AC Standard.

This game was to secure third spot in the league and Tongo delivered, just about edging the second half after it was tied 2-2 at the break. AC's Tim O'Connor and Rosies Martin Higgins shared the Golden Boot, with both players finishing with 22 goals for the season. O'Connor scored twice in his side's narrow defeat, with Dave Barry also on the scoresheet. Eoghan Kennedy, Eoin Hayes and Kevin O'Brien were Tongos other marksmen.

Rosies came up short against Hit or Miss in another close game with H&M coming out on top with a hard fought 6-5 win. Veteran German Jurgen Bukowski with a fine hatrick for H&M proving the main difference between the sides. Dan McSweeney and Joady Sinnott were best for the winners, as Higgins (3) and Niall Harrington (2) were best for Rosies.

Wednesday Division 2

Nualight collected their first Footy league winners trophy with a comfortable 9-4 win over Dynamo Tonduff. Golden Boot winner Kieran Buckley with a hatrick for Nualight. This very skilful outfit, with players like Buckley, Adrian Field and Rowan Meegan to the fore, were deserving champions showing more quality throughout the season. However they showed glimpses of inconsistency in a few games and will have to improve should they want to make a mark in Division 1.

Deportivo secured runners up spot to jump ahead of Schuf FC, beating Schuf 4-1 in the last game of the season. David Murphy was Deportivo's star man scored their opening goal who led 1-0 at the break. John Murphy (2) and Bernard Parkes were Deportivo's other scorers who made a late run winning their last 4 games to jump in to the runners up spot in the final week.

Johnny Boys destroyed CUH 8-0, in the other fixture in this division. The very impressive Colm Walsh was best for Johnny's, with a hatrick. Kevin Finn was another fine performer on the night for the winners.

Rory Barry who tried hardest for CUH, picked up the Most Valuable Player award for this division, while Nualights Kieran Buckley recieved the Golden Boot award with an impressive tally of 25 goals.

Barrett Hatrick Drives Pitches Close To Title

Thursday Division 2

The Sons of Pitches are now just a point away from securing their 2^nd Footy title after an excellent 5-3 win over FC Copen Badly. This is only the Pitches 2^nd season in this division after spending many years in division 3. These lads have relished the challenge and came close last season finishing in 3^rd place. This season they have been the most consistent team, and are ticking all the boxes all over the pitch. With an excellent goalkeeper in Barry Sheehan and a defence well organised by William O'Brien and James Barber, the Pitches have been tough to break down this season. Con Carey, Alan White and MVP nominee James O'Loughlin have all been excellent during this Springs campaign. Last week was the turn for the reliable Eoin Barrett to chip with 3 really important goals. This powerful centre forward with 3 excellent finishes. White and O'Loughlin came up with the other goals. Most successful Footy teams play a counter attacking game but the Pitches play a very effective high pressure game, closing the opposition down in their own half of the pitch and forcing mistakes. The Pitches lost Michael Deasy during the season through injury but his brother Sean Deasy has deputised very effectively. Kevin Garde just back at Footy after a cruciate injury, scored twice for Copen Badly and was their best player.

Mount Oval are still in with a chance, but luck was on their side as they were beaten by Cork Celtic 8-4, but were awarded the points after Celtic fielded an illegal player. These 3 points awarded, prove crucial, leaving the Oval 3 points behind the Sons of Pitches, going into the last game. A point will secure the title for the Pitches but they are playing, perhaps, their bogey team in the JT Specials, who if they are at full strength will be hard to beat. Mount Oval also have a tough game as they face River Plate.

The Cowboys and River Plate played out the game of the week, with the Cowboys coming out on top 7-6 in a really close but open game. A very impressive performance from Graham Bouge for the Cowboys scoring 5 times in the process.

Shane Murphy was also impressive in midfield, and was able to find Bouge with some beautiful long range passes. Murphy also chipped in with 2 goals. Danny Meade and Adam Clinton both hit hatricks for River Plate, who threw the kitchen sink at the Cowboys for the last few minutes in search of the elusive equaliser.

Thursday Division 3

The Exiles won division 3, with a fine 5-2 win over Shanty United. They twice came from behind to overcome Shanty who have been excellent this season and are well deserving of their 3^rd place finish. They go into the last game 3 points clear of Panicyakios, but their head to head record against Panicyakios is better so they were confirmed champions last week. Mark Kirwin, Mark Ryan(2), Jarrin Koopman and Paul Ryan were on the mark for the Exiles. MVP Nominee Michael O'Reilly was on the lone Shanty scorer with a brace.

Whitfords easily overcame Black Gold, with Kevin O Connell and Gavin Rosser best for the Whitfords.

The Flying Column have found some form late in the season and had a fine 3-1 win over Men Utd. Kieran Barry scoring twice, and his 2^nd was a late goal to seal the 3 points for the Column.

Kevin Twomey was very impressive for Panicyakios scoring 5 times in their demolition of The Barrells. Paul Stanton and Peter Reidy were also in top form for Panic, who have scored a record 59 goals with a game still to play

Thursday Division 1

Congratulations to Ezy FC who were crowned division 1 Champions with a game to spare. Ezy FC got back to winning ways as they convincingly beat an understrength Net Busters team, to seal their 5^th first division title in a row. John Daly and Steve Dwyer both contributed hatricks, while Paul Smith Lyons in midfield was the games best player breaking down the ball for Ezy on many occasions.

This division sees the same scenario as in division 3, with Ezy 3 points ahead of Booze Buddies, and also a better head to head record going into the final game. The Booze Buddies had a hard fought 4-3 win over the Thirty Somethings, with Jimmy Griffin coming up with a winner with 5 minutes left. Eoin Kinsella was excellent for the Cobh boys and along with Griffin has been their most consistent player this season. Shane O'Donoghue was best for the Somethings, and was on the mark along with Brian Kelleher and Mark Murphy.

The 3^rd game in this division saw the Dreamers overcome Boca Seniors by the odd goal in 11 in another very close game. Dean Cummins, Rory Perry, and man of the match Jonathan Coughlan all scored twice for the winners, while Paul Tierney was best for the Bocas.

Most Valuable Player Nominations

Wednesday Division 2

Rory Barry - CUH
Aidan McGuinness - Schuf FC
Rowan Meegan - Nualight
Kieran Buckley - Nualight
Dave Murphy - Dynamo Tonduff

Wednesday Division 3
Brendan Curtin - Bobcats
Tim O'Connor - AC Standard
John Duggan - Balaga Tongo
Brian Smith - Bobcats
Niall Collins - Could Have Beens

Thursday Division 1
Jimmy Griffin - Booze Buddies
John Daly - Ezy FC 
Dave Johnson - Ezy FC
Eric Cotter - Boca Seniors
Shane O'Donoghue - Thirty Somethings

Thursday Division 2
Dave Hogan - Mount Oval
Dan Hegarty - JT Specials
Shane Murphy - The Cowboys
James O Loughlin - Sons of Pitches
Peter Carroll - FC Copen Badly
Barry O'Hanlon - Hardly Athletic

Thursday Division 3
Michael O Reilly - Shanty Utd
Paul Stanton - Panicyakios
Jermey Delea - Exiles 
Mark Ryan - Exiles
Pat Coleman - The Barrels
Kieran Barry - Flying Column

Bobcats and Nualight Crowned Champoins

Wednesday Division 3

The Bobcats went into there 3^rd last game of the season with the title already in the bag, but celebrated it with a wonderful 4-3 victory over 2^nd placed Hit or Miss. Hit or Miss had started well and went into a 3 goal lead with goals from Dan McSweeney, Jurgen Bukowski and Steve Sinnott and were looking good for the win. Bobcats then lost Paul O'Brien through injury, who has been a major player for them all season, and it was looking more likely that Hit or Miss would beat the league winners. But the champions showed their class and some true spirit when they battled back. Brendan Curtin scored twice, and Jack McLoughlin equalised before Brian Smith scored a last gasp winner to give them a very healthy 16 point lead with 2 games still to play.

The Could Have Beens had their best performance of the season with a 6-2 win over AC Standard. Derek O'Brien played a starring role at centre forward setting of 4 of his sides 6 goals. Niall Collins opened the scoring after 8 minutes with a deflected shot for the Have Beens. A mistake by the Have Been's keeper led to an equaliser from Dave Barry. Peter Fitzmaurice restored the Have Been's lead just before half time with a well taken back post header from O'Brien's throw in. The first goal after half time was always going to be crucial, and again the reliable veteran Niall Collins was on hand to score a lovely goal from an acute angle with just seconds on the 2^nd half clock. The Have Beens never looked back and ran in 3 more goals, Ken Hourihan scoring twice and Denis Collins with another as they dominated the 2^nd half. Tim O'Connor scored a late consolation for AC, but it was not their night as they never got their passing game going and gave up possession too easily.

Balaga Tongo won a great battle with Rosies coming out on top by 5 goals to 3 in a very open game. John Duggan in midfield was again best for Balaga and was on the score sheet along with Alan Evans, Eoghan Kennedy, Mark O Flynn and Eoin Hayes. Kieran Hurley, Conor O'Brien and Colin Murphy were Rosies goal getters.

Wednesday Division 2

Nualight were crowned champions in this division, but went down 4-2 to Schuf FC last week. Schuf deserved this victory as they worked extremely hard for the win. Nualight have showed during the season that they are a class above the rest but were out foxed by Schuf on this occasion. Aidan McGuinness had a great game scored a brace with Darren Lynch and Colm Young with their other goals. The very skilful duo, Kieran Buckley and Adrian Field were on the mark for the league winners.

Dynamo Tonduff produced their best display of the season and deservedly held CUH in the game of the week that ended in a pulsating 7-7 draw. Both defences leaked some bad goals, but it led to one of the best games of the season in this league. Eric Cotter and Dave Murphy were best for Tonduff and scored a brace a piece along with Sean O'Connor. Sean Sheehan, Ivan Weir and Rory Barry did likewise for CUH. A Sean Sheehan effort with a shot from 25 yards being the pick of the games 14 goals.

Deportivo overcame Johnny Boys in another very open but tough encounter. Deportivo's John O'Brien found his scoring boots again and scored a hatrick. Sean Holland also scored 3 times for Johnny Boys who were below full strength. A 2^nd half sin bin for Johnny Boy's did not help their cause as they chased the game.

Ezy FC Closing In On 5th Straight Title

Thursday Division 1

     Ezy Fc are just a point away from securing their fifth straight 1^st division title and a remarkable record, that may never be surpassed. After a shaky start with a defeat and a draw in their opening games of this Spring Footy season, they have gone on a brilliant run of 10 wins in a row to put them within a point of winning the league with 2 games to spare. They have given the rest of this 1^st division a lesson in defending, passing and finishing in the process, with some big wins against other good sides. Steve Dwyer must take huge credit for their success as he has worked tirelessly in their midfield and is currently leading the golden boot race with 20 goals, which is a huge haul for a midfielder. Centre forward Dave Johnson has been pivotal for them all season and will definitely be a MVP nominee. Johnson may have lost a step as he gets older but has adapted his game as an extremely effective holding centre forward. His touch and control have been superb all season and would easily have the most assists in all of the Footy leagues. John Daly's pace on the left side of midfield has been an excellent weapon for Ezy and both he and Dwyer have capitalised most from Johnson's assists. Andy O'Mahony and Peter Fitzmaurice have marshalled their defence superbly all season, while Paul Smith Lyons has had his best season to date, also in their midfield where he has been very sharp in the tackle, winning his side lots of possession. With the excellent Charlie Fitzmaurice in goal, Ezy have indeed turned into the complete Footy side, and the challange is there for other teams to knock them of their perch.

The Thirty Somethings ended their 6 game losing streak, with a narrow 2-0 win over the Net Busters. Mark Murphy and Shane O'Donoghue with the goals, while they had Colm Dooley excellent in defence, but the Somethings keeper Niall Kerrigan got the man of the match with a brilliant display between the sticks. 

        Second placed Booze Buddies had a narrow 3-2 win over the veteran Boca Seniors in a cracking game. The Bocas whose average age must be on the 40 mark deserve huge credit for still competing in this division. Bocas had a last minute chance to win the game, but failed to take it and the Booze Buddies went up the other end to score in a dramatic final 30 seconds. Jimmy Griffin was best for the boys from Cobh, while Eric Cotter put in a brilliant display for the Bocas and scored both their goals.

          

Thursday Division 2

With 3 games left in this division the Sons of Pitches lead the way by 3 points and are favourites to take honours as they are in a rich vein of form with 4 wins on the bounce. After losing a key player in Michael Deasy through injury a few weeks ago, they have showed excellent resilience and organisation, winning out some tough battles with other contenders, most notably the scalp of Mount Oval 3 weeks ago. William O'Brien in defence has been in excellent form and must take the most credit for their organising their team. Alan O'Sullivan has also been excellent while James O'Loughlin has been their main man with some fine goals over the last few weeks, and impressively scored 5 in their 8-1 demolition of Cork Celtic last week.

Mount Oval got back to winning ways after 2 defeats in a row, and got their title challenge back on track with a 5-2 win over FC Copen Badly. A strong 2nd half performance, a Dave Hogan hatrick and a brace from Rob Kreigal did the trick for the Oval as they did well to come from behind. Peter Carroll was best for Copen Badly and pen their account with another fine goal.

         The Cowboys had their best win of their 2 season old Footy history, as they beat the JT Specials 8-4 in a very open game. Danny O'Connell looks like an excellent addition to their side and was the best player for the hour and scored a hatrick in the process. Darren Murphy was strong in defence and marshalled the very dangerous Dan Hegarty effectively. A Shane Murphy free kick to open the scoring for the Cowboys, was the game's highlight.

         River Plate lost a big game and perhaps their chance of finishing top, when they went down 3-1 to Hardly Athletic. It as easily Hardly's best performance of the season as they beat a strong River Plate side. A brace from Gerard Dolan and a Declan Dwyer strike sealed the points and gives them an outside chance of winning the title. Mount Oval poise the biggest threat to the Sons of Pitches but cannot afford another slip up. The Pitches potential banana skin might well be their final game of the season when they face the JT Specials who are capable of upsetting any team on their day.