Flying Column Closing In On First Footy Title

The Flying Column who are in their 21st season in the Footy.ie leagues are closing in on their first ever title in Thursday’s Division 3. They have had a very impressive season so far, with 10 straight wins and the only team with Maximum points in all of Footy’s leagues. They have got it right this season with the right combination of experience with their older players and younger energetic players. Long serving players like Noe Hayes, their goalkeeper Brendan Cotter, defenders Ray Horgan and Ray O’Regan have all performed well this season. The combination of the classy skills of Alan Mullery in midfield to go with the energy of Hannon Sheedy and the strong and determined Ciaran McArtain, seems to have worked to great effect this season. The Desmond Brothers, Peter and Joe who joined the Flying Column last season have also contributed largely and have added to make up a very industrious midfield. The evergreen Donagh McArtain who is Ciaran’s father is playing the best football I have seeing him play in years. Striker Sheedy is on 22 goals so far and is leading the race for the Golden Boot. His goals have made a huge difference to the Column this season who have always lacked a proven goalscorer. They have also had the incredible support from the sidelines all season from Conor O Mahony who was always a major player for them until he retired due to an injury a few seasons ago. The Column who lost a former player and mentor in Tom Barry to cancer late last year will hope he will be shouting for them from above in the closing 4 games. They have come 2nd on 4 occasions in the past 10 years and it is ironic that they may secure their first title in the season immediately after Tom’s passing. They play Men United tonight and can secure the league title if the Italia 90’s slip up against The Furry Boys. It may go to next week when they play 2nd placed Italia 90’s who will not give up their outside chance of honours without a fight. The Column laid down a marker on Feb 18th this season when they had an excellent 3-1 win over a strong Italia 90’s team. They then dug out 2 excellent victories, 5-4 over Dutch Gold and 2-1 over The Furry Boys. Two very narrow but crucial victories, games that have perhaps have gone the other way in the past. Well done to the Column so far this season. But still some work to be done !! May the best team win as always.

Footy Spring Leagues MVP Nominees

Congrats to all Most Valuable Player Nominees for this Footy Spring Season. Award Presentations will take place this Thursday evening after games in the clubhouse.

Thursday Division 1
Willie Bruton - Hardly Athletic
Andy O Mahony - Soup a Stars
Alfie Davis - The Zimmerframes
Richard O'Brien - Sons of Pitches
Ger Dolan - Hardly Athletic

Thursday Division 2
Eoghan O'Sullivan - Crystal Eagle
Graham Bogue - The Cowboys
Brian Lyons - Deadly Buzz
Shane Murphy - The Frauds
Jack O Connor - Deadly Buzz

Thursday Division 3
Shane Yoannou - Murder on Zidanes Floor
Ciaran McArtain - The Flying Column
Darren Yoannou - Murder on Zidanes Floor
Kevin O'Connell - Whitfords
Craig Hayes - Men Utd

Wednesdays MVP Nominations will be announced late next week as the Wednesday leagues are 2 weeks behind due to frozen pitches earlier this season.

Bottoms Up Cowboys Topple Leaders

Thursday Division 2

The Cowboys who were bottom of division 2, surprised leaders Deadly Buzz, by beating them 2-1 last Thursday. Darren Kirby was in inspired form in goal for the Cowboys and made some tremendous saves to keep the leaders at bay. Peter Carroll and Brian Lyons were best for Deadly Buzz, and kept severe pressure on the Cowboys defence but could not get past Kirby in a thrilling and intense 2^nd half. The very skilful Graham Bogue scored a very late winner on the counter attack for the Carrigaline lads to lift them off the bottom of the table.

The Frauds failed to take advantage of the leaders slip up, as they went down 5-4 to Crystal Eagle in a very exciting game. Eoghan O'Sullivan and Pat Coleman were in excellent form and was a constant threat to the Frauds defence. This game was tight for the hour with Crystal Eagle doing very well to come from behind twice to take the points. Sean Casey scored an impressive three times and produced some clinical finishing for the Frauds. Crystal Eagle withstood some late pressure to hold on for the win and more importantly moved above their opponents in the table.

NRG Fitness did take advantage of the leaders losing and beat River Plate 8-5. This game was end to end but both defences were responsible for some slack defending. Shane Cullinane was best for NRG and scored a hatrick. NRG's Anthony Fulignati battled hard in midfield in a tough battle and also chipped in with two goals. Danny (2) and Peter Meade and Gavin O Driscoll with a brace were the River Plate goalscorers.

South Coast Ath are settling in to their first Footy season and had their 2^nd win of this campaign, when they beat Boca Seniors 7-4. Luke Stavianos scored 5 times for the Cobh boys and was the difference between the two sides. Dean O'Connell and the industrious Dave Murphy were best for Bocas and both scored two goals a piece.

Thursday Division 3.

Murder On Zidanes Floor continued their excellent start to their maiden Footy season and are now hot favourites to take division 3 honours at the halfway stage. They beat Rapid Viennetta 8-3 and always looked comfortable and in control of the game. Brothers Shane and Darren Yoannou were again excellent for Zidanes Floor, as was John Conroy who scored a hatrick. Conor Foley (2) and Gary Healy replied for Viennetta who are also in their first Footy season.

Rivals JT Specials and Men United battled out a hard fought encounter, with the Specials just edging it in a 4-3 scoreline. Sean O Neill scored a hatrick for the Specials who were 2-1 up at the break. Padraig McGovern (2) and Stephen O Neill replied for Men Utd who were a little unlucky to get nothing from this game.

The Flying Column battled out a 1-1 draw with Kia FC, to stay in the top half of the table. A 2^nd half red card did not help the Column's cause, but their 6 players worked hard and they held on for a point. Thomas Browne (Kia) and Ciaran Barry (Column) shared a goal a piece.

Thurdsay Division 1

Ed Noonan and Andy O Mahony inspired Soup A Stars to a 3-1 win over leaders Sons Of Pitches. A Paul Smith Lyons strike and a superb volley from Noonan had the Stars 2-0 up at the break. It was a closer affair in the 2^nd half Dave Johnson and the Pitches Colin Devey sharing a goal each. But Soup a Stars looked in control with the brilliant Andy O'Mahony marshalling their defence superbly.

Hardly Athletic produced the comeback of the week as they beat The Wanted FC 6-5, having come from 5-2 down. Ger Dolan with a hatrick and Willie Bruton were best for Hardly in an impressive display in last 20 minutes. The Hungarian boys were in control in the first half as they passed the ball so well, with Horvath, Csabez and Laszlo were all in top form. But the Wanted ran out of steam in the 2^nd half and Dolan took full advantage with some excellent finishing.

The Thirty Somethings and the Zimmerframes drew 2-2 in this divisions other fixture. The Zimmerframers who had Alfie Davis in good form, passed the ball better and deserved their late equaliser courtesy of the chest of Ian O'Mahony. Brian McLaughlin and Niall Kerrigan were on target for the Somethings, but Kerrigan missed a very late chance to wrap up all 3 points. Overall a point each was a fair result.

McLaughlin Shines For Pitches

McLaughlin Shines for Pitches

Thursday Division 1

James McLaughlin's ultra competitive edge inspired his side to a closely fought victory over the much fancied Soup A Stars. McLaughlin topped a memorable performance with a wonderfully taken volley from 20 yards goal to tie the game at 2-2 ten minutes into the second half. The Pitches then went ahead through an own goal and never gave up the lead afterwards. William O'Brien and James Barber defended superbly blocking many efforts on goal from Soup A Stars. The Pitches keeper Barry Fitzgerald made some key saves to keep his side in the lead, before they struck again on the break through Colin Deavy. Dave Johnson pulled one back for Stars with a powerful header, but the winners struck again on the break when Sean Crowley scored with 6 minutes left on the clock to seal a win which opens up this division.

The Zimmerframes beat the Thirty Somethings 4-3 in another close encounter. This was a tough battle played in an excellent spirit. A valuable 3 points earned here puts the Frames joint top on 6 points with Soup a Stars and The Sons of Pitches. If they can put out a similar team each week they should be there or thereabouts come mid April. Barry Gannon's contribution was immense for the Zimmerframes as he scored 3 times. Alfie Davis and Patrick O'Riordain were also in top form for the winners. Kevin Murphy and Hugh Kelly were best for the Somethings.

Hardly Athletic sent out a strong message to other teams in this division, with a powerful performance with a 9-0 victory over the Wanted FC. The Hungarian lads did not know what hit them, as Willie Bruton (3) Rob Dywer (2) punished some slack defending from Wanted, who had lots of possession of the ball but were caught on the counter attack several times.

Thursday Division 2

After their opening night of the season defeat the Deadly Buzz have secured 6 points with 2 good wins. Last Thursday saw them overcome River Plate 3-1. Dean Dunlea, Peter Carroll and Brian Lyons were top players for the Buzz and were all on the score sheet. Lyons sealed his man of the match performance and the win with a late goal. Gary O'Connell tried hardest for the Carrigaline lads.

The other Carrigaline team in this division, the Cowboys also went down, but they competed very well with only 6 players but tired eventually and lost 7-4 to table toppers NRG Fitness. NRG are doing well this season again, in only their 2^nd season at Footy. Peter Thornton with a hatrick and Owen Cullinane with a brace did most of the damage to the Cowboys rearguard.

The young O'Connell cousins Dean and Ian, newcomers to the Footy leagues, seem a real find for the Boca Seniors, as they both struck hatricks in a 7-2 win over the Crystal Eagles. Their excellent close control and finishing were very evident after some lovely goals between the duo.

The Frauds also had a good victory over South Coast Athletic when they won by the odd goal in 9. This game was end to end for the hour with both sides competing with 100% effort. The Frauds deservedly going into a 4-2 lead, but South Coast's game came to life in the second half, and were rewarded with an equaliser with 5 minutes to go after a superb solo effort by Stephen O'Reilly. Tim O'Connor had earlier scored twice for the Frauds as did Brendan Cashman for South Coast, before the reliable Sean Casey scored a late goal to seal a valuable three points for the Frauds. South Coast threw the kitchen sink at the Frauds but they held on for the win.

Thursday Division 3

Murder on Zidanes Floor went top of the table with a big win over Parken da Bus. The Bus was parked in the wrong spot as Zidanes Floor ran in ten unanswered goals. Shane Youano put in a great performance for the winners and scored 4 times.

The Kia FC v Men Utd and Whitfords v Rapid Vienneta ties both finished in 1-1 draws, two results which keeps this division tight. Jack Russell rolled back the years for the Whitfords and got the nod for man of the match after Steve Browne (Whitfords) and Gary Healy (Vienneta) shared the goals. Finbarr Browne (Kia) and Padraig McGovern (Men Utd) were the goal scorers in their tie, with a draw being a fair result.

Murphy Outstanding For Horseshoe

Wednesday Division 3

Dave Murphy was in scintillating form for FC Horseshoe when they defeated new team Goal Diggers 3-2 in a thrilling encounter. The Diggers got off to a good start and dominated both possession and chances early in the game. They were rewarded when Jeff Abbott scored a fine goal. However FC Horshoe always looked dangerous. When Dave Murphy collected a poor clearance about twenty yards out with his back to the goal he didn’t seem to have many options but then while turning he unleashed a rocket that found the right hand side of the net for the goal of the evening. Soon afterwards John Duggan, who was outstanding for the Diggers, restored their advantage, only for Dave Murphy to peg them back to 2-2 with his second. The game was on a knife edge entering the final stages, but once again it was Dave Murphy who came up with the goods when he scored his third and the winner with another great goal.

The Individuals got off to a great start with an emphatic win against The Kopites. This was a high scoring affair with both forward lines on top. Luckily for The Individuals, almost everything that they threw at The Kopites seemed to find the net. Jurgen was their top scorer with four goals, but Joady Synott and Shane Dwyer weren’t far behind with three apiece.

Rosies started this season in the same mould as they finished their previous – in winning fashion. They defeated a fancied Could have Beens side 8-4. Gavin Kelly was their main man with four goals. However the goal of the match was scored by Lucas in true Brazilian style as he danced through the heart of the Rosies defence and slotted the ball wide of the keeper.

FC Coping look like they will be contenders this season after producing a very strong performance against new team The Best Team. It took The Best Team a while to get going as this was their first time playing together and by half time they were 4-0 down. However they improved hugely in the second half with the final score being 5-2.

Wednesday Division 2

The Uwansome, Crystal Eagle encounter was a thriller. With the score tied at 2 goals a piece Ian Finn scored an outstanding long range goal to seal victory for Uwansome. Eoghan O Sullivan notched a brace for Crystal eagle while Brian McEvoy and Ronan Carroll were also on the score sheet for Uwansome.

Ross kiely put in an all-star performance for Rota Link in their impressive 4-3 win against Boca juniors. The high light of his performance was a delicate dink over the keeper for his second goal. Michael Homan and keith McGrath scored the other Rota Link goals while Joe McAuliffe(2) and Erik Cotter scored for Boca Juniors.

Acton Stanley are the early favourites for this division after their 9-4 win against a strong CUH side. In Wayne Cotter, they have an outstanding player who scored an incredible six goals. Philip Sweetman(2) and Andrew Daunt scored their other goals. Kevin Heelan(2), Kevin O Flynn and Liam Hennessy scored for CUH.

Wednesday Division 1

Pundit Arena were a little too strong for a gallant AC Standard in a hard fought contest which Pundit Arena won 3-1. The pick of their goals was a twenty yard bullet of a free kick scored by Kevin Kidney. Ed Noonan and Richard Barrett scored the other Pundits goals while Paul Kilcoyne scored for AC Standard.

Schuff began life in Division 1 with a great 7-2 win against new team Bull In The Mud. It took Bull a while to settle as this was their first footy match. Brendan Buckley scored three for Schuff while Andrew Cowpar scored four. Sean Noonan and Richard Schoonbaret responded for Bull In The Mud

The Kids started their campaign with an 8-2 win against Olympiakos. Man of the match Kevin Murphy was the dominant player on view while Colin Hammond scored three fine goals for The kids. Michael Whyte scored a brace for Olympiakos.

Column Off To A Flyer

Column Off To A Flyer

Thursday Division 3

The Flying Column had the best possible start to this Footy.ie Spring campaign with a big win over Parken the Bus. The East Cork lads were always up against it when they conceded 2 early goals and the Column never allowed them back into the game. Ciaran McArtan was pulling all the strings in the Column midfield, and was well assisted by Ciaran Barry. A Contender for goal of the season was scored by McArtan, a goal described by referee Denis Cronin as “the best goal he has ever seen at Footy”. It was a first time right foot drive from 25 yards into the top corner. Could this be the spring board for the Column's first ever Footy title having played in these leagues for many years now. They have a solid keeper in Brendan Cotter, Ray O'Regan marshalls their defence well, and they have brought in some younger fresh legs to add to their ageing but experienced line up. It might be early days but I expect the Column to be in the mix come mid April.

The JT Specials also had a good victory over newcomers Murder on Zidanes Floor. Having played the first half with only 6 players, Dan Hegarty and Ronan Geary turned the scoring in the Specials favour in the 2^nd half. The prolific Hegarty with 4 and Geary with a hatrick. Shane and Darren Yoannou were best for Zidanes Floor and were on the scoresheet along with Stephen Aherne and Matt O'Keeffe.

Men Utd also had an explosive start to their season with a big win over another new team Rapid Vienneta, winning 9-1. This United line up have played together for a few seasons now and are starting to gel and look like contenders for Division 3. Mick Ryan manages this team well and they have some strong players in their line up in Padraig McGovern, Joey Herrity, Bernard Parkes and Craig Hayes who were all amongst their goals.

Whitfords overcame Kia Fc in a 5-4 thriller having come from 3-1 down to take 3 valuable points. There were 9 different goal scorers in this game. Man of the match Kevin O'Connell rolled back the years and was most influential in the Whitfords line up in this closely fought contest.

Thursday Division 2

On Paper this league should be really tight with and 8 very even teams in the line up. The experienced Boca Seniors had an excellent 3-2 win over Deadly Buzz. Bocas just about held on to the 1 goal lead having come under intense pressure for the last 5 minutes but they were worth the win. Joe McAulliffe was excellent for the Bocas and scored a brilliant goal, with a lovely finish after some very neat passing. Brian Lyons and Peter Carroll were best for the Buzz.

Newcomers South Coast Ath and The Cowboys played out a very intense thrilling game, that in a fair 4-4 scoreline. Jessie Byrne scored a last minute equaliser for the Cowboys and both he and Brendan Cashman from South Coast both shared 3 goals a piece.

Crystal Eagle showed true grit in coming back from 2-0 down to earn a point against a tough River Plate side. Eoghan O'Sullivan with the equaliser for Crystal Eagle. Darren Deasy was their other goal scorer. Gary O Connell and Gavin O Driscoll were River Plates scorers who started the match the stronger and were 2 up at the break.

NRG Fitness also had a narrow victory over The Frauds, winning by the odd goal in 11. This game was end to end and neither side were allowed to settle on the ball. The Frauds who were division 3 champions last season did well to match the fitness of the NRG lads. Rob Jones was a real threat and scored 3 times for NRG while Daragh Behan scored twice for the Frauds.

Thursday Division 1

The Hungarian lads “The Wanted Fc” had an excellent 6-0 win over the 30 Somethings. Last season's MVP winner for this division Zsolt (George) Laszlo again was to the fore for them. It is a joy to watch these lads passing the ball and can only be criticised for over passing sometimes instead of shooting. The Somethings never got into the game. Monyo and Laszlo did most of the damage for the Hungarians.

Soup a Stars came back from 2-0 down to beat Hardly Ath 6-2. Hardly ran out of steam in the second half when Brian Lyons scored a hatrick for the winners.

The Zimmerframes did really well coming back from 4-2 down to end up with the spoils with a narrow 5-4 win over the Sons of Pitches. Patrick O Riordain scored 3 times for the Frames. The Pitches were a bit unlucky to came away with nothing from this game and scored an own goal to help the Frames get back into the game.

Judging on this weeks fixtures only, it looks like the Soup a Stars and the Wanted should be contenders for this division.

Lots of very close and exciting games this first week at Footy and John and I would like to thank all players who continue to play Footy.ie in a very sporting manner !!

Footy Showdown at Garryduff

Can The Kids Stop Ezy FC.

Footy.ie leagues come to a conclusion tomorrow Wednesday and Thursday night, with Wednesdays Division 1 game between Ezy Fc and the Kids II being the standout game of the week. Ezy Fc are going to try to extend their remarkable record into a 3rd year after 6 Thursday first division titles in a row, the Ezy lads switched to Wednesday evenings in search of stiffer opposition. They found what they were looking for in The Kids II, who are level with them on 36 points going into the final game when they go toe to toe with them tomorrow night at 8 o'clock. Any soccer fans out there who want to see an intense fast paced, high quality game of football should try to make the trip to Garryduff to see if the Kids can stop Ezy's dominance of Footy's top division.
Both sides have just 2 defeats all season, but Ezy's superior goal difference give them the edge, and so a point will do to clinch another title. The Kids have done very to well to stay the distance with Ezy, especially as they have being changing their team very often, but if they can field some of their best players they have a real chance.
Players to watch out for are the Hammond brothers, Cian in goal and Colin at centre forward for the Kids. Michael Doody's form will be vital to the Kids midfield. Ezy's Steve Dwyer and John Daly will carry the most threat to the Kids rearguard, with their pace on the flanks and they have an excellent centre forward in Dave Johnson who holds the ball up so well for his side. Paul Smith Lyons has had an excellent season for Ezy in the middle of the park and his ball winning abilities have been so important to his side. 

So the stage is set for what should be an excellent conclusion to this division. Both sides have been excellent to watch all season and should be at full strength tomorrow evening, and its very hard to predict a winner. The team who wants it most will most likely prevail. Best of luck to both teams !!

Footy.ie Summer MVP Nominations

Congratulations to all Nominated Players. 

Winners will be announced after games finish this week

Wednesday Division 1 
Steve Dwyer - EZY FC
Graziano Lucas - Joga Bonito
Bill Henry - AC Standard
Cian Hammond - The Kids II

Wednesday Division 2 
Ivan Weir - CUH
Darren Lynch - Schuf FC
Mike Wren - Olympiakos
Ger O Callaghan - The Westerners

Wednesday Division 3 
Kevin Quirke - FC Horseshoe
Gavin Kelly - Rosies
Craig Hayes - The Barrells
Erik Montgomery - Marlboro Lightweights

Thursday Division 1 
James O Loughlin - Sons Of Pitches
Cian O Riordan - The Zimmerframes
Paulo Santos - Lusitania
Zsolt Laszlo - The Wanted

Thursday Division 2 
Eoghan O Sullivan - Crystal Eagle
Paul Stanton - Fritzl Palace 
Dave Murphy - Boca Seniors
Shane Cahill - Boothouse Bingers

Thursday Division 3 
Chris O Brien - The Blues Brothers
Ian Finn - The Blues Brothers
Shane Murphy - The Frauds
Sean Casey - The Frauds
Rob Duggan - JT Specials

Last Minute Win For The Lemons

Colin Newman was the hero for The Lemons when he scored a great last minute winner against The Could Have Beens. Early in the second half The Could have Beens were in control and held a 4-2 lead. Paulo Santos was playing very well up front and and was involved in all of The Could Have Beens best moves. He also scored twice and assisted in the goals scored by Derek O Brien and Brian Hennessey. However the last three goals were scored by The Lemons. Peter O Leary scored twice to get them on level terms and then Newman scored the winner in the last minute.

The Crossbarry, Sliabh na mBan match was another fabulous high scoring encounter. The lead was held by both teams a number of times before Sliabh na mBan finally won 8-6. Erik Cotter and Ronan O sullivan scored four each for Sliabh while Colin Walsh scored three for Crossbarry.

The Kids were always in control in their game against Deportivo. Oisin McGrath, Brian Wise and David McCarthy all scored two for the winners while Terry McKenzie scored a couple for Deportivo. The final score was 7-4 in favour of The Kids.

The PSV goalkeeper Dylan Sheridan was the MVP in the PSV, ABCDE FC showdown. He held ABCDE at bay with a string of top class saves. At the other end Kevin Wilmot(2), Damien O Leary and Stephen O Reilly scored for the Cobh lads while Conor Barry, Diarmuid Ring and Timmy Noonan responded for ABCDE in a match that PSV won 4-3.

Voxpro did AC Standard a huge favour last week when they defeated the then league toppers Racing Returns. This week they succombed to a 5-0 defeat to AC to leave AC sitting pretty on goal difference at the top of the table. Niall Gannon was dominant in defence for AC while Tim O Conner put in a great innings up front for the winners while also helping himself to a couple of goals.

Adam Cambridge was superb for The Adams Family when they defeated Olympiakos 4-3. He also scored three goals. Ian Casey notched a brace for The Kerry Greeks.

At halftime it looked like Balaga Tongo were going to deprive Racing returns of the league title. They were playing a smart counter attacking game and were one up thanks to a Paul Clarke goal. However the tide changed in the second half, and inspired by Peadar Horgan, Racing recovered and eventually won 4-2 to keep level on points with AC.

A superb volley by Jodi Synott was the highlight of The Individuals, Dynamo Tonduff encounter. Darren Mccarthy was unstoppable for Tonduff and scored 4 in their 4-3 win.

The Wanted Panic and Slip off Top

Thursday Division 2

Panicyakios held league leaders The Wanted in a thrilling 5-5 draw last week.

A weakened Hungarian Wanted outfit did really well coming from 4-1 down to take a 5-4 lead into the final minute, only to concede a last gasp equaliser. Paul Stanton was excellent for Paincyakios and scored a brace as did his team mate Danny Murray. The Wanted played some lovely football and deserved their point which they must look at like a point gained after impressively coming back from a 3 goal deficit. Janos was most impressive for the Magyars as he scored a hatrick and set up the final goal with a superb dummy, after an excellent pass from Gergo Teko. This weeks 8pm fixture against new league leaders Hardly Athletic looks like being a title decider if there happens to be a winner. A draw this week may let in Mount Oval and an in form Rotten Johnnies back into the race.

The Johnnies had an excellent 8-3 win over Mount Oval, in a game where Pedro Oliveros was man of the match even without his 4 goal contribution.

Ray Lally and Brian Connell tried hard to motivate a hard working Oval team, but fell well short on the night to the Johnnies efforts who passed the ball much better for the hour.

Aaron Atkinson and Rory Barry were also in good form for the winners.

Old rivals the Boca Seniors and The Thirty Somethings played out a hard fought game with the Somethings just coming up short on a 2-1 scoreline. The impressive calm and controlled passing of Paul Tierney being the difference between the 2 sides. Tierney coming up with a second half winner after the 2 sides were tied 1-1 at the break.

Thursday Division 1

Ezy Fc powered ahead with another big win and are a class apart again this season. Dave Johnson led the way for Ezy, being their most impressive player as they demolished a 6 man Cupid Stunts side. Tom Carolan put the Stunts ahead after 5 minutes, but their lead did'nt last too long as Steve Dwyer, Andy Daunt and Johnson all impressed as they took control of the game.

The Dreamers had another win, this time their victims were the Sons of Pitches. Dean Cummins gave a solid performance for the Dreamers. Their 5 goals coming 5 different players in a good team display. William O'Brien was the lone scorer for the Pitches who were definitely second best on the night.

Thursday Division 3

KFC may have ended River Plates hope of honours this season as they beat the Carrigaline team 6-2. Peter Carroll was KFC best player, who produced their best performance of the season. KFC will be kicking themselves at dropping some silly points earlier in the season, as they have enough class in their team to be contending for honours

Men Utd will be hoping River Plate will take the points from league leaders Crystal Eagle this week and put them back in with a chance of the title.

Men Utd had a 6-5 win over a battling Whitfords team. They looked to be cruising to the 3 points as they led 6-2 with 5 minutes left, only to concede 3 late goals to give them a late scare. Padraig McGovern scored a hatrick, his third being the most impressive, scoring with a daisy cutter drive from 25 yards, which proved to be the winner in the end.

Crystal Eagle had a rather easy win over a weakened JT Specials outfit. James Mealy and James Corcoran both with hatricks for the leaders who should see out this season with the title in their hands.
Stephen Ginn was best for Pathetic Ath and scored a brace as they beat the Barrells 5-1. The Corbett bothers Steve and Kevin also got on the scoresheet.

Great Win For Thirtysomethings

Thirtysomethings defeated league leaders Wanted FC with a performance that was reminiscent of the all conquering Thirtys of a previous era. The Thirtys got their tactics right in this encounter. Their full court press made it very difficult for the technically gifted Wanted to to play through them. Jake McAuliffe was immense up front for the Thirtys and two of his four goals were from the top drawer. Niall Kerrigan was the other player to impress for The Thirtys. His organisational skills and domination of the centre was critical. The Thirtys started strongly and raced into a 4-1 lead. However The Wanted were not about to give up without a fight and got to within a single score when the score was 5-4 with about 20 minutes remaining. However The Thirtys kicked on again and stretched their lead to 8-4. As the Thirtys tired towards the end of the match The Wanted took control and even though they scored two goals in the last ten minutes their just was not enough time for them to catch The Thirtys. The final score was 8-6.
With a couple of minutes to go it looked like Hardly Athletic would be two points clear at the top of the table, but two late goals from Pedro and Rory Barry earned The Rotten Johnnies an unlikely draw. Willie Bruton was outstanding for Hardly while Pedros contribution for The Johnnies was immense.
Darren Murphy scored four goals was superb for Boca Seniors during their 9-5 victory against Paniciakos. Paul Stanton scored three for Panic while Tommy Stanton and Paul Reidy also scored for the losers.

EZY FC maintained their unbeaten record with a 4-2 win against The Vale. Dave Johnson stood out for the winners with a magnificent performance and scored a great goal. Ken O Connor and Colin McKeon were best for The Vale.
Richard O Brien was the difference between the teams in the Sons of Pitches and Cupid Stunts encounter, during which he scored four for The Pitches.The final score was 7-4 for for the Pitches.
Dean Cummins was outstanding for the Dreamers against an under strength Booze Crew. He and Jonathan Coughlan scored to help The Dreamers to a 2-0 victory.

Crystal Eagle maintained their three point advantage over River Plate with a decisive 9-3 against The Whitfords. The winners were 8-1 ahead at half time. The only consolation the Whitfords had was that they won the second half. James Corcoran and James O Sullivan scored three a piece for Crystal.
The KFC and Pathetic Athletic encounter was a thriller during which the lead moved back and forth through out the match. The final score was 6-6, which was a fair result as neither team deserved to loose. Kevin Corbett and Stephen Ginn scored two each for Pathetic while Jack O Connor and Peter Carroll scored two each for KFC.
River Plate maintained the pressure on Crystal Eagle with a comfortable 4-1 win against The Barrells. It looked like the Barrells would be in real trouble when Ross Long scored in less than a minute for River Plate. With the scored tied at 1-1 at half time, The Barrells were still in contention . However River Plate completely dominated the second half.

Ezy Does It Again

Thursday Division 1

The Booze Crew and Ezy Fc went head to head in last weeks most important fixture and indeed of the of the Summer Season so far. With both sides winning all of their games so far except for the 3-3 draw with each other 6 weeks ago, this was always going to be the big 6 pointer in this division. Could this skilful Booze Crew outfit overcome the strong and organised Ezy, and perhaps put an end to their remarkable Footy run, having won 5 division 1 titles in a row. The Booze Crew got off to a flyer, and scored with their first attack when Alan Kinsella surprised the Ezy defence with a well taken goal within 30 seconds of the kick off. They doubled their advantage after Ezy’s keeper Charlie Fitzmaurice gave away a penalty for a sly tackle, which Eoin Kinsella dispatched with conviction. Ezy who were missing Steve Dwyer from their line up, but still fielded a very strong side and indeed started with Peter Fitzmaurice and Andy O’Mahony on the bench. They worked their way back into the game using all of their experience from their recent successes, and had more possession of the ball during the first half. John Daly restored to the Ezy line after a recent injury, reduced the deficit just before halftime with a very well worked goal, to set up the second half up nicely.The second period continued as the first half finished, with Ezy bossing possession, but finding Dylan Sheridan tough to beat in the Booze Crew goal, and running into some resolute defending from the Cobh lads. Man of the match, Brian Lyons who was excellent in midfield for Ezy levelled with 15 minutes left on the clock. Lyons may be small in stature, but made up for it with skill and courage, the latter being most admirable as he is just back from a cruciate ligament injury. So this was a big test for Lyons which he came through with flying colours. Andy Daunt was also excellent and marshalled Booze Crew’s danger man Jimmy Griffin very effectively. Daunt was also quick to break out of defence and was a threat on the counter attack on numerous occasions. Daly deservedly put Ezy ahead with a tap in after Sheridan could only parry a strong shot from Dave Johnson. They wrapped up the 3 points with further goals from Lyons and their very effective centre forward Dave Johnson. This win now puts them in a commanding position to take a very impressive 6th title on the bounce.           

The Vale Afc turned over their close rivals the Sons of Pitches, 3-2 in another excellent game. Glen Johnson with a late winner for the Vale with a super strike.           

The Dreamers also overcame a six man Cupid Stunts side 9-5 in a high scoring encounter. Dave Linnane and Mark Cummins (3) were best for the winners, while Shane Buckley and Dan Williams were best for the Stunts and scored a brace apiece.
Thursday Division 2

Mount Oval produced their best performance of the season with an impressive  5-2 win over league leaders, The Wanted FC. Brian Connell scored a hatrick and keeper Marcin Korona were both excellent for the Oval who may have left it too late for a title challenge, with them being 8 points behind, although they do have a game in hand.Hardly Athletic are right back in contention after securing the 3 points with a 7-3 win over the experienced Boca Seniors. The recent addition of Willie Bruton to the Hardly line up, proving critical as the season closes in. Their upcoming game with The Wanted at the end of the month looking like a winner takes all clash.The Rotten Johnnies overcame Panicyakios 3-0 with Wayne O’Callaghan best for the Johnnies and amongst the goals along with John Constant and Liam Hennessy.
Thursday Division 3

Men Utd and River Plate lost ground on the leaders Crystal Eagle when they drew 2-2 against each other. This was a big game for both sides to stay in touch for honours, but a draw was a fair result. River Plate doing well coming from 2-0 down to snatch a valuable point.

Crystal Eagle had a comfortable win over Pathetic Athletic and are now 3 points clear of their closest rivals River Plate, who they have yet to play on July 31st. James Corcoran being the most impressive Eagle scoring 4 times.

KFC beat Whitfords 4-3 in a cracking game, the much older legs of the Whitfords just about running out of steam as the match closed in. Robert Browner scoring their fourth with 2 minutes left. Jack Russell rolled back the years with an excellent display for the unlucky Whitfords.

Sliabh na mBan Test Kids

Sliabh na mBan Test Kids

Wednesday Division 1

Sliabh na mBan gave the Kids their biggest test yet but just came up short as the Kids prevailed by a 3-2 scoreline in an excellent game. They led through goals from Paul Tierney and Eric Cotter. The Kids did well to come back from being 2-0 down to win the game but were helped by two second half own goals from na mBan before the impressive Shane Twomey scored with a very late winner.

The Could Have Beens also tested PSV Hungrovers, but also lost out to the Cobh Lads. PSV went ahead after 15 minutes and scored again before half time. They increased their lead just after half time and looked to have the points in the bag, but the Could Have Beens battled their way back into the game, with 2 goals from Derek O Brien. With Mark Murphy impressing, CHB pushed hard for an equaliser but found PSV's keeper Dylan Sheridan in excellent form and a stubborn Peter Leahy also excelled in defence. Damien O'Leary and Martin Carroll scored with 2 breakaway goals to seal the points for PSV.

Deportivo finally got their first win of the season as they comfortably beat Crossbarry 9-5. John O'Brien was the star man here and scored 5 of Deportivo's haul. Kevin Finn and Bryan Crowley were best for Crossbarry and scored a brace a piece.

Abcde FC hung on for a narrow 2-1 victory over the Lemon Drizzlers which keeps them third in the table. Conor Barry impressed for Abc and scored along with Dermot Ring, This game was a tough battle with neither side deserving to lose. Edward Noonan and Ryan Nolan were best for the Drizzlers. Peter O'Leary was the lone Lemon scorer.

Wednesday Division 2

Racing Returns went to the top of the table with a 4-3 win over their main rivals AC Standard. AC narrowly beat Racing on the opening day of the season, but this time the result was reversed in a cracking encounter. Stephen Kenny was brilliant for Racing and scored an all important hatrick. Niall Gannon was the games best player, and pushed Standard forward after they trailed 2-1 at the break. Peadar Horgan was also in top form for Racing. This division looks like its between these 2 sides, as they are now both 6 points clear of third placed Dynamo Tonduff.

James Mullins had an excellent second half for Dynamo Tonduff as they beat Olympiakios 4-2. His efficient use of the ball in midfield meant they kept more possession and so his side created more chances. This made all the difference as the sides were tied 2-2 at half time. Mark McNally, Darren McCarthy, Sean O'Connell and Brendan O'Sullivan all scored one each for Tonduff. Kevin Donnelly and Ian Casey replied for Olmypiakios.

Balaga Tongo stay in fourth spot after they overcame Voxpro. Some of the Balaga players are actually Voxpro employees, so this was all about bragging rights at the Voxpro headquarters. John Duggan's influence on the game for Balaga was huge. Eoin Hayes scored twice for the winners who were always under pressure from a battling Voxpro outfit.

Game of the week went The Adams Family v The Individuals tie. The Adams Family produced their best performance of the season but just lost out in a really exciting game, going down 7-6. The Adams Family who are all Harvey Norman employees, led 5-2 at the break, thanks to a fine individual display from Angelo who was on the mark 3 times. Barry Gleeson also impressed for the Harvey Norman lot and scored a brace. Damien Galvin was the games best player and made all the difference for the Individuals and also scored 3 times in a brilliant second half display to turn the score in their favour.

Good Win For Tonduff

Dynamo Tonduff defeated Balaga Tongo 3-0 in a mid table darby and leap frogged their opponents in the standings. Tonduff dominated from the kick off and in James mullins they had an inspirational leader. Dave Murphy scored an outstanding team goal mid way through the first half that involved four of his team mates in the build up to put his team 1-0 ahead. Darren Mccarthy scored a fine second just before half time. Inspite of the heroics of Damien Kennedy in goal and John Duggan up front, Balaga just could not get a foothold in the match. When James Mullins scored Tonduffs third the competition was over.

Racing Returns had an emphatic 7-1 win against The Individuals. The first half was an even affair but Charlie Quinn continuously frustrated The Individuals with some great goalkeeping.

The half time score was 3-1. However the second half belonged to Racing and in particular, Padraig McGovern who scored a spectacular five goals.

AC Standard maintained their hundred per cent record with an 8-1 win against The Adams Family. Tim O Connor and Julius Leke were in great form for Standard and scored five goals between them. The Adams Familys internal rows didnt help their cause.

Despite trailing 1-2 at half time,  Olympiakos won a tight, hard fought dual with Voxpro 5-3. Ian Casey scored two for the winners while Shane Dorgan scored one for each team.

The highlight Couldhavebeens, Deportivo encounter was a superb hat trick scored by Darren Murphy. John Murphy, Bernard parkes and Damien Murphy replied for Deportivo but The Couldhavebeens went on to win 6-3.

PSV were outstanding against Crossbarry Celtic. Alan Kinsella stole the show with a sublime performance. His team won 10-4.

Booze Crew And Ezy Take Control

Thursday Division 1

The Division saw all teams play twice this week so it was a good opportunity to make up ground on the leaders. But the Booze Crew and Ezy FC are taking control of this division as they both gained maximum points this week. Last Thursday the Booze Crew had a walkover over the Dreamers and then last night they dismantled the Vale AFC by 7 goals to 2. Ezy FC did a similar job on the Vale last week with a 7-0 win and then had an excellent 5-1 win over the Cupid Stunts last night. These 2 sides look to be well ahead of their rivals on quality and it looks like a 2 horse race for the title at the halfway stage. After drawing 3-3 a few week ago, these sides will have to face each other twice again in this Summers league. Can the Booze Crew burst the Ezy Bubble after 5 titles in a row? Both sides will be looking forward to their next clash on July 10^th.

Booze Crew kept the ball much better than the Vale did last night, and were more incisive when attacking. The final ball left the hard working Vale outfit, down too many times. Brothers Eoin and Alan Kinsella were in top form for the Cobh lads, with Jimmy Griffin and Jody Greannan also contributing largely to a top class performance.

Ezy had a tougher game against the Cupid Stunts, but were still too strong for the Stunts with Andy Daunt and Peter Fitzmaurice superb in defence. The Stunts made an excellent game of it with Jamie Owens and Dan Williams battling very hard.

Shane Murphy was having an excellent game for the Stunts but injured his foot after 25 minutes, and was a huge loss to his side when he was substituted.

Steve Dwyer put Ezy ahead with a low right foot drive after a powerful run up the right wing. Andy Daunt made it 2-0 after 20 minutes with another low right foot shot when he cut inside from the left wing. And when Shane Murphy got injured, the writing was on the wall for the Stunts. Ezy successfully played a counter attacking game for the second half, with Andy O'Mahony scoring twice and ran out easy winners in the end.

The Dreamers may have found a new keeper in Rory Perry as he was in brilliant form in goal as they grinded out a 2-0 win over the Sons Of Pitches. Perry made many excellent saves to keep the Pitches scoreless. Paul Hayes was also excellent in midfield for the Dreamers and was man of the match. Both he and Jonathan Coughlan were on the mark in a hard fought battle.

Thursday Division 2

The Wanted jumped 4 points clear with a fine 5-0 win over the Rotten Johnnies.

Andrew Hegarty was man of the match here and scored 4 times to take his total to an impressive tally of 14 goals after 6 games. The Johnnies started with only six players and went a goal down before they got their seventh player on the pitch. They played well and had plenty of possession but lacked a cutting edge in front of goal which the Wanted FC had in Hegarty.

Hardly Ath lost ground when they went down 3-1 to the Thirty Somethings.

James Barry did well for the Somethings and was amongst the goals along with Brian Kelleher and Shane O'Donoghue.

Thursday Division 3

Crystal Eagle had a tough encounter against The Barrells, but just about shaded it coming out 8-5 in a highly entertaining game. Pat Coleman was at his best for the Eagles in midfield, while James Corcoran and Eoin O'Sullivan did most of the goal scoring damage. The Barrell's Dean Long scored and excellent volley when he raced on to a long ball, for the game best goal. Long scored a hatrick, and both he and the hard working Joey Herrity were unlucky to be on the losing side.

Men Utd jumped up into joint third spot with a fine 4-1 win over KFC, joining them on 10 points and 6 points off the leaders. Connor O'Regan was again man of the match for Men Utd, scoring twice, and was a constant threat to the KFC defence. This game was tighter than the scoreline suggests with 2 goals in the last 3 minutes for Utd sealing 3 valuable points.

River Plate stayed in contention with a win 6-4 over the Whitfords. This was a tricky encounter for River Plate, with Danny Meade's finishing proving the main difference between the sides.

KFC TOO STRONG FOR JT SPECIALS

The early exchanges between KFC and JT Specials were tight and it looked like a close encounter was on the cards. Ten minutes into the game John Ferry of the Specials, ran on to a great through ball from Rob Carpenter and confidently slotted it into the KFC net. Unfortunately, for the Specials it was downhill from this point on. The concession of an early goal seemed to spur on KFC and they went on to dominate the match. Peter Carroll replied almost immediately for KFC with a great strike before Rob Browner put them ahead with a great individual goal. Dean Dunlea and Michael Ollney also scored a couple of goals for KFC in between an incredible six for Rob Browner. Goalkeeper Andrew Rock and midfielder Killian Boland were two others who impressed for the winners. These lads will be contenders when the honours are presented at the end of the season.

The Pathetic Athletic, Men United encounter was a brilliant match that was deadlocked at two goals a piece with a couple of minutes left. Shane O Hanlon and Colin Melsop were the scorers for Pathetic while Mick Ryan and Bernard Parks were on the mark for Men United. However Pierce Warren stole the points for Pathetic with a superb twenty metre strike .

Crystel Eagle maintained their position at the top of the table with a resounding 12 - 3 win over River Plate. The immense James Corcoran was the main man for the Eagles.

The Hardly Athletic, Wanted tie was a top of the table clash that Hardly had to at leas draw to keep their title aspirations in their own hands. They started tentatively and allowed The Wanted to dictate the early pace. The Wanted deservedly took the lead after about 15 minutes when Andrew Hegarty scored a great goal. However as the match progressed, Hardly improved and were 5-3 ahead with ten minutes remaining. However The Wanted recovered the initiative in the last ten minutes and secured an equaliser when Zoltan scored a brilliant goal in the last minute.

Eric Cotter was outstanding for Boca Seniors in their match with Mount Oval. Boca won 2-0  with Bryan Connell and Des Ryan scoring the goals.

Paul Stanton scored a super hat trick for Panicyakios in their 7- 3 win against Bayer Neverlusen. Kevin Twomey also scored a brace for Panicyakios while Gonzalo scored a couple for Bayer.

The highlight of The Rotten Johnnies, Thirtysomethings match was a thunderbolt of a free kick by Wayne O Callaghan for The Johnnies from the half way line direct to the Thirtysomethings net. The final score was 4-1 in favour of The Johnnies.

The top of the table match between Ezy FC and The Booze Crew was the match of the evening. With Jimmy Griffin in top form for The Crew the Cobh lads took the early initiative and were two up half way through the first half. However it took a late goal from Joady Grennan to get a share of the points for The Crew. Andrew Daunt scored a brace for Ezy while Steve Dwyer was his usual brilliant self.

The Sons of Pitches and The Vale played a thrilling 3-3 draw. Garry Dennehy was in top form for The Vale while James O Loughlin impressed for The Pitches.

Magyars Pass Panicyakios Test

Thursday Division 2

2 probable contenders for this division went head to head last week, as The Wanted FC took on Panicyakios. The Hungarians lads coming out on top in a feisty affair by 4 goals to 2. The Magyars did well coming from 2 goals behind after Panic dominated the early exchanges jumping 2 in front after 15 minutes with goals from Peter Reidy and Paul Stanton. The second goal from the impressive Paul Stanton seemed like it might be crucial as they scored seconds after Horvath missed a great chance to equalise but his first touch left him down in front of goal. The Hungarians boys deservedly got back on level terms before the break and this gave them more confidence for the second half as they were growing into the game. Wanted FC sealed the points with 2 unanswered second half goals. One each from the boot of Andre Hegarty and Zsolt Laszlo did the trick. This win puts them back on top with a point to spare over Hardly Athletic who they will face next week.

Mount Oval lost valuable ground as they went down to the Rotten Johnnies who had their first win of the season. The Johnnies had their best team lined for the first time this season and they should make up ground on the leaders in the coming weeks if this display was anything to go by. Conor Lyons was best for the Johnnies in this very open game that produced 11 goals, with 7 going to the Johnnies. Phil Mohally showed some clinical finishing and scored a hatrick for the winners.

Polish man Rob Kregial also showed what a good finisher he is, scoring all 4 of the Mount Ovals goals.

Hardly Athletic kept ground with the leaders with a fine 4-1 win over Bayer Neverlusen. The games highlight being a cracking volley from Hardly's Laurence Ging from 20 yards. Rob Dwyer scored a brace for the winners here also.

Old rivals Boca Seniors and the Thirty Somethings, both of whom have dropped a division this Summer, went head to head again, in a game that is usually a close encounter. This was no different ending in a 3-3 draw, with a late equaliser from Brian McLoughlin for the Somethings. Eric Cotter scored 2 superb goals for the Bocas

Thursday Division 1

Ezy Fc continued their winning ways with a comfortable 7-2 win over the Sons of Pitches. Andy O'Mahony impressed the most and scored twice for Ezy, as did Steve Dwyer and Dave Johnson. Defender Peter Fitzmaurice scored with a cracking low drive from 18 yards for the games best goal. Con Carey and Alan White were on the mark for the Pitches who were always second best on the night.

The Dreamers got their season off the mark with their first win over The Vale AFC. Dreamers coming out 3-1 on top with goals from Dave Linnane (2) and Dean Cummins. Their keeper Carlo Gleeson had an excellent game in goal. Ken O'Connor was the lone Vale scorer.

Thursday Division 3

Next weeks tie between newcomers Crystal Eagle and River Plate, looks like it will be important as the season progresses into week 5. Both these sides have been in excellent form, and both had big wins last week.

Crystal Eagle thumped the JT Specials 8-2, while River Plate overcame other potential title rivals KFC by 3 goals to 2 in an excellent game. Danny Meade with the all important late goal for River Plate in a game neither side deserved to lose.

Declan Kelly was man of the match for The Barrels as they beat Pathetic Athletic comfortably. Craig Hayes was on the mark 3 times and Ivan Weir and Dean Long both had a brace of goals a piece for the winners.

Men Utd and Whitfords played out a really close game with United just shading it 2-1. All 3 goals came in the first half, Stephen O'Neill and Conor Regan were on the scoresheet for the winners, while the evergreen Cameron Espey replied for Whitfords

Mount Oval Show Intent

Mount Oval Show Intent

Having been well beaten the previous week by The Wanted, Mount Oval needed to get back to winning ways this week against Bayer Neverlusen to maintain their challenge for the division two title. They started the game well and created some good chances early on but the Neverlusen goalkeeper, Angelo Di Corcia was always able to deal with the Mount Oval efforts. On the one occasion that Angel was beaten, Anthony Dempsey made a miraculous save to cover for his keeper. Eventually, towards the end of the first half Tomas Radilek scored a super goal for Mount Oval. One would have thought that Mount Oval would have went on from there to easily win but that was not the case. It was Bayer Neverlosin who began to create the best chances until eventually they equalised with a magnificent goal from John Cadogan.

With twenty minutes remaining Brian Connell began to become more influential for Mount Oval and slowly but surely they began to control the match more and more. They took the lead again when Robert Kriegal scored a brilliant goal which resulted from a counter attack after a Neverlosin corner and involved some great inter play between Connell, Radilek and Kriegal. The last twenty minutes was one way traffic and Radilek went on to score three more goals.

Wednesday Division 1

Ken Hourihan scored a cheeky late winner direct from a corner for The Could Have Beens in their thrilling 6-5 win against Sliabh na mBan. This was Hourihans third in a man of the match performance during which Mark Riordan was also magnificent for Sliabh na mBan and who also scored three.

ABCDE FC were too strong for Deportivo in their 8-3 win. Brian Murphy, Brian Forde and Diarmuid Ring scored two a piece for ABCDE.

Mark Riordan was outstanding for The Kids during their 6-3 win against PSV. He scored a hat-trick and showed magnificent skill and vision through out the match.

The Lemon Drizzlers were well worth their 5-2 win against  Crossbarry Celtic. Brian Nolan was their main man and he scored three fine goals. Richard Barrett scored a brace while Kevin Finn and Paul Buckley scored for Crossbarry.

Wednesday Division 2

The best match in this division was The Individuals, Voxpro encounter. This was a ding dong affair which could have ended up in victory for either team. However it was Voxpro who ended up with the honours. Man of the match was Jurgen Bukowski of The Individuals who bagged two.

Inspite of scoring a magnificent hat-trick Kevin Corbett ended up on the loosing team when his team Pathetic Athletic were just pipped by KFC FC. Jason O Reilly scored two for KFC.

Padraig McGovern of Racing Returns was the difference between the teams during the Racing, Olympiakos encounter. He scored four goals while Conor O Regan bagged a brace for Racing while Ian Casey, Mike Wren and Joe Cullity scored for Olympiakos.

The AC Standard, Dynamo Tonduff match was an open exciting game with plenty of goals and chances. It was however AC Standard edged the game. The final score was 4-2. Julius scored two for the winners.

Reidy Shines For Panicyakios

Thursday Division 2.
Panicyakios got their Summer campaign off and running with a fine win 4-2 over the Rotten Johnnies. After losing their opening game of the season going down 3-2 to Hardly Ath, it was important they picked up something from this fixture. To Panicyakios's advantage the Johnnies were a man short, for the first 20 minutes and went 2-0 in front with goals from Peter Reidy and Cian Connolly. However Rotten Johnnies settled once they got a seventh player on the pitch and got back into the game with a goal before half time. Paul Fortune was organising the Panic defence well and were holding well under pressure as the Johnnies came forward in search of the equaliser. That equaliser came with a fine effort from Phil Wade with 15 minutes left.. But Panicyakios scored the crucial 3^rd goal within seconds to regain the lead, with a superbly worked team goal finished from the classy right boot of Reidy. Panic then played a counter attacking game for the last quarter of the game and scored again with a great strike from Stephen Ahern.The Wanted continued into week 2 with another fine win over an under strength Mount Oval outfit. This Hungarian team played all the football in this one sided game. Horvath was excellent for the Eastern Europeans and scored a brace. Andrew Hegarty was on the mark 3 times for The Wanted, who look like early season favourites and look like they will be hard to stop. Bayer Neverlusen also got their first points with a 4-2 win over the Thirty Somethings. Star man here was Gonzola Vidal who contribution was immense. Ashley Gyves hit an impressive hartrick for Neverlusen. Mark Murphy and Niall Kerrigan scored for the Somethings who were a little unluckly not to get something from this closely fought game.Boca Seniors had to use all their experience to overcome Hardly Ath, but did so with a 4-2 win. Paul Tierney looked a class apart on the pitch as he ran their midfield, also contributing 2 goals in a very impressive display. This game was an excellent advert for the Footy leagues with some high quality play from both sides. Ger Dolan was best for Hardly Ath. Dave McCarthy and Bobby Rodgers were on the mark for the losers. The reliable Eric Cotter and Joe McAulliffe were Boca's other goalscorers.

Thursday Division 3
Footy newcomers Crystal Eagle had a fine 9-3 win over Pathetic Athletic.Eoin O Sullivan (2) and Rob Waters (3) were their star players on the night.This young skilful outfit have hit the ground running and look like they should be there or thereabouts at the business end of the season. They opened their Summer campaign with a thrilling 7-7 draw with KFC, and added another 3 points last week.KFC were made work very hard for the 3 points but just about held on for a 1-0 win over the Whitfords. Dean Dunlea with the only goal.The Barrells and JT Specials drew 3-3 in another cracking game, where the Specials came from 2-0 down to lead 3-2, but conceded a very late equaliser Dean Long with the all important goal. Joey Herrity and Long were best for The Barrells, while Rob Carpenter was best for the Specials.River Plate had their second win in 2 weeks with a hard fought 4-3 victory over Men Utd. This was a game of two halves with River Plate dominating the first half and were 3-0 up at the break. However the second period belonged to Men Utd, who were led by Conor O'Regan as they fought hard to get back into the game. Danny Meade was best for the Carrigaline boys, but they were lucky to hold out for the win.

Thursday Division 1
Ezy Fc continued with their winning ways, and will once again be the team to catch this Summer. They had a 7-4 win over Footy newcomers the Cupid Stunts. Steve Dwyer led the way with a hatrick. Ezy have added Andrew Daunt to their line up for the Summer, and he also had a fine game.The Sons of Pitches who are in Division 1 for the first time in many years of playing Footy, had another fine 5-3 victory over the Dreamers. James O Loughlin is playing in a division where he belongs, and proved it with a fine hatrick for the Pitches.The Booze Crew, who look like will be Ezy's main rivals, overcame the Vale AFC 2-1 in a game where defences were on top. Owen Kinsella was best for Cobh Crew and scored the winner. The hard working Ken O'Connor was the Vale's top man and scored a brilliant goal.

Great Start For PSV

Great Start For PSV

Wednesday Division 1

PSV Hungovers started their campaign with a fine 4-3 win against The Could Have Beens. PSV started well and scored after five minutes with a fine strike from Lee Delaney. However the rest of the half belonged to The Could Have Beens. Denis Collins  was holding the ball well up front and constantly creating chances for Derek O Brien and Niall Collins. It was Niall who made the most of his and he scored three very good first half goals. The Could Have Beens started the second half well but failed to add to their score. As the match progressed PSV began to get on top and Lee Delaney became more influential. With five minutes to go the scored was tied at 3-3 when Delaney picked up the ball on the left side in his own half and after skipping past two defenders placed the ball neatly inside the right hand post to score a great winner.

ABCDE FC edged The Lemon Drizzlers in a in a thriller which was heading for a final score of 2-2 until Conor Barry scored a dramatic late winner. The standard of Soccer was superb in this clash and was punctuated by a few outstanding goals. The goal of the match was scored by Peter O'Leary after some great footwork and a super pass by Ed Noonan.

Goalkeeper Bill Henry was the man of the match for AC Standard during their encounter with Racing Returns. After absorbing all that Racing could throw at them Kevin Broderick scored a fine goal for Standard to plunder all three points.

Bryan Wise scored an amazing seven goals for The Kids 2 during their 9-5 win against Sliabh na mBan. The Kids just had too much energy for their opponents.

Paul Buckley was in great form for Crossbarry Celtic against Deportivo, however it was Ger Holland and Kevin Finn who took the honours, scoring two goals apiece. John O'Brien scored a brace for Deportivo.

Wednesday Division 2

John Duggan scored the opener and was the man of the match for Balaga Tongo in their encounter with Voxpro. This was Voxpros maiden Footy match and they will improve as the season progresses. Eoin Hayes scored the other Balaga goal.

Rob Benson scored a magnificent team goal for The Individuals during their 7-1 win against The Adams Family. Sean Mowld was the MVP in this game.

The Dynamo Tonduff, Olympiakos encounter was a match in which there were a lot of chances created but few taken. Infact it was the losers, Tonduff who created the better opportunities but unfortunately they were only able to take one, which resulted in a fine goal by Sean O'Connell. Tom O Connor and Colin Donnelly scored for Olympiakos.

Goalkeeper Bill Henry was the man of the match for AC Standard during their encounter with Racing Returns. After absorbing all that Racing could throw at them Kevin Broderick scored a fine goal for Standard to plunder all three points.