Style and Substance baby!

Style over Substance stepped it up a notch with a performance of such intensity that they toppled the league leaders and turned around a 9 goal opening day defeat against the same opposition to stun their opponents 6-4.

This game started at breakneck speed with both teams pressing hard, breaking fast and every run being tracked as tight as a ducks arse!
The team lined out with Eamonn and Brian at the back, Podge and Alan held midfield and Darragh ploughed a lone furrow up front.
The pace of the game, the incision of passing, stretched both teams to breaking point on occasion but the legs were fresh and every angle was covered during the opening period, no quarter asked nor given!

Jim and Stuart rotated on and got their legs up to the pitch of the game as both teams pressed hard, creating half chances but were thwarted by stout defending. 

The deadlock was broken after 20 minutes as The Blast worked the ball around the pitch and a speculative volley from 12 yards out squirted past Neil in goals after making it through a forest of outstretched legs.

This added impetus to the game and both teams, now fully up to speed, began to work clear cut openings.

Brian nipped in, intercepted a pass and laid-off to Stuart who rifled into the top left corner, this goal made it 1-1 but also lifted Style over Substance who needed to get on the scoresheet after such sterling effort. The Blast were not to be out gunned so easily though and worked harder to shut down the purple patch that Style over Substance were having and managed to sneak a quick goal after drawing the defence with snappy passing and releasing their striker to finish neatly.

2-1 with just 5 minutes left until half time and both teams going hard to gain the advantage at the break, the substance was reached for, and the well was found to be deep. Jim Butler and Eamonn Kennedy were physically dominating their Polish counterparts while Stuart and Alan provided a screen in midfield from where attacks were launched as Brian Butler took his turn to lead the line. 

The leveling goal came as Stuart made a break down the right flank and took a shot which was blocked by a defender but this fell to Brian making a support run and with a quick first touch and volley the ball was blasted past the keeper in goals. 

The Blast tried to regain their advantage straight away but Eamonn Kennedy was strong in the tackle and released Alan Sheehy down the left flank, he beat the first defender and took a shot which came off the keeper, rebounded off the crossbar and across the goals while Brian Butler came in and tapped home.

3-2 and the half time provided a welcome breather to both teams, but the championship quarter is when Style over Substance turn the screw and this week proved no different. The second half started at an even higher tempo and with both teams not afraid to get physical as possession and chances ebbed and flowed. The game was leveled once more with The Blast scoring a nice goal after a tidy passing movement which released their left midfielder coming in on the end to leave Neil no chance.

Alan Sheehy was having none of it though and combined with Padraic Nicholas as the two midfielders worked their way around the park with some orchestral passing as they conducted a raid through the heart of the polish defense. Padraic cut out a pass in his own right back position and crisply played the ball to Alan in the centre circle who rolled out to the left and drew two players leaving Padraic to race down the right wing unopposed, Alan pinged a pass across the pitch which Padraic controlled on his chest and continued racing through, this turned both players tracking Alan as they raced across to cut out his run, just as they approached Padraic sliced them with a perfect pass to Alan who smashed it first time into the top right corner. 4-3, the game was in the melting pot but once again that well proved deep.

Brian Butler pounced on a poor pass on the left wing, out muscled the polish player and dribbled towards the corner, but just as he did, Padraic Nicholas ran a slant route into the corner in front of him drawing the centre half away from his protective position, opening a momentary gap. Cutting inside the polish midfielder Brian had open country between him and the goals, put on a quick burst and smashed a shot straight past the keeper. 5-3 and the pace of the game continued unabated with neither team willing to stop going for the jugular.

The Blast began to turn the screw also and Eamon, Jim and Stuart were outstanding at the back as they cut out passes, tracked runs and organized the catenaccio formation used to shore up the red zone! Jim taking it one step further on one occasion and doing the cynical italian defender, took out a Polish player clean through, this resulted in the game souring slightly and the level of physicality increasing but that passionate rush of Polish blood to the head suited Style over Substance who exploited this and forced them into rash decisions.

The sixth goal came as Neil o'Mahony released Brian down the left wing, after winning the ball and getting past the defender he squared to Alan in the box who controlled neatly and rounded the keeper before stroking it home.
6-3 with 5 minutes left and with no sign of flagging Style over Substance began to squeeze the Blast everywhere.

Their final goal coming as a result of their keeper not having any options to pass to, dribbled out towards midfield and blasting it in frustration at the goals, it caught a lucky deflection and went straight into the top corner, little consolation but it was soon all over and both these teams will have some scores to settle the next time they meet. If both are at full strength expect fireworks!

Style over Substance will be pleased but with Tim McCarthy being joined on the injury list by Darragh who injured his ankle in the first half while kicking a Brian/Football combination, they will have to ensure that no complacency sets in and the medical team get to work early in the week!

Scorers - Brian [3] Alan [2] Stewart [1] 

Full team, full gas, full points!

Style over Substance recorded an outstanding 7-2 victory against The Moos last night in their best performance this season. The Moos were top of the table and looked to be the form team coming into this fixture, but for the first time this year Style over Substance had an almost completely healthy roster with only Tim McCarthy out with medium term knee damage.


Welcoming the return of Stuart despite playing with two broken bones in his hand, the mercurial Darragh returning to form and the ever controversial Eamonn Kennedy getting back some game fitness, the edge Style over Substance need to win this league is slowly sharpening.


 The game began at a high tempo, both teams now after 5 weeks of competition are starting to gel well and combinations were working for each side. As a result the passing was crisp, technical and the opening period was dominated by cattenaggio employed by both teams as they sought to give nothing away and build a platform for victory.


 The moos were working openings down the right flank as they looked to set up chances for their star players, but Jim Butler and Eamonn Kennedy were titans in defence as they repelled attack after attack and Padraic Nicholas screened effectively in front of the defence, controlling possession and dominating the rhythm which Style over Substance played with when in possession. He was cutting out passes and setting up opportunities for Neil, Brian and Darragh who worked hard to pin The Moos back into their own half.


On occasion this reduced The Moos to trying long balls over the top, but the razor sharp Alan Sheehy in goals dealt comfortably with any these in the sweeper keeper role.
In a game this tight chances were few and far between, both teams getting in many blocks and goalkeepers being well protected to allow them deal with any efforts on their own terms.


Eventually The Moos broke the stalemate after 15 minutes, working the ball around the park, a speculative shot from the right wing caught a deflection and squeezed into the bottom right corner. This sparked a renewed effort from Style over Substance and Stuart started raiding down the left wing, setting up Neil o'Mahony with a number of chances, but The Moos were disciplined in defence and choked off any opportunity.


 The catenaggio style still dominated the rest of the half, until just moments before half-time Jim Butler was strong in the tackle in his own left back position and the ball came out of the tackle to Brian Butler who turned on the gears, slalomed through the midfield and side stepped the defender while dragging the goalie to the right and then clipping the ball into the bottom left.
The goal gave Style over Substance a lift and on the stroke of half-time, with both teams all-square this was proving an intriguing encounter.


 But the intrigue did not last long into the second half, Style over Substance came out, turned the screw and put The Moos to a mercifully swift death!
Padraic Nicholas began to impose himself on the game controlling midfield with his technical ability and physical presence, Darragh started finding room up front to terrorise defenders and create openings while Neil was stringing passes together that sapped the energy from The Moos as they battled hard to keep up pressure and not concede chances.


 The opening goal came after just 2 minutes of the second half, Style over Substance were applying a crushing force to The Moos who coughed up possession on the right flank; Neil passed quickly to Jim, who released Eamonn down the left flank and he cut a crisp pass to Darragh at the edge of the box. Darragh controlled it well and drew a defender, buying time for Brian who was running through the middle to get there and a quick flick set him up for a volley, which he caught cleanly and drove into the top left corner. 2-1 and storming!


 The next few minutes were dominated by Style over Substance and Darragh won a ball on the right wing and released Brian again who raced through the middle past two defenders and slotted the ball into the bottom right.
This dagger to the heart of The Moos tore the belief from them as the visibly wilted under the strangle hold of Eamonn, Stuart and Jim sniffing out any opportunity while releasing Neil, Padraic and Darragh who kept the ball well and worked chances which caused The Moos to become very ratty and discordant as a team.


This allowed Darragh to pick up a nice pass from Padraic and turn inside two defenders and slot into the bottom left, followed quickly with another goal a few moments later. Stuart won a ball in the pocket, played a relief ball out the line to Darragh who was putting in a tremendous shift up front and then Stuart raced through the middle to get on the end of Darraghs square ball, and a cool head and a sure strike put the ball past the keeper.
5-1 and cruising!


The effort Style over substance put in to get ahead began to show and a moment of lapse concentration resulted in The Moos winning a free on the edge of the box, with no one back helping out, Alan Sheehy was left alone with a free 8 yards in front of him. Style over substance offered him no help and the free taker just blasted it past him from point blank range.


 This was just a momentary blip and going into the last 10 minutes the game opened up and Darragh and Stuart both scored goals on the counter attack. Darragh was released by Alan who cut out a long ball, threw it over the defence to Darragh who controlled well in the square, rounded the keeper with ease and slotted home.


The final goal was scored by Stuart, but this hack missed it as he went to retrieve a ball Neil o'Mahony managed to kick out over the goals, the cage, the net and the car park! That particular ball was burst, much like The Moos bubble.


Scorers - Brian [3] Darragh [2] Stuart [2]

One to forget

Style over Substance were swept aside 10-5 in an inept performance. Starting slowly they ceded a 4-0 head start to Boca Seniors. 


Second to every ball, prone to a crazy pass here and a missed tackle there, Boca Seniors had an easy time of keeping the ball and working openings but James Butler in goals pulled off some great saves, with as many as 6 one on ones thwarted by his quick reactions.


Eamonn Kennedy was all action at the back but was not getting enough support from a flat footed midfield who didn't track runners after losing the ball. It is a trait that Style over Substance will have to eliminate if they want to improve as a team.


Despite many phases of dire decision making, poor passing and kamikaze attacking, Style over Substance did manage to get on the score sheet with a well worked goal. Tristan o'Gorman and Darragh played a nice one two and created an opening that put Darragh through on the goalie, his saved shot fell to the feet of James o'Reilly who slotted it away. This was followed up with a goal from Brian Butler who intercepted a ball near midfield, took a touch and finished to the bottom left corner from outside the box. 


With 6 goals for Boca Seniors in the first half this hack has managed forget the details of each one, with all of them mangled into a nightmarish mental montage of how badly a 6-a-side team can play!


Style over Substance did rally for the first 20 minutes of the second half. Tristan o'Gorman started to come into the game a little more, Alan Sheehy and Brian Butler started passing the ball to their own players, Darragh was working hard up front and stole in along the end line after winning a ball in the corner, rounded two defenders and somehow defying the laws of physics clipped the ball past the keeper.


Eamonn Kennedy was dominating completely at the back and Boca Seniors were kept scoreless for 20 minutes as Style over Substance poured on the pressure. A quick pass by Tristan set up Darragh who squared the ball to Alan and he walloped it past the keeper. Another pass by Alan set up Brian Butler running from deep who drilled it into the bottom left. This brought the score to 7-5, but the edges were beginning to fray and the fitness factor mentioned in last weeks article came back to haunt Style over Substance who despite trying hard had nothing left in reserve for the last 10 minutes. 


Boca seniors took full advantage and score 3 goals, all of them nice inter passing moves that left the defenders rooted to the spot as the fresher team danced in to terrorise James Butler in goals. 


Scorer Brian [2], Alan, Darragh and James o'Reilly

Fitness a factor

Style over Substance were beaten 9-4 last night in a game that would be best forgotten. Short Jim, Stuart and Darragh resources were tight and Tristan O'Gorman was drafted in at the last minute on a free agent contract. The opposition FC Najduchy are a physical, compact and well organised team with a very solid keeper. They must have Trapatoni as an advisor! 


The game started with both teams setting up cautiously and for the first 10 minutes it was a case of each team searching for openings but as players were fresh, runs were covered, positions were filled and neither team gave anything away. After about 10 minutes FC Najduchy worked an opportunity on the right, the shot came past the defender and slow reaction by Brian Butler in goals allowed the ball to zip between his legs. Nutz!!


The game stayed in the same pattern for another 5 or 6 minutes until Style over Substance started to fray slightly at the back and FC Najduchy began to find some more space. A counter attack left a two on one with the keeper and a nice finish to the bottom left corner saw them go 2-0 up. 


Style over Substance rallied for a while, making opportunities but the shooting was atrocious, the passing in the final third was too ambitious given the tight pitch dimensions and it was obvious that half the team had not played together before and spent the last weekend drinking as nobody was making runs or getting themselves free to support the man on the ball. 


This caused the play to break down a lot, Alan Sheehy was working hard in midfield but was finding it hard to get through a phalanx of defenders, Neil O'Mahony was working hard up front but without getting enough support from midfield he was getting pushed around and double teamed by two polish defenders. Tristian O'Gorman slotted in well midfield but he too was isolated in possession and it is something Style over Substance will have to address if they wish to improve as a team.


FC Najduchy got another goal from a bit of ping pong around the box, a ball dropped to one of their players who blasted home from 5 yards. Then another fortuitous goal put them 4-0 up with only a few minutes left on the clock until half time when Tim McCarthy pickup up a ball on the right wing, took it past the polish defender, cut back inside and finished nicely to the corner with a left footed strike.


Half time came and after having a quick word Style over Substance came out with renewed vigour. A much brighter start to the half created some great chances. 


Padraic Nicholas started to come into the game more, screening the defence and holding the centre of the pitch in a role similar to Pique's at Barcelona. He was linking play well with Tristian O'Gorman and Eamonn Kennedy was holding the fort a la Carlos Pujol. This allowed Alan and Neil more time up front and with Padraic making runs through the middle he was clearing out defenders who had to track him. 


This allowed Alan Sheehy to drift in from the left wing, play a nice one two with Neil O'Mahony and slotted it nicely into the bottom right corner.2-5. Another burst through the middle by Padraic was unlucky not to end in a goal as his header was saved by the keeper. Tristan had a shot which scraped the cross bar. Then a ball down the right by Tim set Neil up with a shot and he rifled it into the bottom left. 3-5. 


An unfortunate injury to a polish player resulted in the game being stopped for a minute and this allowed FC Najduchy to get together and stop the rot but Style over Substance still had legs and worked hard to create another opening as Alan Sheehy dinked around some defenders, passed to Padraic who shot and then Alan pounced on the rebound to make it 4-5.


The sustained effort had taken it's toll. Style over Substance were out on their feet with 15 minutes left and lost the final 10 minutes 4-0 as Neil O'Mahony had to leave injured and left Style over Substance without any substitutes to give players a breather, most especially Eamonn Kennedy who looked like an advertisement for the Pioneers and Nicorette rolled into one!


Back to the mistakes of week one, and with a lot of work to do Style over Substance will need to focus on getting a string of performances together or it could be a long season listening to the sounds of polish laughter! 


Scorers - Alan [2] Tim [1] Neil [1]