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]