23/01/2024
THIS WEEKENDS RESULTS
First Team 7-1 Realta II
Saturday saw the firsts head up to the Grove in search of a far better performance than the weekend before. It didn’t take the lads long to show they meant business as a number of chances fell to ACs front men which would have started the scoring earlier than it did. But it wasn’t long until Edgar Teixeira opened his account for 2024 with a great half volley finding the back of the Realta net, this was quickly followed by his second and third putting AC 3-0 within the first half an hour. Realta battled back into the game and found a couple of chances which were narrowly put wide. However, AC were able to round out the scoring in the first half with a goal from Niall McInerney after a corner bounced around in the Realta penalty box.
The second half began even faster than the first with Edgar Teixeira finding the net for his fourth after only three passes from the AC players. The lads began to slowly a little bit in the second half as at 5-0 they just looked to manage the game and grab their first 3 points of the new year. The home side managed to grab one back however from the penalty spot before Eoin Devenny got on the scoresheet. As well as Chris Moore, who was able to claim his first goal in senior football, which rounded out the scoring at 7-1.
The lads will look to next week and try to take the momentum into their next match in an attempt to keep pressure on the top teams.
Goals: 4x Edgar Teixeira, 1x Chris Moore, 1x Eoin Devenny, 1x Niall McInerney
Assists: 1x Jamie King, 2x Eoin Devenny, 1x Aaron O’Donovan,
MAN OF THE MATCH: Edgar Teixeira
Over 35s 1-2 Mallusk FC Over 35s
AC Belfast Over 35’s took to a windswept Strangford Avenue Playing Fields seeking revenge against runaway league leaders Mallusk, following a cruel, late 4-3 loss in the reverse fixture in October.
The hosts started on the front foot, showing greater composure on the ball compared to recent showings which culminated in two good opportunities in quick succession. Having won possession in the centre of the park, midfield anchor Seán Donnelly picked out Conor McDaid’s excellently timed run but just as the lively frontman was bearing down on goal and about to pull the trigger, a well-timed Mallusk tackle snuffed out the danger. Within minutes fellow frontman Adrian Murphy tested the visiting keeper with a snapshot when well placed. Marshalled by the resolute back three of Everden, Bowers and Leckenby, the usually free-scoring visitors were restricted to strikes from distance but despite the AC’s dominance in the opening period, it was scoreless at the break.
Playing against a gale-force wind in the second half it was perhaps a shock when the hosts opened the scoring within 60 seconds of the restart. Dynamic wideman Caomhin Doherty managed to show the opposing full back a clean pair of heels down the flank before drilling a cross into the danger area from which the referee adjudged that the Mallusk defender handled. Adrian Murphy stepped up to cooly his dispatch his 11th goal of the season by sending the keeper the wrong way.
Within minutes Doherty was at it again, cutting in from the left and beating his man before being felled by the despairing defender as he bore down on goal. To everyone’s disbelief, the referee saw no infringement and waved play on in what likely proved to be a defining moment in the game.
On 61 minutes, a quick counter-attack saw the hosts short on numbers at the back and a clumsy tackle on the edge of the area gave Mallusk a path back into the game which they duly took, penalty converted for 1-1.
With the wind increasingly wreaking havoc in what was a finely poised affair, it was the conditions that contributed to the winning goal. A weak goal kick against the wind found the Mallusk striker who clinically headed home to secure the points and leave the hosts pondering what could – and probably should – have been.
Goals: 1x Adrian Murphy
MAN OF THE MATCH: Caoimhin Doherty
As always we wish our opponents good luck for the season and Uppa AC!
