HOME Glentoran U12’s 5-1 Lurgan Town
Glentoran Under 12's continued their brilliant early season form stretching their 100% run to 6 games. The boys have now got an amazing record of played 6, won 6, scored 47 and conceded just 2!
Last night’s encounter against Lurgan Town was the hardest match of the season so far and there is no doubt that Lurgan will be in with a shout when the honours are handed out at the end of the season so this coupled with the fact that the game was played on a terrible playing surface really underlines how impressive a result this was.
Callum Carson missed the game with a broken wrist and any team receiving the crushing news that their midfield general would be missing for four weeks could have been forgiven for feeling sorry for themselves but the will to win and team spirit within this side is such that the boys just got on with it and it seemed to make them more determined to get the victory for their mate!
The injury to Callum led to the slight reshuffle from Saturday’s starting line up of Peter dropping back into midfield where Connor retained his place. Ethan Warnock started the game at left back with Aidan Moloney leading the line up front and there was a good balance to the side.
Down to the action then and Lurgan, who had won the toss, decided to change ends to use the wind in the second half but soon after kick off the wind died off and this was never a factor in the game. Lurgan’s tactics however seemed to be to keep it tight at the start as they packed their defence and were difficult to break down.
The Glens, through lynchpin Gregg Parker, were switching the play from left to right and trying to get in behind Lurgan’s full backs – Josh Tipping had more joy down the right with a terrific first half display as the Lurgan right back proved to be a match for Padraig Slane in the first half.
It was Josh who forced the first corner of the game getting behind the left back only to see his cross deflected out. Connor fired the first shot across the Lurgan bow from the corner as he took the short to Peter, Peter set it back for Connor and his cross took a slight deflection to go inches over the bar.
Connor miss hit the second corner but the tone had been set and minutes later when the Glens forced another corner he went even closer. Gregg Parker cleverly pulled out of the pack to make himself available on the edge, he set the ball back for Connor whose sweet left foot strike struck the cross bar.
The Glens didn’t have to wait too much longer for the break through and again it was a Connor Maxwell centre that done the trick. This time out on the left he swung the ball into the danger zone where Aidan Moloney caught the back line napping to nip in and finish well past the keeper.
5 minutes later it was 2-0 when another cross, this time from Josh Tipping, was cleared towards the half way line, Ethan Warnock read it superbly and came in from the left to trap the ball and send it straight back into the danger zone towards Peter McMullan. Peter took a touch and turned in a flash to face the Lurgan goal, he bamboozled the Lurgan back line and keeper so much with the speed of his turn that he seemed to have an eternity to pick his spot and slot the ball home.
At 2-0 down Lurgan may well have collapsed but the second goal seemed to spark the right reaction out of them and they reminded everyone how dangerous they could be a few minutes later when their livewire blonde haired winger cut inside and delivered a teasing cross to their centre forward who crashed his shot off the cross bar and on the stroke of half time Lurgan did pull one back with their second shot of the game – again the danger man was the blond haired wide player as he cut inside from the left to shoot high over Zak Clark in the Glentoran goal.
Half Time 2-1
The players were warned against complacency at half time and told that Lurgan would try and pin the Glens back early and this proved to be the case as Lurgan pushed an extra man forward and became more direct in the second half.
It looked as though the Glens would come under a lot of pressure but the boys continued to defend well – being well marshalled by skipper Doherty. Ethan Warnock and Mattie Torrens kept calm heads at the back as they continued to pass their way out of trouble and Ross McMorris done a good job in shackling Lurgan’s winger who had switched sides for the second half.
The defence look so solid at the minute and part of that solidity is their ability to be able to take pressure off by passing the ball back to goalkeeper Clark, who tidies everything up, invariably finding good passes when under pressure.
Part of the team talk at half time focussed on the need to be productive when counter attacking – Peter McMullan running from midfield would be the link man and the pace of Padraig, Aidan and Josh would be key if the boys could find them quickly and so it proved as the boys counter attacked like a dream!
Any time Lurgan attacked they were stopped dead in their tracks by the back four and with the speed at which the Glens counter attacked with sharp precision passing it was only a matter of time before the Glens nabbed the third.
When the third arrived it was indeed the product of an incisive counter attack. Peter spread the ball wide to Padraig who pushed the ball past the flame haired full back to whip over a deep cross. Josh Tipping timed his run to perfection to attack the back post and force the ball home with his head.
The Glens really killed off Lurgan moments later with the fourth goal, Peter McMullan again pulled the strings as he chipped a measured pass over the Lurgan centre back for Aidan to wriggle free and lob the ball over the keeper despite a heavy challenge from the Lurgan number 1. The ball bounced en route to goal and despite the best efforts of the Lurgan full back to head it off the line it ended up in the net.
The Glens took control of the remaining period of the game as Lurgan’s confidence had deserted them and it came as no surprise that the Glens would score again – Aidan Moloney this time with the assist as he squared to Padraig who finished well.
Another fine performance from this impressive young team and certainly the best result so far against a very good Lurgan side. The task now will be to keep focused and look to improve again on Saturday to see off Greenisland.
Glentoran continued their brilliant early season form stretching their 100% run to 6 games. The boys have now got an amazing record of played 6, won 6, scored 47 and conceded just 2!
Last night’s encounter against Lurgan Town was the hardest match of the season so far and there is no doubt that Lurgan will be in with a shout when the honours are handed out at the end of the season so this coupled with the fact that the game was played on a terrible playing surface really underlines how impressive a result this was.
Callum Carson missed the game with a broken wrist and any team receiving the crushing news that their midfield general would be missing for four weeks could have been forgiven for feeling sorry for themselves but the will to win and team spirit within this side is such that the boys just got on with it and it seemed to make them more determined to get the victory for their mate!
The injury to Callum led to the slight reshuffle from Saturday’s starting line up of Peter dropping back into midfield where Connor retained his place. Ethan Warnock started the game at left back with Aidan Moloney leading the line up front and there was a good balance to the side.
Down to the action then and Lurgan, who had won the toss, decided to change ends to use the wind in the second half but soon after kick off the wind died off and this was never a factor in the game. Lurgan’s tactics however seemed to be to keep it tight at the start as they packed their defence and were difficult to break down.
The Glens, through lynchpin Gregg Parker, were switching the play from left to right and trying to get in behind Lurgan’s full backs – Josh Tipping had more joy down the right with a terrific first half display as the Lurgan right back proved to be a match for Padraig Slane in the first half.
It was Josh who forced the first corner of the game getting behind the left back only to see his cross deflected out. Connor fired the first shot across the Lurgan bow from the corner as he took the short to Peter, Peter set it back for Connor and his cross took a slight deflection to go inches over the bar.
Connor miss hit the second corner but the tone had been set and minutes later when the Glens forced another corner he went even closer. Gregg Parker cleverly pulled out of the pack to make himself available on the edge, he set the ball back for Connor whose sweet left foot strike struck the cross bar.
The Glens didn’t have to wait too much longer for the break through and again it was a Connor Maxwell centre that done the trick. This time out on the left he swung the ball into the danger zone where Aidan Moloney caught the back line napping to nip in and finish well past the keeper.
5 minutes later it was 2-0 when another cross, this time from Josh Tipping, was cleared towards the half way line, Ethan Warnock read it superbly and came in from the left to trap the ball and send it straight back into the danger zone towards Peter McMullan. Peter took a touch and turned in a flash to face the Lurgan goal, he bamboozled the Lurgan back line and keeper so much with the speed of his turn that he seemed to have an eternity to pick his spot and slot the ball home.
At 2-0 down Lurgan may well have collapsed but the second goal seemed to spark the right reaction out of them and they reminded everyone how dangerous they could be a few minutes later when their livewire blonde haired winger cut inside and delivered a teasing cross to their centre forward who crashed his shot off the cross bar and on the stroke of half time Lurgan did pull one back with their second shot of the game – again the danger man was the blond haired wide player as he cut inside from the left to shoot high over Zak Clark in the Glentoran goal.
Half Time 2-1
The players were warned against complacency at half time and told that Lurgan would try and pin the Glens back early and this proved to be the case as Lurgan pushed an extra man forward and became more direct in the second half.
It looked as though the Glens would come under a lot of pressure but the boys continued to defend well – being well marshalled by skipper Doherty. Ethan Warnock and Mattie Torrens kept calm heads at the back as they continued to pass their way out of trouble and Ross McMorris done a good job in shackling Lurgan’s winger who had switched sides for the second half.
The defence look so solid at the minute and part of that solidity is their ability to be able to take pressure off by passing the ball back to goalkeeper Clark, who tidies everything up, invariably finding good passes when under pressure.
Part of the team talk at half time focussed on the need to be productive when counter attacking – Peter McMullan running from midfield would be the link man and the pace of Padraig, Aidan and Josh would be key if the boys could find them quickly and so it proved as the boys counter attacked like a dream!
Any time Lurgan attacked they were stopped dead in their tracks by the back four and with the speed at which the Glens counter attacked with sharp precision passing it was only a matter of time before the Glens nabbed the third.
When the third arrived it was indeed the product of an incisive counter attack. Peter spread the ball wide to Padraig who pushed the ball past the flame haired full back to whip over a deep cross. Josh Tipping timed his run to perfection to attack the back post and force the ball home with his head.
The Glens really killed off Lurgan moments later with the fourth goal, Peter McMullan again pulled the strings as he chipped a measured pass over the Lurgan centre back for Aidan to wriggle free and lob the ball over the keeper despite a heavy challenge from the Lurgan number 1. The ball bounced en route to goal and despite the best efforts of the Lurgan full back to head it off the line it ended up in the net.
The Glens took control of the remaining period of the game as Lurgan’s confidence had deserted them and it came as no surprise that the Glens would score again – Aidan Moloney this time with the assist as he squared to Padraig who finished well.
Another fine performance from this impressive young team and certainly the best result so far against a very good Lurgan side. The task now will be to keep focused and look to improve again on Saturday to see off Greenisland.
