Griffeen Valley miss chance to go top of the league

GRIFFEEN Valley FC missed the chance to go top of the UCFL Division 3B section on Saturday, after they could only draw 1-1 with Larkview FC in Stannaway Park, reports John Mooney.

It’s fair to say that the Valley were suffering a lot of injuries on the day, and that’s not an excuse, but Larkview were full value for a point and could easily have had all three points but for a vital save by Thomas Doran in the 83rd minute.

The home side set out their stall by allowing the visitors to have as much ball at the back as they wanted, and really only closed them down when they moved into midfield.

It was a tactic that worked well as in the opening half chances were few and far between for both sides, with most efforts coming from distance and neither keeper really being troubled.

However, after the restart this game really came to life, and play was a lot more open, as both sides seemed to start to push more forward in search of a goal and on 60 minutes one arrived.

Larkview FC took the lead but couldn’t hold on and the game finished in a draw

Larkview’s Ciaran Fitzgerald chased a ball over the defence and made his way into the box, Doran rushed out to intercept but ploughed into Fitzgerald and referee Tommy Docherty had no option but to award a penalty, which Alfonso Jose Santoni Angles dispatched into the net.

The goal rocked the visitors and for a time they were at sixes and sevens, before finally regaining their composure and changing shape.

They pressed for an equaliser but to no avail, as Jack Rampersaud fired two free kicks just wide and Keith Ryan saw his effort flash just a foot the wrong side of the post.

It was looking like a defeat was on the cards and with seven minutes remaining Doran made up for his penalty mistake, when he bravely dived at Femi Bankole’s feet to deny him the home sides second.

Larkview paid the price barely a minute later, as the visitors got the goal they thrived when Stephen Watts played a perfect crossfield pass to Ross Byrne and he blasted home to level the tie.

They could have snatched it with just two minutes remaining as a Larkview corner was cleared down field, Griffeen had a three on one situation but somehow managed to completely mess it up and the home side survived.

To be honest if they had have won it would have been really hard on the home side, as a draw was a fair result on the day.

LARKVIEW FC: E. Galera Magraner, S. Newman, M. Agnag, R. Foley, E. Davey, E. Andres-Castonovo, S. Murray Riddell, D. Downes, A.J. Santoni-Angles, F. Bankole, A. Barrallo-Cristalino, A. Paredes, M. Orr, C. McDonnell, E. Hawkins, F. Cuevas-Lopez, W. DeSouza.

GRIFFEEN VALLEY: T. Doran, G. Sammon,. A. McEvoy, E. O’Boyle, S. Mulligan, K. Slevin, K. Ryan, S. Watts, R. Byrne, J. Rampersaud, D. Hui. M. BasantWani, M. Burke, R. Murray, C. Corboy, I. Obadau, D. Walker, C. Chu.