Match of the week: Celtic ROC in Junior Cup
ROC Celtic got their LFA Junior Cup campaign off to a perfect start in the Lawns, Ballyfermot, on Saturday afternoon, when they beat a gallant Blackrock College 3-0.
Last season’s beaten semi finalists had the bit between their teeth and are planning on going as far, or even further, again this season and on Saturday they ticked all the boxes.
A batch of new faces, including a new coach, sees this side looking even better than last term as they all seem to know where to be on the field at all times, and this is after a mere four games.
They were the better side on the day and it took only three minutes for them to open their account as a ball over top caught the visiting defence out, Jason O’Neill gathered and slotted home.
It was the perfect start and it settled any nerves that might have crept in, had it taken them longer to score.
However, Blackrock were almost back on level terms seven minutes later, but Thomas Downey saw his powerful header crash off the crossbar and bounce away to safety.
Former St Patrick’s Athetic ROC Celtic’s Ian Bermingham takes on Blackrock College Dylan Sheehan during their LFA Junior Cup game on Saturday
On 18 minutes Darren King latched on to an Ian Bermingham pass but found Ivan Brady, who had a great game between the sticks, too hard to beat.
But he rectified that in the 25th minute when he was bundled over in the area and won a penalty, which he dispatched to give ROC a comfortable 2-0 lead.
The score remained at 2-0 as we headed into the break and, if anything, ROC were far better when they returned to play against the strong breeze.
They controlled the play and moved the ball quicker and the only thing missing was more goals, and that was down to Brady.
But ROC were always going to score again and with 10 minutes remaining they put the icing on the cake as Warren Kershaw, slipped the ball to Bermingham and his perfect cross was slotted home by Jamie Maher to round off the scoring, and see them through to round two.
ROC CELTIC: S. Power, I. Bermingham, A. O’Brien, C. O’Brien, S. Donoghue, W. Kershaw, D. King, J. O’Neill, K. Brennan, M. Hendrick, L. Collins, B. McDermot, J. Maher, A. Donegan, T. Donoghue
