London SFC Round 1 2005
Disruptive
Champions pay price for poor behaviour
By
John Collins (Irish World)
St
Brendan's 0-10
Kingdom
Kerry Gaels (holders) 1-6
Last
week I watched a programme about a supply
teacher who went undercover in Leeds and
recorded the nightmare everyday scenarios that
unfold in a class full of poorly-behaved
teenagers.
On
Saturday evening I got the feeling that I was
watching the omnibus edition of the
same programme as the mischief-makers
took control of this game and turned it into a
spiteful and stoppage riddled encounter, that
had more controversy than football and did
little to encourage anyone to believe that
club football in London is anything less than
poor at this moment.
Referee
Bernard Collins opted to give out chastisement
rather than punishment early on and those
intent on making trouble took full advantage
of his leniency and by the time Collins tried
to restore order and discipline the cause was
lost.
Players
so often are like school children and in many
ways should be treated as such and treating
them like adults and hoping that it will have
an effect is sometimes naive.
With
these two teams both poised at or near the top
of the London football tree this game brought
with it the hope of great things, alas though
that hope was lost somewhere and in its place
we had what can be best described as the worst
of what football has to offer.
With
the exception of Jacko Murphy few of the
Kingdom attacking players appeared to be
interested in anyway of playing football and
it was the Laois man who opened the scoring
for the reigning Champions with a free in the
first minute.
Adrian
Brett equalised a minute later with a
fine run and shot before the ever
reliable Barry Solan pointed with his
customary ease from a
free.
The
energy charged Shane McAnarney hit the Brendan's
third on the quarter hour and already there
were signs within the Kingdom team that they
were not clicking as they needed too and were
getting too easily distracted from the task of
playing football. An opening point from Shane
Manley then on eighteen minutes confirmed that
theory further.
Murphy
added a second again from a free after he was
fouled and three minutes later the sweet right
foot of Keith Jackman glided a free off the
ground over to reduce the gap to just a point.
A
high ball into the box by McAnarney was fisted
on by Shane Manley past a stranded Shaun
Howard but after consolation, referee Collins
disallowed the score for a square ball.
Let-off number one for the Kingdom.
Still
however Tom Roche’s men seemed intent on
mischief and they sought out every argument
and bit of petty squabbling that they could as
they went about what appeared to be a mission
of self-destruction.
McAnarney
was again in the thick of the action with a
point straight after that disallowed
goal and then Solan hit over the score of the
game with a
fantastic sideline ball out on the
“45” metre line.
Two
quick points from Murphy and a monster score
from Stephen Sheehan reduced the gap to just
one point at the break and despite playing the
better football the Brendan's were finding
themselves being stalked by the Champions.
Five
minutes of unmanageable magic at the start of
the second half from Shane Manley then opened
up a significant gap between the teams as the Brendan's
No 11 hit over three points in as many
minutes.
However,
Pat McNabb’s team were to only manage one
more point for the remainder of the game and
that a free from Solan in the last minute of
normal time as they appeared to slide into the
trap that the Kingdom had been setting them
all day.
Eamon
Brennan was moved to full forward and while he
was out-fielding Ciaran Conway at full back
for the Brendan's, his lack of experience as
an out and out attacker meant he did little
with he ball while at the same time his power
was missed at midfield.
A
penalty on 48 minutes was awarded to the
Kingdom after a foot block by Fergal Greenan
and Colm Foody stepped up and blasted past
Billy Molloy.
Two
minutes into injury time Jackman hit a second
free to close the gap to one and despite there
being almost five minutes of injury time
played and the Kingdom having several
excellent chances to equalise, they weren’t
able to take advantage of those opportunities
and it was St Brendan's who kept their
Championship life in tact and sent the Kingdom
through the backdoor.
There
is infinitely more football in this Kingdom
side than they showed on Sunday and if they
could just focus on the football and forget
about the arguing and pushing and the winding
up then they will have more to offer this
Championship.
As
it is they are a class full of disruptive
influences and the few good students they have
in their class aren’t getting the
chance to do anything because of the
disruption caused by the majority.
If
they don’t get it sorted then they are
looking at a short reign as Champions.
St
Brendan's on the other hand showed some good
periods of football and in McAnarney, Manley
and Brett they have three exceptional
footballers.
They
have problems in their side and those may or
may not be exposed in London but the one
weakness that did effect them was that they
allowed themselves to be dragged into a
dog fight.
As
much as this St Brendan's team has going for
it at the moment , the one thing they will
never win is a dog fight.
Scorers:
St
Brendan's: S Manley 0-4; B Solan 0-3 (all
frees); S McAnarney 0-2; A Brett 0-1.
Kingdom
Kerry Gaels: J Murphy 0-3 (0-2f); C Foody
1-0 (pen); K Jackman 0-2 (frees); S Sheehan
0-1.
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