::: Gorey Celtic FC

Saturday 17th December 2011
St Josephs 0 - 6 Gorey Celtic

A frosty start for our away game in Kilmuckridge and only our second away game of the season, but made it 2 out of 2 on the road and kept our 2nd clean sheet also.
We shuffled the pack a bit again with Peter Byrne, Adam Ellard and the returning Shane Troope all in, Sami Keogh out with injury, Adam Connor and Ross Reardon rested.

I have always tried to be as honest as possible with my match reports, its only as I see it and I could be wrong to, but I thought we were awful 1st half, we passed poor, looked leggy and with the greatest respect to the opposition made them look half decent. We over complicated things, instead of a simple pass, we tried the premiership pass, instead of the work rate, we laboured around with hands on hips.

Darragh Curran showed the offensive players the way to goal with a great near post finish from Troopes corner, after about 20mins and Darragh's 4th of the season, Shane Troope running the midfield now and getting the excellent Adam Roche away down the right who linked well with Adam Ellard and the little man a real handful for the Josephs defence and was pulling them all over the place and getting in great crosses that we just couldn't get on the end of.
After a decent move up the left with Mark doran, Peter Byrne and Shane Troope, Adam Ellard got his goal that his effort deserved to put us 2-0 up and his 2nd of the season in only his 2nd start.

H.T. 0-2

I had a rant at the lads and just wanted to remind them who was top of the league and who was bottom, because if you were a neutral and came to watch a game you honestly wouldn't have known.

Darren Brennan grabbed a deflected 3rd and his 10th of the season on the hour, then made a tripple change with Luca Consentino, Jamie Finn and Joe McNulty coming in for Darren Brennan, Jordan Davies and Peter Byrne. Shane lashed home the 4th, got Adam Thompson on for Adam Ellard, then following a good run from Jamie Finn, his parried shot was bravely followed home from the arriving Adam Roche for his 3rd of the season and our 5th.
20 minutes to go got our last sub Adam Connor on for a tiring Thomas Morris who had a decent 70 mins, should have added to our goal difference with Joe, Jamie and Adam Connor all missing good chances. A brilliant goal line clearence from Adam Roche kept our clean sheet in tact after we got sloppy from a corner and Shane Troope got the goal of the game, after his first shot right footed came back to him on the edge of the box he smashed it in the corner left footed, a great strike made look very easy. 6-0 and Shane's 5th of the season.

It was great to see the 19 making the effort a week before Christmas and nice to see Sami who just off crutches down supporting the boys and am delighted with the effort since we started back in July, but can't let our standards drop, can't become complacent, can't just think that we can turn up and beat teams, because thats when the game gives you a kick up the back side.
Happy that we had our 1st clean sheet since September, happy with the 3 points, but know we can play much better. The back 3 where the usual good defending, Adam Ellard and Adam Roche very good, but Shane Troope for me the best on show and gets my top score and the man of the match.

The first round of the cup is on 7th of January and we face Campile at home in the first round.
A very happy Christmas to all at Gorey Celtic.

Team: James Flood, Darragh Curran, Ciaran Gartland, Mark Doran, Adam Roche, Thomas Morris, Jordan Davies, Shane Troope, Peter Byrne, Darren Brennan, Adam Ellard.

Subs: Joe McNulty, Luca Consentino, Jamie Finn, Adam Thompson, Adam Connor, Gavin Walker, Ross Reardon