By Darragh Winslow
Carrigaline United’s Junior Premier team made the journey to Castletreasure to take on a 4th placed College Corinthians last Saturday, which turned out to be an enthralling match that ended 3-3.
Title leaders Carrigaline went against a very strong Corinthian’s side who are currently unbeaten with four wins three draws in seven matches.
Even though Carrigaline are top, Corinthians have only played seven compared to Carrigaline’s twelve matches. Midleton and Avondale aren’t far behind either with a seven point gap between 2nd place Midleton who have played eight games meanwhile Avondale have gone through nine games. This puts pressure on Carrigaline to perform and keep winning to make sure they are all alone at the peak of the table.
The game kicked off and a close fought first fifteen minutes it was Corinthians who opened the scoring and grabbed the upper hand when Fionn Molloy struck the ball just outside the penalty spot and it flew into the back of the net.
After a couple more chances blundered by the blue and white side, Carrigaline hit the ground running as during the twenty fifth minute a ranged free kick arrived into the box and after a scuffle with the keeper it was on a plate for Darren O ‘Keefe who slotted it in.
The game soon flipped upside down for College Corinthian’s as around five minutes later Darren O Keefe struck gold again with a free header nodded into the bottom left corner for his second of the encounter.
The last ten minutes before the second half were very heated as Canice Caffrey of Corinthian’s had a good chance which was blocked. Just almost a minute later the Carrigaline keeper Niall O’Leary made a good leg stop to keep them ahead but to no avail as Stephen Fox grabbed a deserved goal for his side.
It was two goals apiece at the start of the second half but that didn’t last long as Carrigaline bounced back and put themselves in the lead after another free kick flew in after being nodded on by James McSweeney by the back post. In the last third Corinthians kept pushing and got their equaliser making it 3-3 with around half an hour to go.
Both sides had chances but nothing too dangerous until Carrigaline substitute Luke Boyle headed the ball and it was looking like a definite goal until Sean Desmond cleared it off his own goalmouth saving the day.
A draw was a fair enough result for both sides as they had both brutally worked for victory in this tight fought game.