Honours even as Belmont fight back against Wayside Celtic

Belmont 2 - Wayside Celtic 2 (HT 0-2)
Saturday 13th September and the second match of the season for Belmont’s under 8 Major league team. Following on from their 9-1 drubbing the previous weekend, Messers Boggan, Booth, Cloonan, Cuddy, Dempsey, McNulty, Mulcahy, Sheehan and Sherwin knew that they would have to improve if they were not to receive a tongue lashing, and a probable pay cut, from their managers. Their opponents, Wayside Celtic, are recognised as fierce and feisty competitors, but Belmont were buoyed up by having their full squad available for the first time this season, the remainder of the team having returned from injury, holidays, suspension or detention.

The match was played in perfect conditions, warm September sun beaming down on Herbert Park, ground firm, crowd expectant. Belmont started with a 2-3-1 formation, indicating the apparent naivety of their management team. Not a good idea against the 1-3-2 of Celtic who took a deserved 1-0 lead folowing a speculative shot on goal within five minutes of kickoff. Belmont were playing well enough, with McNulty finding her range on more than one occasion, Booth and Mulcahy active in both attack and defence, Sherwin controlling his midfield with ease, Boggan and Cuddy clearing heroically and Cloonan making some fine saves to deny a second goal. But Celtic were dominant in the early exchanges and would not be denied for long. This correspondent has been reporting on under 8 matches for many years now, but rarely has he seen a set of managers with so little tactical insight. One might imagine that the first goal would have caused food for thought, but no – more of the same setup was the name of the game, resulting in a second goal for Celtic within 15 minutes. Suddenly, Belmont were tiring and couldn’t wait for the half time whistle, although the introduction of Dempsey and Sheehan steadied them wonderfully as time went on

It was clear that defeat was inevitable if Belmont didn’t change their setup at halftime. Experimentation or decimation! Now it was Cuddy in goal, McNulty in midfield and Dempsey in attack. And with further changes seeing Boggan lead the charge from attack the tide was turning, Celtic creaking under pressure until a fine 30 metre first time shot from Boggan found the back of the Celtic net. Celtic 2, Belmont 1. But was this too little too late for this young and unsettled Belmont team? One would have thought yes, but this team clearly never contemplated defeat on the day, and hard work from all 9 players, with slow patient build-ups put even further pressure on Celtic. One could see the Celtic fans looking apprehensively at their watches, their players uncertain and their manager nervously biting his nails. And then, their worst fears confirmed as Boggan slammed a second from 15 metres to level at 2 all. Suddenly, Belmont were rampant, and it was a thankful Celtic team that heard the final whistle blow to end the match. As team manager Liam Boggan said in interview afterwards “By golly, we gave those boys one hell of a beating in the second half”. Hugh Mulcahy added further “Granada this Saturday? Bring ‘em on”.