No Christmas cheer as Belmont over-35 player manager Kate Cloonan lashes out at manager Mulcahy and referee Boggan in post-match interview

Belmont over 35’s capitulate to under 8’s in Herbert Park Thriller

Belmont U8's 3 - Belmont O35's 2 (HT 1-2)

By our War Correspondent

Player manager of Belmont’s over 35 squad, Kate Cloonan, reacted angrily to Under 8 manager Hugh Mulcahy’s assertion that her over 35 team “simply wasn’t up to it” after being beaten 3-2 by Belmont’s under 8 team in Herbert Park on Saturday. Following a match overshadowed by controversy, Mulcahy said that the over 35’s “failed to deliver the goods” and “were hammered by my lads”. Cloonan later countered “this under 8 team was overtly physical and cynical……their attitude and play overstepped the mark between sportsmanship and gamesmanship in a number of areas”. Meanwhile, in a sensational development she later said “I saw an envelope passing between an unnamed under 8 player and referee Boggan just after we went one nil up. I’m not saying it wasn’t a Christmas card, but most Christmas cards I’ve seen have come in white, not brown, envelopes”.
Paradoxically, the match started out as a simple 7 a side knockabout between the Belmont under 8’s and their parents. Yet by the end of the match it resembled a battle scene from Ben Hur with as many as FOURTEEN players on the over 35 team fighting it out at one stage for footballing bragging rights with their children. The Belmont team, managed by Hugh Mulcahy, started with Mulcahy (J) in goal, Sheehan and Sherwin in defence, Fahy, McNulty and Cuddy in midfield and Boggan in attack. In contrast, the only semblance of structure that could be seen in the over 35 team was Fahy (F) in goal, with other players including Mulcahy (M), Cuddy (L), Sherwin (J), McNulty (D), Cloonan (K), Sheehan (J) and Sherwin (M) scattered randomly about the field. “Their players were aimlessly running up and down the pitch. Headless chickens weren’t in it” commented Mulcahy later. The early exchanges were frenzied, with some fine play by the over 35’s on a cold crisp day. Indeed, they made all the initial running and within four minutes were one nil up after a through ball from Cuddy (L) found Mulcahy (M) unmarked in the 6 yard box. Although the ball appeared to be drifting out of play, Mulcahy managed to get in a snap-shot to beat her flailing son, John, before taunting him by shouting “Catch me if you can, sonny”. It was shortly after this that manager Boggan was seen chatting and laughing with one of the under 8 team before apparently palming a bulky item into his left front pocket. Within minutes, the whole tone of the game began to change, with the over 35 team being warned by the referee about their throw-in techniques which looked perfectly legal to this correspondent. Within five minutes, an eighth under 8 player had appeared on the pitch in the shape of Cloonan (M). Cuddy (B) struck shortly afterwards with a low drilled shot to level the scores. However, the over 35’s were having none of it and launched a swift counter attack in the 10th minute with Sherwin (M) cutting into the area before picking out Sheehan (J) who coolly dribbled passed two defenders before passing to Cuddy (L) who tucked it home for a 2 – 1 lead. Scenes of rapture ensued with further taunts as Sherwin (J) received a yellow card for performing a double back flip in celebration.

Nerves became frayed as the match went on and the pitch became increasingly crowded with the introduction of several more players on both sides including Dempsey (C), Dempsey (L), Mulcahy (L) and Cuddy (R) to name but a few. Yet this didn’t stop the under 8’s from fighting back again when Sherwin (P) received the ball in space and slotted home to the delight of his team. With only minutes to go, the match became a melee and it was only by cool work from the under 8’s that they managed to fashion a chance for Sheehan in the crowded penalty area. He let rip with a thunderous right footer that left Fahy (F) with no chance. A last play which ensured that the under 8’s went home feeling they’d had a good day at the office. Incidentally, Referee Boggan appeared to have played 17 minutes of injury time and blew up the game immediately after Sheehan's strike. Alex Ferguson might have been proud of him.

After the match Mulcahy said “I’m particularly pleased for the lads today. It was a big ask for them to play against this team, some of whom were 35 years older than them. They gave 110 percent and I’m very proud. Santa will definitely be coming to them this Christmas”. A fuming Kate Cloonan later lambasted the opposition manager and referee. “This was a particularly difficult match for us", she said "played in difficult circumstances, with a smug opposition manager, a ruthlessly efficient under 8 team and with a referee whose decisions beggared belief” Meanwhile, in a statement released through his solicitor, Referee Boggan maintained he had nothing to be ashamed of. “I unreservedly reject the assertion that I accepted an irregular payment from the under 8 team. I never have, and never will succumb to a financial inducement in order to influence a game” he said before driving off in a new Ferrari 458. Goalkeeper Fergal Fahy summed up the feeling of the over 35’s when he said “It’s a shame that we train endlessly for the big league only to be beaten by a soft goal and a hard referee. We’re gutted”.