SBYL U12s – David Winter Cup
Ulidia 1-5 St Mary’s
St Mary’s had some unfinished business with Ulidia and welcomed their trip to Boucher Road to face basement side Ulidia FC on Saturday with only a single goal separating the sides in a league fixture a couple of weeks ago.
Patrick Ross donned the goalie gloves for the Glengormley side with McGinnity unavailable and Aidan Quinn starting at full back.
St Mary’s created several early chances to open the scoring with Eoin O’Reilly coming closest when rounding the Ulidia goalie but as his shot trickled towards goal, a Ulidia defender was able to recover his position and hook the ball clear.
Ulidia improved and had Ross scrambling across his goal as a shot flew narrowly wide and he also had to back track expertly to clutch a ball just under his own crossbar as Ulidia sniffed out an equalising goal.
But with Oran McNaughton and Trevor McCormick not letting up in the midfield challenges, it was St Mary’s that began to get the upper hand. And after O’Reilly lofted the ball over the goalie to put St Mary’s ahead on twenty minutes, they never looked back.
McNaughton flashed an effort narrowly wide and McCormick had an effort charged down as St Mary’s turned the screw. With both Eoin McNicholl and Cathal McGarrity causing havoc on the wings for St Mary’s, it was the later who netted St Mary’s next goal followed by a McNaughton drive which found the net, giving them a comfortable three goal cushion at the break.
St Mary’s weathered the expectant Ulidia fight back for the opening of the second period but with Oisin Donaghy and Aidan Quinn having good games at fullback and the Breen and Begley partnership dominant in the centre there was only going to be one winner.
St Mary’s marksman Eoin O’Reilly netted again while dazzling with some fancy footwork and cut another ball back for McGarrity to grab his brace with a tap-in to complete the scoring for St Mary’s. And despite a late Ulidia consolation strike, St Mary’s march on with an unbeaten start to their league cup campaign
