Recap

Match Report by: Neil O’Brien.

Last Monday saw the start of the men’s summer league for 2018. With four teams participating for the first time, there was a palpable sense of excitement in the air, particularly with our newest team, The Montreal City Blues taking to the field for their opening fixture. They would face off against the very experienced Verdun Vikings but first up was the clash of the other two heavyweights in this division, The Goose village BlackRock’s and The Griffin town Gaels.

Confidence was high in the Rocks camp after claiming their second consecutive Winter League mere months ago and they fielded an almost full-strength team while the Gaels welcomed back Rocco Cunningham, Brandon Doyle and ‘Sweet’ Keithy Pine after they begged skipper Dave Glynn for a second chance for jumping ship for the Winter League to join The Concordia Warriors. Gaels legend Vince Power was back too after realizing he’ll never make It as a professional skier.
The Gaels had the better of the opening exchanges with some accurate shooting from Rocco and another new recruit Michael Brophy giving them a 4-point lead after ten minutes. But the Rocks responded like the champions thy are and new kid on the block Damian Hanrahan kept them in touch with two quickfire points. Another from Rocco and midfield general Mikael Herbellin restored the four-point lead for the Gaels. However just moments later Gaels keeper Neil O Brien had a rush of blood to the head when he charged off his line with the intention of intercepting a long ball from Alan Baxter in to Marty ‘Lazarus’ Lawless but Lawless, being the cute East Galway mucker, he is was too smart and calmly lobbed it over the stranded Gaels keeper. With only minutes remaining in the first half the very busy Mael Bourhis netted a second goal for the Rocks after some splendid work from skipper Liam Twomey. Brophy and Cunningham added a point each to leave the Rocks leading at half time by a score of 2-2 to 0-7.
The Rocks started the brighter of the two teams in the second half with veteran full forward Stevie Owens neatly popping over an early point. Lawless and Cunningham then exchanged a point each before MVP for the Rocks Robin Gauthier – Lafreniere announced himself onto the Shamrocks stage in the most spectacular fashion. Two quickfire goals of the highest caliber from the rookie saw the Rocks open up a 7-point lead. However, the Gaels just wouldn’t lie down. That man Cunningham popped over another couple of points to keep his team in touch before the Duleek Dynamo as he likes to be called rattled home a brilliant goal to narrow the deficit to three. Things were really heating up now. The damp, dreary evening at Vanier had now long been forgotten as the end to end football had the 2,000 strong crowd encapsulated. Curtis Watson and Guillhaume Duchame were both physical and commanding at the back for the Rocks with Bomber Ryan, Pine and Doyle all having to work very hard to get on the ball in the Gaels forward line. At the other end Magic Johnson seemed to be enjoying having a dig at his landlord Owens who apparently, refused to pay for a plumber to fix the hot water tank during the bitter cold winter leaving Magic and Kevin ‘Bad News’ Barranco freezing their b**** off. Gaels then managed to draw level when O Brien , who had been politely asked to get out of goals and never play there again , scuffed the ball under the second oldest keeper in the club Paddy Mahon. But the celebrations were short lived as the Rocks broke right back down the pitch and a point from Conall something or other restored the lead for the Goose village men. Once again it was the rookie who stretched the Rocks lead even further with the third of his four goals on the day. And in keeping with the nip and tuck nature of this game the Gaels came right back up the pitch with a brilliant move involving Aidan Gallagher, Cunningham and Glynn before the ball eventually found its way to O Brien for the simplest of finishes to net his second of the game. It was becoming a case of ‘anything you can do I can do better’. Brophy and Baxter exchanged goals for either team before Lafreniere hammered home his fourth of the game to cap a stunning display. MVP for the Gaels Tony Cunningham tagged on another couple of points to narrow the margin to three, but the Rocks held on. A cracking game to open our men’s Summer Super league. Rocks ran out three-point winners, although an investigation by WADA into the legality of Martin Lawless’ painkillers is pending so hold the phone and watch the space as this result may yet be overturned.
Final Score (for now) Rocks 7-7 Gaels 4-13