DEVONPORT STRIKERS V’s SOMERSET SHARKS

Senior match report – Cardigan Street, Somerset

Saturday June 18, 2011

It was another important game for the Strikers on Saturday when they travelled along the coast to take on the Somerset Sharks. When the teams met at Valley Road in early April it was the Sharks who were victorious 4-1 in what was a massive upset. On that occasion the Strikers were at their very worst &, as a result, the Sharks punished them.

This time around the Strikers dominated play from the opening whistle & were creating many opportunities with what would have to be close to a record number of corners in a 10 or 15 minute period but the boys were unable to capitalise. Somerset were the first to score with an own goal when they crossed into the box & Kieran Mulraney put it past Ryan Keep when under pressure from a Sharks attacker.

This was a huge blow to the lads after they’d dominated proceedings up until that point. They didn’t have to wait long however when, roughly two minutes later, Devonport were awarded a free kick 25 yards out from goal. Strikers’ captain Chris McKenna took the chance well when he struck the ball into the top corner just as the Sharks keeper had finished setting his wall.

McKenna then put his team into the lead when he volleyed into the other top corner from 20 yards giving the keeper no chance. Mulraney then took the opportunity to score at the right end when he was the beneficiary of great pressure by Keegan Downes in his first senior game for the year. Coming into the team as a late change when Jordan Douce fell ill, Downes’ harassing caused confusion between a Sharks defender & their goalkeeper and Mulraney was on hand to tap the ball into an empty net.

Just when it appeared as though the score would remain 3-1 at half time, Somerset’s Bobby Eaves scored with a strike which went in off the underside of the cross bar. This gave the Sharks a lift going into the break & had the opposite effect for the Strikers.

Coach Tom McGinn remained calm at the interval & told his team to stay focussed & the reward would come provided they worked hard enough for it.

The lads did exactly as McGinn wished putting in a superb performance in the second half.

Robert Macdonald scored the teams fourth when he drove the ball superbly through the crowded box & into the net from just outside the 18 yard area. Within minutes his cousin McKenna rounded out his hat-trick when he headed into the top corner from a great cross by Downes after some more impressive offensive pressure.

Mulraney then scored his third for the day, and second at the correct end, when he finished from close range after Macdonald had played him through with a defence splitting pass.

Macdonald then capped off an impressive performance by scoring his second in what was a carbon copy of his goal he scored earlier in the half.

This took the score to a thoroughly deserved 7-2 & gave McGinn the chance to give some of his boys a rest by bringing on his three substitutes.

A handful more chances were created but the score line couldn’t be increased.

Well done to all the lads on a great victory and superb performance.

This coming weekend the Premier League action takes a break with the Strikers taking on Glenorchy Knights in the Statewide Cup Quarter Final.

This game will be played at Valley Road with a 2pm kick off. The curtain raiser will be the Under 19 Statewide Cup Quarter Final against Riverside Olympic. This game kicks off at 11:30am.