Longwood’s U15 footballers produced a fantastic display on Wednesday evening as they overcame a tough St Colmcille’s team and secured two richly deserved league points.
It certainly didn’t look good for Longwood in the opening stages as their opponents hit the ground running and were 1-4 to 0-1 ahead after 15 minutes. St Colmcille’s possessed a considerable height advantage right through the spine of their team and it looked as though this was going to be a decisive factor.
But the Longwood boys were having none of it. They rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in, restricting the boys from the east coast to just a solitary point for the remainder of the game.
Conor Dixon kicked some excellent points when they were needed and when Adam Dilworth Hayden pounced on a loose ball and scrambled it to the net, the hopes of the home support began to grow.
With the sides level at 1-4 apiece at halftime, the game was now up for grabs. Longwood showed the greater hunger in the second half and dominated for the most part. Goals from James Cully and Tom Cassidy gave them a decisive lead and they were not in the mood to give it up.
The defence was well marshalled by Cian Colgan, ably assisted by Dean Phillips and Ronan Greene. Wing back Brooklyn O’Brien also had a fine game, making many forward runs and initiating a number of attacks. The midfield pairing of Joe O’Neill and William Phillips worked tirelessly and covered a huge amount of ground over the hour.
Up front, Conor Dixon, James Cully, Rian Holton and Tom Cassidy combined well and caused lots of problems for their direct markers.
But it was a real team effort, with every player contributing to what was a fine win.
Well done to all the players and coaches.
Longwood: Sandijs Buls, Ronan Greene, Cian Colgan, Patrick Nicholson, DJ Feerick, Dean Phillips, Brooklyn O’Brien, Joe O’Neill, William Phillips, Jonah Furlong, Conor Dixon (0-6), Sean Kelly, James Cully (1-0), Adam Dilworth Hayden (1-0), Tom Cassidy (1-1). Subs: Nathan Mongey, John Coyle, Rian Holton, Cian Swan
