Good win for Tullamore Under 13s

Schoolboys Under-13 League Emo Celtic 1, Tullamore Town 4 Questions posed this season about the Tullamore boys ability to hammer out results against more physical sides were fully answered in this pulsating encounter played on a quagmire of a pitch last Saturday. Against a tough tackling Emo team they were quickly into their stride and hit the front after five minutes when Eoghan Coffey played the ball down the line to Macdarragh O"Neill who brilliantly slipped his marker before crossing to John McEvoy who saw his shot blocked by the keeper but he was first to react to blast the rebound into the back of the net. As Celtic hit back they were denied by a wonderful double save from Jamie Coyne but they were thrown a lifeline minutes later when the Town keeper raced from his goal to take down their centre forward inside the area and the resultant penalty was drilled low inside the left hand post. With Gary McDonald playing superbly at the back and Adam Shelly and Gary Hutchinson tightening their grip on midfield the Tullamore boys continued to press and nearly regained the lead when O"Neill and Shelly combined to set up Coffey but his effort was charged down and then John McEvoy latched onto a bad kick out but his shot flew inches wide. The first half ended with Emo on the attack and the visitors had a narrow escape when a swerving right wing cross came back off the crossbar to leave the score 1-1 at the interval. Within minutes of the restart Emo won a corner on the right and when the ball was swung in their centre forward fired a great header past Jamie Coyne but David Doyle got his head to the ball to prevent a certain goal. With the tackles flying in both teams struggled for supremacy and as the game continued to ebb and flow it was the visitors who made the vital breakthrough when John McEvoy slipped the ball out to Shane Martino and he placed his shot unerringly into the far corner of the net. As the home side were forced back Gary Hutchinson fired in a great cross that was knocked out for a corner and from the resultant kick Adam Shelly headed just over. Martino then played the ball back to David Doyle and his fine cross was headed wide by McEvoy and then a great run on the right by Gareth Byrne saw his effort blocked and McEvoy pounced on the rebound only for his shot to be taken off the line. With the players struggling in the gluepot conditions the Town centre half Alan Heffernan began to emerge as the games dominant figure as he continued to drive his team forward and they went further ahead when Hutchinson gathered the ball from a kick out and found John McEvoy who strode forward before unleashing a twenty yard rocket into the back of the net. The Tullamore sides ability to get the ball out wide to their speedy wingers Kacper Skura and Shane Martino ensured that the Emo defence was always stretched and they copper fastened their victory when a McEvoy shot was deflected out for a corner and when Martino delivered the ball in Adam Shelly rose above the defence to send a great header into the roof of the net. With the visitors now rampant Skura headed a Martino corner over and then Derek Walsh had a fine effort saved and as the ball ran free both Byrne and Martino had their shots blocked on the line. This was arguably the Tullamore boys best performance of the season with everyone playing their part with outstanding contributions from Gary McDonald, Adam Shelly, Gary Hutchinson, Shane Martino and John McEvoy but the man of the match award went to their central defender Alan Heffernan for his second half powerhouse performance. Tullamore : Jamie Coyne, David Doyle, Gary McDonald, Alan Heffernan, James Guilfoyle, Shane Martino, Gary Hutchinson, Adam Shelly, Eoghan Coffey, John McEvoy and Macdarragh O"Neill. Subs : Gareth Byrne, Kacper Skura, Daragh Fogarty and Derek Walsh (all used)