CBL Game of the Week: ARC Rovers edge out close contest courtesy of a late winner

ARC Rovers 3 – 1 Jay Bazz

Man of the Match: Padraig Cotter

It was a cold and wet afternoon in Ballincollig Regional Park as ARC Rovers edged out Jay Bazz thanks to a last minute winner from Padraig Cotter in a highly contested CBL Premier Division matchup, writes Donncha Noonan.

It was a cagey opening thirty-five minutes as both teams came out with high intensity. It was ARC Rovers who found the lead with ten minutes to go in the half. Padraig Cotter did well on the ball before picking out David McGuire who tucked his finish away to give ARC Rovers a one goal advantage.

Shortly before half time, the match was paused due to the abhorrent hail lashing down and the risk of lightning disrupting the game. After a three minute break, the players returned to the pitch from under the nearby trees and the game resumed.

This break evidently benefitted ARC Rovers as they won a penalty two minutes into injury time in the first half. Padraig Cotter received the ball on the left wing and barrelled towards the box, and got to the byline before a sliding tackle from Jay Bazz captain Darren McGrath took out Cotter and the ref pointed to the spot with little hesitation. Timothy Twomey stepped up to take it and calmly tucked it away to double ARC’s lead.

ARC headed into the half-time two goals to the good, but despite this Jay Bazz were putting on a good amount of pressure and were looking to make it count in the second half.

And make it count they did, as Jay Bazz got a goal back just five minutes into the second half. Jay Bazz won a free kick on the left side of the pitch. Sam Heffernan took it and dinked the ball towards the back post where it met the head of Eric Fitzgerald who tucked his header away into the near right corner to spice the game up.

Jay Bazz continued pushing for an equaliser and, five minutes later, they found their much-desired goal. Jesse Ryan sent a free kick deep towards the ARC box where it was headed on down the right flank by Sam Heffernan. It was picked up by Eric Fotzgerald who flashed it across goal, where Darren Nugent was on hand to tuck the ball away to level up the match.

After the equaliser, both teams turned it up a notch to try and find that crucial third goal, but both sides were struggling to create that defense splitting chance that could find them that goal.

That was, until the second minute of injury time when, despite giving up their two goal lead earlier in the game, ARC Rovers found the winner. ARC Rovers sent a long throw into the box from the left sideline that was flicked on at the front post. It took a touch off the boot of a Jay Bazz player before bouncing towards goal, where it was pushed out by Mark Sheedy, but he could only push it into the path of Padraig Cotter, who was on hand to tap home the rebound and queue pandemonium on the ARC sideline.

The drama continued as Jay Bazz’s Ryan O’Gorman saw red after a verbal altercation with the referee.

3-2 would be how the game ended, and despite a courageous comeback from Jay Bazz, it was ARC Rovers who came out on top. That win puts ARC Rovers one point behind league leaders Hello Inter FC and gives them a huge boost in the title race.

ARC Rovers: D. Cummins, M. Guinnane, S. Herlihy, S. O’Connell, B. Kelly, J. Moynihan, P. Cotter, G. Harrington, T. Twomey, T. Raheem, D. McGuire, A. Carroll, T. Carroll, C. Ryan, A. Maher, L. Hart, D. Cruise O’Shea, A. O’Connor

Jay Bazz: M. Sheedy, D. O’Connor, R. Murphy, A. Smith, D. McGrath, J. Ryan, D. Nugent, S. Heffernan, D. Dunlea, E. Fitzgerald, A. Kemp, R O’Gorman, A. O’Driscoll, C. Hurley, M. Dickson