CBL GOTW: Halfway line stunner headlines six goal thriller
The LAB FC 3 – 3 Andy Sulls Hair (ASH win on Penalties)
Man of the Match: Sean Murphy
The Cork Business League is back and the first of this season’s Games of the Week was a thrilling six goal matchup where Andy Sull Hair prevailed on penalties in this CBL Shield Group A clash against The LAB at Mayfield United, writes Donncha Noonan.
The first big moment of an action-packed first half came in the seventeenth minute, as The LAB took the lead. Callum Power picked up the ball centrally twenty five yards out and slipped an incisive through ball into the path of Dylan Nchankea who rounded the keeper and slotted home to give his side the lead.
Andy Sull Hair responded quickly and levelled the game three minutes later. They pounced on a defensive mistake, and Sean Murphy grabbed the loose ball and forced a save out of the opposing keeper. He parried the ball out which Bryan Goulding was able to latch onto and fire the ball home to even the game.
They weren’t done there though as they took the lead a minute later. A backpass to the keeper followed by a loose touch allowed Sean Murphy to latch onto the ball and punish their mistake and grab the lead for his team.
The LAB managed to get back level again eight minutes later. Dylan Nchankea charged down a centre half to win the ball and seemed to have fouled him in the process, but the referee waved play on and Nchankea fired the ball across the box where it met Timothy O’Shea, who powered the ball past the keeper.
The LAB took advantage of their momentum and regained the lead a minute before half time. Patrice Tshimanga floated a ball out wide to Jack O’Leary , who whipped a ball across that allowed Dylan Nchankea to volley the ball home to retake their advantage.
That was that for a mental first forty five that ended with The LAB a goal to the good.
The second half began with a goal of the season contender for Andy Sull Hair. Sean Murphy took aim directly from kick off and lofted an effort over the head of Patrick Ejeye which nestled in the bottom left corner to spectacularly level the game.
The LAB had a chance to make it 4-3 in the sixty seventh minute. A well-delivered free kick found the head of Joshua Reddy who directed his header towards goal, but it just barely crept past the near post.
They had yet another chance to take the lead with ten minutes to go. Eolann Treacy Ogundu picked up the ball on the right hand side and cut in on his left foot before wrapping a shot towards the far corner, forcing a great save from keeper O’ Donovan.
That sent the game into a penalty shootout where, after a tense few penalties, it was Andy Sull Hair who came out victorious.
That would be the final action of this enthralling game as after both sides fought to stay in the game, Andy Sull Hair managed to grab the win on penalties in the opening Game of the Week of this CBL season.
The LAB FC: P. Ejeye, J. O’Leary, T. O’Shea, C. O’Leary, N. Traore, P. Tshimanga, C. Power, M. Ekhosuehi, D. Soeiro Lopes, J. Reddy, D. Nchankea, E. Treacy Ogundu, M. Dickson, J. Ibrahim, D. Bielan, J. Onyemachi.
Andy Sull Hair: C. O’Donovan, K. Quinn, E. O’Sullivan, A. Cooper White, A. Foley, J. McAuliffe, A. Paul Murphy, S. Murphy, K. Mullane, N. Keegan, B. Goulding, C. Power, C. O’Connor, N. Nolan, K. McCarthy, C. O’Driscoll, J. Naughton.
