Johnstown 6

Oldcastle 1

Thursday nights in the MDL are proving to be a feast of entertainment when Johnstown are playing at home. For the 3rd successive Thursday, their home match produced plenty of goals as they overcame Division 2 side Oldcastle 6 goals to 1 in the LMFM Kilmessan Shield.

The opening quarter of an hour did not see much between the 2 teams with the visitors edging it slightly until Wayne Cahill opened the scoring for Johnstown.  A superb ball played over the top by Sean Challenger, found the late run of Cahill who lobbed the ball over the advancing keeper into the net.

This helped settle the home side and 10 minutes later they doubled their lead. A neat combination between Adam Ivers and Aaron Mooney saw the latter feed Cahill to make it 2-0.

With a pre-match requirement of a clear 4 goal victory to progress in the shield, Johnstown were half way there, with well over an hour left to play. In fact, their half time lead should have been greater had their attacking players timed their runs a bit better as they caught offside on numerous occasions.

The first attack of the second half, ended with Johnstown’s 3rd of the night. Aaron Mooney pounced quickest following a fine save by the Oldcastle keeper from an Adam Ivers shot.

On 52 minutes, Johnstown made it 4-0. Dylan Bollard and Ivers combined well down the right to set Vinny Murphy free. His pinpoint cross found the unmarked Aaron Mooney at the back post who headed home his second of the night.

Having opened up the 4 goal margin they needed, Johnstown seemed to ease off a little and with 22 minutes remaining, Oldcastle pulled one back.

Showing the levels of spirit and performance so praised by manager Iain Sheridan after the final whistle, Johnstown lifted their game again.

With 10 minutes left, Wayne Cahill completed his hat trick. Sean Challenger, instrumental yet again, dissected the defence with the pass of the night. An intelligent dummy by substitute Peter Dempsey, saw Cahill run free onto the ball and finish neatly making it 5-1.

With time running down, Shane Kelly broke through the Oldcastle back line. Looking odds on to make it 6-1, he was unceremoniously hacked down on the edge of box by the last man. Once the red card was issued, it was time for Johnstown’s free kick.

Seeking the goal his performance deserved, Sean Challenger stepped up and hit his free kick. Having beaten the wall, his attempt was destined for the back of the net until the keeper dived desperately to get a hand to it and keep it out. Unfortunately for him, Peter Dempsey, reacting quicker than men half his age, was on hand to tap home, showing there’s life in the old dog yet, to make it 6-1 giving Johnstown the extra cushion to see the game out comfortably.

“Having leaked so many goals in recent games, we worked on our defence this week and are lucky to have great players who took our advice onboard” beamed assistant manager Christy Kanavagh.

Johnstown FC Team: K. Zeberek, D. Bollard, J. Colton, D. McQuillan (c), M. Grumley, W. Cahill, J. Connolly, S. Challenger, V. Murphy, A. Mooney, A. Ivers

Subs: P. Dempsey for Mooney, S. Kelly for Bollard, C. Murphy for Ivers

BY JULIAN LEE

Johnstown 5

Enfield Celtic 5

For the second week running, Johnstown were involved in a free scoring O’Neill’s Sportswear Division 1 encounter as they shared 10 goals and the points with visitors Enfield Celtic on Thursday night at the MDL.

Johnstown started slowly and could have been 3 down inside 10 minutes, but for some wayward shooting from Enfield Celtic. Their poor quality of finishing was not to last however, and the visitors were 3 to the good by half time.

In need of some drastic changes, assistant manager Christy Kavanagh, brought on the returning Arnold Ruksenas for centre-back Jay Connolly. Last season’s NEFL Division 1 Player of the Year wasted no time and was immediately involved in the action. His pace and power were instrumental is setting up Sean Challenger in the 1st minute of the second half, with Challenger’s shot flying just over the bar.

Johnstown’s first of the evening came 4 minutes after the interval. Kacper Zeberek beat 2 Enfield defenders before laying the ball out to Wayne Cahill cutting into the area from the left.  His low driven shot nestled into the net at the far post. Johnstown were back in the game.

Shortly after, Johnstown reduced the deficit further when Zeberek and Ruksenas combined quickly at the throw in. Ruksenas then ran directly at Enfield back line before teeing up Challenger who made no mistake with his accuracy this time as his shot found the bottom corner making it 2-3, and capping a superb performance by the midfielder.

It was to get even better for Johnstown when, just after the hour mark, captain Darren McQuillan completed his sides astonishing comeback. The Enfield keeper allowed a Mark Grumley corner slip through his hands. It fell to McQuillan’s feet at the back post and gratefully accepting the invitation, he levelled the game at 3 apiece.

On 66 minutes, Kacper Zeberek was felled in the area. Unfortunately, his spot kick was well saved by the Enfield net minder and the game remained 3-3 but not for long.

2 minutes later, McQuillan was again on hand, as he latched onto a loose ball in the Enfield area. His low shot across the goal, aided by a slight deflection, gave Johnstown the lead for the first time on the night.

On an evening of end-to-end football, Enfield recovered from Johnstown’s blistering 2^nd half performance to go 5-4 up in the next 10 minutes.

Having hauled themselves back into a game that looked lost at half time, Johnstown would have to do it all again. This time with the clock working against them.

For the third time on the night, McQuillan was involved in the Enfield box. Rising highest at the back post, his goal bound header was stopped on the line by an Enfield defender’s hand. Another penalty, and this time a red card. Up stepped Ruksenas and levelled the game 5-5 with just 4 minutes remaining.

When asked for his thoughts after the game, assistant manager Christy Kavanagh joked “Someday we’ll keep a clean sheet and win 5-0!”, his mood at full time being a polar opposite to that when the half time whistle went.

Johnstown FC Team: E. Kairys, J. Colton, J. Connolly, D. McQuillan (c), M. Grumley, D. Bollard,  S. Conroy, W. Cahill, S. Challenger, G. Lynch, K. Zeberek

Subs: A. Ruksenas for Connolly, Arron Mooney for Cahill, E. Donnelly for Lynch.

Cocongratulations to Arnold on winning the North East Football LeagueDivision 1 player of the year