Teenagers lose lead

Carniny U16...3

MAIDEN City Academy Under 16 failed to capitalise on their dominance as they allowed a 3-1 lead to disappear in the last five minutes, the game ending in a 3-3 tie.

However it was Carniny who opened the scoring as they caught the MCA defence sleeping with a simple long ball over the top. The Carniny centre forward raced onto it to easily despatch it over the onrushing Mulcahy. MCA responded immediately with McClay and King taking control of the midfield sector, creating chances for Hamilton and Patrick Bradley.

It was Bradley’s namesake Joel, who brought his team level as he cut inside from the right and sent an unstoppable curling shot into the top corner of the net. Chances now came and went as first McClay and Hegarty tried unsuccessfully to put their side in front. Carniny were battling hard against the constant waves of attack and their keeper showed he was up for the game as he produced several top drawer saves to keep his side level at half-time.

The second opened in much the same vein and it beggars belief that MCA were not five or six goals to the good. MCA had two penalty shouts turned down by the referee as firstly Joel Bradley and then Corey Hegarty were denied by what looked like certain fouls in the box.

Again Hamilton thought he had put his side ahead as he knocked the ball past the keeper only for a Carniny defender to slide in over the line and clear it to safety. The ball appeared to be at least a foot over the line but the referee waved play on much to the chagrin of the MCA supporters.

Joel Bradley added a second eventually after good work by Surgeoner and then Hamilton finally got his name on the scoresheet as he got on the end of a Cooke cross to put his team 3-1 up.

If MCA thought that was the game won then Carniny had other ideas. Totally against the run of play they capitalised on some indifferent play by MCA to score two quick goals to square the match up. Carniny could nearly have won the game in the last minute but only a superb tackle in the penalty area by Paul Leonard kept his side from throwing away what should have been three points.

Maiden City Academy U16: Mulcahy, Surgeoner, Cooke, Callaghan, Leonard, King, Bradley (J), McClay, Hamilton, Bradley (P), Hegarty.