Our Youths B team welcomed Gorey Celtic to Murrintown today and provided the, socially distanced, crowd with a match filled with goals galore. Following a pre-match team talk, with Coach Gale Jordan mapping out the tactics on the whiteboard, our boys started the match tentatively with a well organised Gorey side applying constant pressure, not letting Forth settle in any part of the pitch. A well-taken goal by Gorey within ten minutes and another close chance 2 minutes later looked to set the scene. Gorey 1 up. Our first chance came seconds later with Calum McCleane running onto a through ball but hitting that rising ball over the bar, unable to keep it down. A lovely worked play between Ben White, Jake Gilshanen, and Calum leads to a fluffed clearance by the goalkeeper with Josh Cooney pouncing to drill a ball on target from outside the box. Josh hits another blistering shot seconds later. The Forth boys seem to be settling. A well taken free from Gorey could have quickly made it 2 but the crossbar denies them. A strong ball down the line from Ben leads to a beautiful 1-2 between Calum and Lewis Martin setting Calum on a run and drive at goal that is too hot to handle by the Gorey keeper making it 1-1. The little flicks and touches, like this, by Lewis throughout the game prove to be the defining difference between the sides. Within a half-hour, this game is end to end football giving the crowd a spectacle of football in the Sunday Murrintown sun. Alfie Jeffaries is causing havoc down the left side of the pitch and Jake is dominating the right. A corner from Ben draws the goalkeeper out, forcing a punched clearance, only to find the left boot of Calum for a well-taken finish. 2-1 to forth. With the first half drawing to a close, our boys are playing with real confidence and the Forth Celtic backline is sitting near the halfway for the last 10 minutes. Half time finishes 2-1. The whiteboard tactics have served them well.

Early in the second half, confusion on the goalline gifts Gorey with a second. Forth strike back quickly with some silky skills in the box by new arrival Reuben Lafferty gaining a corner. The corner is whipped in by Alfie, again the goalie punches clear but Conor Swan twists, strikes, and cleanly takes Forth to a 3-2 lead. Gorey hit a free wide at the other end after a dubious tackle by Forth. Joe Mernagh makes a few runs opening up the Gorey defence. He shoots from the right forcing the Gorey keeper to pull off a great save to the top left. Alfie, Ben, Josh and Jake are really taking Gorey to hand around the midfield. Alfie creates his own chance down the left-hand side and skips through the defence. He takes a well-placed goal to the bottom right bring Forth to a 4-2 lead. Conor Mullan comes on and with his first touch takes a shot on goal, unlucky not to stay on target. Our goalkeeper Nathan Roche is never one to shirk from a tackle and his bravery keeps the scoreline in our favour after a close-range strike hits him square in the face despite him having control of the ball on the ground. At the other end, Joe Mernagh takes a free from just outside the box, the goalie makes another fine save but it falls to Calum MacDonald and he calmly backheels it into the net. 5-2. The final 20 minutes brought out some fine passing play by both sides. The last kick of the game was Calum MacDonalds second bringing the final score to 6-2 for this Forth Celtic side.

Although there were some great individual performances by a lot of our players today, Lewis Martin gets our man of the match for his controlled play and tempo setting passes.

Many thanks to our guests, Gorey Celtic, today for putting in a great display of organised football that really stretched our guys and put on a show for the spectators.