Shams Open Their Account

Storm, on the score sheet and MoM for the second week in a row

The Shamrocks continued their recent improvement on Saturday at the
Grove collecting their first point of the season with a hard fought 2-2 draw with Hibernians.

Hibernians won the toss and elected to play with the strong wind at
their backs in the opening period, and for the first twenty five
minutes had the majority of possession with Brady, Morgan and Fox
running the show in the middle of the park. However despite all their
probing and with sound defence by McLaughlin, Quinn, McCurry and
Small, playing in an unfamiliar left back role, chances were kept to a
minimum and Soupie in goal was relatively untroubled. Indeed it was
the Mals who had the best chance during this period when Paul Connolly
made a good run up the line and knocked the ball back for McLaughlin
to cross to the back post where Docherty was unmarked, but the Mals
forward only found the side netting.

Just after this Mals really should have been behind. Morgan played a
quick one two and played a pass through to McGrady who had got in
behind the Mals backline. Despite claims for offside the referee waved
play on and the winger ran through on goal. However Soupie was quickly
off his line to narrow the angles and did enough as the forward shot
wide of the far post.

The windy conditions did not help the Mals creative players like
Johnson and Neill in midfield but together with Cushnan and Connolly
they got through numerous tackles to keep Hibs at arms length. Just as
Mals started to gain a little more possession in midfield they fell
behind although the goal was of their own making. Harvey on the Hibs
right played a cross field pass which should have been cut out but the
ball ended up at the feet of McGrady who atoned for his earlier miss
by shooting home.

Despite this setback and driven on by captain Connolly the Mals
started to look dangerous. Allen Docherty well marked by Doran all
afternoon went close and then Veitch had to push a shot from Neill
round the post. The Shams got their reward right on the half time
whistle when Johnston won the ball in the middle of the park and
played a great pass to Connolly on the right. The cross was low and
hard and after Neill had missed, the ball fell to Adam Docherty who
scored from close range, and the sides went in all square at the
interval.

HT: Malachians Shamrocks 1 Hibernians 1

The second half started with Mals on the front foot but like their
opponents they found chances difficult to create. The wind had now
eased off and Cushnan and Johnston started getting the ball down and
passing it about only to hit a brick wall at the edge of the Hibs area
in the shape of defenders Doran, Lewis, Robinson and O'Neill. Small
made a run out from the back and linked with Adam Docherty but his
shot was charged down.

The game developed into a war of attrition in midfield before Mals
went in front on 65 minutes. Stevie McLaughlin who had replaced Allen
Docherty came down the right wing and managed to feed a pass through
to Neill. His shot was saved by Veitch but Connolly was following up
and fired the rebound home. McCurry was then injured and replaced by
McDonnell.

Johnston then had a long range shot saved by Veitch but the keeper
injured himself in the process and having used all their subs the
young keeper had to stay on the pitch although severely handicapped by
his injury. This set back seemed to spur Hibs on and they again began
to dictate play in midfield again without really creating any clear
openings, and it seemed only a matter of time before Mals finished the
game off. However too many players went for glory with pot shots from
30 yards failing to trouble the keeper when they would have been
better served keeping possession and trying to work the ball further
in before shooting.

Just as the game entered the last few minutes the Mals again shot
themselves in the foot. A long clearance from Doran found McWilliams
goalside of the defence and he comfortably lobbed the ball over Soupie
for the equalizer. There were no further chances in the last few
minutes and so the game finished level at two apiece.

While the Mals were disappointed to concede so late a draw was
probably a fair enough result in a game spoiled by the windy
conditions in the first half. The team showed commendable battling
qualities and recent performances have been encouraging. Hopefully
that all elusive first victory is not that far away.

FT: Malachians Shamrocks 2 Hibernians 2

MOM - Paul Connolly.

Up the Mals!