Green Scene IV

As the season reaches it's midway mark Crossmolina AFC find themselves in a position of opportunity without really having maintained any consistency during the opening half. We are 5th in a league of 10, which is midtable, and as a result if we can string another 4 game winning streak together like earlier on this season then we could be genuine contenders for promotion to the Super League. The key word though is consistency and we haven't shown any resembling that lately. I shall start at the start. We were responsible for one of the biggest cup shocks this season when we humbled the mighty Mayo Champions Manulla in the Mayo League Cup in Abbeytown with a win on penalties after a 1-1 draw. It was only even in the score though as we pummelled them from start to finish with an outstanding display of attacking football and a dogged resilience in defence. It was certainly one of the club's finest moments in our short 8 year history and it proved we could hold our own against Super League opponents if we were to gain promotion. But the team seems to be suffering from a hangover since as we subsequently tumbled out of that cup and went W1 D1 L1 in the league. In the next round of the Cup we travelled to another Super League team, Glenhest, and we started brilliantly, assuming a 2-0 lead within 15 mins but they came back with a vengeance and ran out 5-2 winners in a match which was closer than the score might suggest. So with our Cup dream dead for another year it was back to the humdrum of the league. An embarrassing 5-1 defeat at Ballina Town was followed by a fine 3-0 win against Lacken. Then we played out a 1-1 draw against Conn Rangers last Saturday evening in a game we should have won but could have, would have and should have won't win us promotion. Only we can do that and with 9 games remaining in the season our destiny is in our own hands so hopefully we can turn it up a notch for the coming months and challenge meaningfully for a promotion spot. Last, but by no means least, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everybody who contributed so generously to our church gate collection two weekends ago. Being a club with financial restrictions it is a huge boost to the club to receive funds of this magnitude and it all helps in keeping our mind off the debts and on the football. Quote of the Week Heard as Glenhest took a free kick in our Cup tie. Glenhest player: "Lads, who's in the box?!" Steven Canavan : "Jesus in the box". 

Bert's Brief 

Managing this team lately has been like a rollercoaster ride because the team has been so inconsistent and unpredictable. I will start with one of the highs, our cup win against Manulla.There was a single negative aspect of the Manulla game and that was the fact that it went to penalties. There was no doubt whatsoever as to who was the better team on the day and it wasn't the Super League champions. We played by far our best football of the season, both in a creative and a defensive sense and to do so against such quality opponents just made it all the better, and they WERE quality opponents despite perhaps not looking like it for long periods. A couple of incidents served to illustrate this. The first was the goal which was a truly superb first time finish and the second was the goal saving tackle on Derek just before we scored our equaliser. Two examples of pure quality that wouldn't often be seen in our division. Our strength was our team spirit. Individually they probably had better players but collectively there was no comparison. If we can produce that kind of performance in the league we will go a long way. Once again I could not pick a man of the match, I would give it to all thirteen who played. And sure what the hell, everybody else as well. Well our fine cup run came to an end at Glenhest although I don't believe 5-2 was a true reflection on the game. Glenhest were used to competing week in week out at a higher level and this told in the end.If the cup run proved anything it was that this Crossmolina team is capable of competing in the Super League and I would have expected that this would have hardened the players resolve to gain promotion and prove that the cup performances were no fluke.Subsequent events were to prove otherwise however and the reaction by some players to the cup defeat saddened and disappointed me not to mention the other committed players on the team. A disastrous result against Ballina Town was followed by a facile victory over Lacken who were hardly even reserve division standard on the night. The game against Conn Rangers told us more about ourselves. They are a settled side and although our first 20 minutes nearly blew them away they battled back and I was reasonably happy with a draw. So now we go to Achill on Sunday with the knowledge that a win is vital to our chances. 

Keegan is blaming the defeat on Alex Ferguson claiming that Alex told him Phil Neville was the best left back in the country. Alex Ferguson corrected Keegan saying what he really said was that Phil Neville was best left back in England 

The Parish newsletter bit 

Congratulations to Figgy and Andrea on their recent engagement. We're all counting down the hours until the big day out!!! 

Fair play, God bless 

During our game against Conn Rangers last Saturday night one of the Rangers wingers clearly embellished a foul with a theatrical dive and a half somersault for good measure. Referee Jimmy Blakey scolded him appropriately for his showmanship and said "You don't have to be like that Portuguese fellow today. I know you were fouled, so get up." This incident illustrated the growing chasm that is developing between football at grass roots level and the game as it is played professionally. This European Championship has been widely lauded as the finest in a long time, and I would agree with that wholeheartedly, but the amount of theatrics involved has been disappointing and quite frankly disgusting. It has been on display from as early on as the Inzaghi penalty vs Turkey to the disgraceful swan dive by Hagi last Saturday night for which he was correctly booked. These are incidents that would rarely happen at our level of football because players have a greater respect for one another and a latent honesty exists which would prevent most players from launching themselves legs akimbo in a pathetic manner. There is also the macho mentality which decrees that you would have to cut off my legs before I will give you the satisfaction of bringing me down. The fear is that the professional tendencies may creep into our own game and poison what is essentially a pass time, or a labour of love, for everybody involved. Already we as viewers have become conditioned to yelping at the television for a foul when it is obviously the most innocuos contact followed by the most graceful of collpses. Cue then to the close-up of fallen player with his face contorted in agony until he sees the glimmering of the yellow card, like a Wonka ticket, emerging from the referees fop pocket. This seems to be the modern day equivalent of the magic sponge because at this point the "victim" will usually rise, Lazarus-like, from the playing field satisfied that he has gotten a fellow professional booked. We need to watch the game for what it is and learn not be conned like so many referees in reacting to these actors. Granted it all happens at such a quick pace and it is hard to distinguish the rough from the smooth but surely some of these "fouls" are obvious con jobs to even the most incompetent referee. The refs at our level seem to be able to decipher the real from the surreal quite consistently so I don't understand how top level officials can't get it right. It really is a most irritating trend because not only does it interrupt what have at times been sublime flowing games of football but it also demeans the game they are being paid to play to the best of their abilities. And it sets a terrible example for the children who will follow in our footsteps playing for Crossmolina, in the not so distant future, who are only too eager to emulate everything their heroes do, little knowing that their idols aren't always right. I hope that players will take a look at their pathetic acts and realise that they will earn much more respect by playing the game with honour instead of tainting it with pretension. 

Funny old game 

It concerns a match played between Barbados and Grenada in cup competition. Barbados needed to win the game by two clear goals in order to progress to the next round. Now the trouble was caused by a daft rule in the competition which stated that in the event of a game going to penalty kicks, the winner of the penalty kicks would be awarded a 2-0 victory. With 5 minutes to go, Barbados were leading 2-1, and going out of the tournament (because they needed to win by 2 clear goals). Then, when they realized they were probably not going to score against Grenada's massed defence, they turned round, and deliberately scored an own goal to level the scores and take the game into penalties. Grenada, themselves not being stupid, realized what was going on, and then attempted to score an own goal themselves. However, the Barbados players started defending their opponents goal to prevent this. In the last five minutes, spectators were treated to the incredible sight of both team's defending their opponents goal against attackers desperately trying to score an own goal and goalkeepers trying to throw the ball into their own net. The game went to penalties, which Barbados won and so were awarded a 2-0 victory and progressed to the next round! 

GAA Rules, OK? 

Fact:Crossmolina AFC is Crossmolina's second team. Fact: Crossmolina GAA club is Crossmolina's first team. Fact: We are quite happy about that! We have no delusions of grandeur or any ideas above our station. We are "the other team" in the town and that is just fine with us. We realise where we stand and now we will enlighten you: 

We are the Pepsi to their Coca Cola. 

We the City to their United. 

We are the coffee Roses to their fudge Roses. 

We are the TG4 to their Sky One. 

We are the mackerel to their salmon. 

We are Stones to their Beatles. 

We are Jackie Healy-Rae to their Bertie Ahern. 

Impertinent thoughts on pertinent topics

E2K has been AOK...How do they do those tricks in the Nike ads, surely it must be camera trickery....Barthez won't be so Fab at United...Chris Hutchings, who are ya?...Players who wouldn't get a game for us :Urzaiz, Inzaghi(maybe sub), Heskey and the whole Danish squad....Schmeich was the best gk in the tourney, deal with it....ZiZou what joy do you get from tormenting these lesser mortals?...Hello God, it's me Hector. Why didn't I bring Morientes instead of Urzaiz? Why?...Alan, get going while the going is middlin'...Player who most resembles a pint of Guinness:Abel Xavier...Player who most resembles a keg of Guinness: Stig (of the dump) Tofting...Summer Special-Hutch for £2.5....Young, promising small club manager takes over Owls.Deja Vu.... Darko Pancev....Didn't you used to be footballing world powers?....Does Poborsky only play well in the Euros?...