DSBL | Farooq shoots Muirhevnamor down as Shamrocks take the U13 Cup back to Fatima
Shamrocks 2–1 Muirhevnamor
Dundalk Schoolboys League U13 Cup final 2019
Farooq Ibrahim bagged a brace as Shamrocks took the Dundalk Schoolboys League U13 Cup back to Fatima on Saturday afternoon with a hard-fought 2–1 win over Muirhevnamor at Bellew Park.
The Shamrocks hitman struck either side of the break to set Brian O’Shaughnessy and Fergal Kindlon’s side on the way to glory but they had to endure a nervy end to the game after Gerrard’s late effort hauled a gutsy Muirhevnamor back into it.
Both sides took time to settle in the first half. Muirhevnamor winger Dilans Klavins had the first sighting of goal in the 13th minute but he could only drag his effort wide after a lovely exchange with the busy Pairic Lee.
Ibrahim looked set to break the deadlock three minutes later when a brilliant drag back left him with the goal at his mercy but Callum McCrave came from nowhere to make a sensational block and keep the game scoreless.
Muirhevnamor took the upper hand after that and Gerrard fired over the top after a beautiful reverse pass from Lee before the midfielder tested Shamrocks goalkeeper Arthurs Daugintis after breaking through a couple of challenges to let fly.
The opening goal came six minutes before the break, in slightly controversial fashion. With a Shamrocks player on the ground injured, referee Ciaran Caldwell brought the game to a halt. Play restarted with a drop ball and Ibrahim outmuscled Faawaad Karim to take control and tuck the ball into the bottom corner of Adam Burke’s net.
Boosted by the goal, Shamrocks finished the half strongly and Ibrahim was unlucky not to set winger Mark McEnteggart away with a stunning cross-field ball in stoppage time. They also started the second half on the front foot with Burke doing well to get his hands to a deflected Tom Deary shot after some good approach play by Fionn Dines.
The game opened up after that and Daugintis had to make a brave save to stop a Gerrard free-kick falling to the feet of Lee in the six-yard box with Camryn Moston blazing the loose ball over the crossbar.
The decisive second goal came with 20 minutes to play. Dines was the architect, his cut back from the left locating Ibrahim in oceans of space and the Shamrocks striker made no mistake with a cool finish from 18 yards.
Gerrard passed up a great opportunity to pull one back just seconds later when he broke clear on the left only to find the side netting but his faint touch to a Karim free-kick set up a grandstand finish with just four minutes to play.
Muirhevnamor pushed hard and Moston’s dangerous free-kick across the face of goal had pulses racing in the Shamrocks dugout but they saw it out to add the U13 cup to the sideboard at Pairc Eoin Baiste.
SHAMROCKS: Arthurs Daugintis, Thomas Kindlon, Danny Putnam, Conor Hoey, Francis Kirk, Tom Deary, James Corcoran, Jack O’Shaughnessy, Luka Hay, Mark McEnteggart, Farooq Ibrahim. Subs: Conor O’Shaughnessy, Fionn Dines, Nathan Ellis, Shay Lawlor, Jack Gartland.
MUIRHEVNAMOR: Adam Burke, Amien Zahir, Kyle McDonald, Faawaad Karim, Callum McCrave, Dilans Klavins, Camryn Boston, Keelin McCullough, Gerrard, Tiarnan Rogers, Pairic Lee. Subs: Louis Murphy, Brooklyn Kenna, Dylan Tuite, Prince Ayila, Edwards Klavins, Nathan Browne.
REFEREE: Ciaran Caldwell.
