U 18 Soccer Win

                 A brace of goals each from John O Driscoll and Peter Mc Carthy were sufficient to ensure  an emphatic away victory for Oatlands in the group stage of the Dublin Schools C’ships against St. Macdara’s, Tallaght, on Thursday, 15^th November . The final score was 4-2 in a game which saw St. Macdara’s take the lead with a terrific long range strike in the opening quarter only for Oatlands to equalise before half-time when Peter Mc Carthy lobbed the keeper. 

               Both teams coped well with the Astroturf pitch at St. Jude’s G.A.A. Club,  which made the ball bounce a bit higher than usual, but it was Oatlands who forged ahead in the second half when Mc Carthy pounced for his second goal as the Macdara’s defence failed to clear the ball from a corner. John O Driscoll scored the first of his two goals shortly afterwards and the game looked safe for Oatlands until Macdara’s pulled one back and then missed a glorious opportunity to level the game at three all. That was the Tallaght team’s last real opportunity as a spectacular bicycle kick through ball from Michael Nolan sent O Driscoll away and his skilful lob wrapped up the match for Oatlands with their fourth goal.

              Eoin Clarkin had a great game for Oatlands on the right side of mid-field while Calvin McGettigan had one of his best ever games for the school when switched to centre back. Leinster Schoolboys’ midfielder, Gary Murphy, copper fastened Oatland’s domination in midfield but, in the manager’s opinion, it would be wrong to single out individuals on a day when every player contributed their fair share to a victory that sets up qualification from the group. One tricky away fixture against Clonkeen College is all that stands in our way.