Goal hungry Portlaoise eclipse Moone Celtic

A delayed kick off due to a busy fixture list at the centre combined with a stormy dark sky saw this game played under lights and the latter half in torrential rain but both sides would provide an entertaining match.

 Portlaoise were playing their penultimate home league match and wanted to be sure to continue a perfect home record against a side who had already taken points off the current top two sides in the table that AFC were hoping to overtake.

Portlaoise AFC 6

Moone Celtic 0

KDUL U-18 Premier Division

All in all however it took 20 minutes for the first real chance with AFC taking quite a while to find their groove and Moone showing high energy. That first chance actually fell to the visitors with Kacper Banacik having to pull off a fine save in the AFC goal.

Kieran O’Donnell continued where he left off last week and scored well from a free 20yards out on 28 minutes after Jamie Toman was pulled back when heading in on goal.

The goal breathed life into AFC and it was 2-0 five minutes later when Cathal Lee switched the ball to Ben Doyle who set the ball with his right, turned on the edge of the box and fired home with his left.

Jack Lalor was playing really well again at the back shutting down some promising Moone attacks. One of his defensive partners Ben Dwyer was having a good game too attacking up the left and important defensive work too including a vital block on 36 minutes.

Ben Doyle and Jamie Toman had some super close controlled link up play in around a packed box and Jamie was very unlucky that his goal bound lob was just cleared away when the move deserved a goal.

Jack Lalor again came to the rescue diving twice at the feet of two attackers in a few seconds to thwart his opponents. AFC were growing in confidence but Moone had an excellent battling attitude. Colin McEvoy crossed in for Kieran O’Donnell to just head over on 41minutes but another was coming you felt.

The stroke of half time saw it come as Ben Dwyer found Ben Doyle in the middle and he sent it straight to Cathal Lee on the right corner of the box. Cathal drilled it home to the bottom left corner making it 3-0 at the break.

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AFC’s Robbie Farrell had two long range shots in the opening exchanges and a good interception by Kyle Buchanan at the back kept the scoreboard static.

Cathal Lee had gone from front man to goalkeeper at half time and he had to be alert to be first to a slow back pass to blast it to safety as the big striker was rushing in on him.

A great break from the back started when Benedict Fordjour intercepted an attack and Ben Doyle raced to get the loose breaking ball and kept it in to raid down the left wing. Doyle crossed to Callum Leonard on the far side. Callum played a nice quick touch into Jamie Toman who was again unlucky not to score but Robbie Farrell blasted over the rebound from 25 yards out.

Persistence paid off on 64 minutes and it was 4-0. Counter attacking again to the fore as Colin McEvoy broke down a Moone attack and passed it to Callum Leonard who sent a ball from the halfway line into Benedict Fordjour. He got into the left side of the box and his shot was partially saved but Ben Doyle was there to bury it home from eight yards with his left again.

15 minutes to go and penalty. Jamie Toman was clipped in the box but didn’t go down, however the referee blew straight away and pointed to the spot. Jamie stepped up and got what his game deserved on the day when he rifled home to make it 5-0.

Conditions had really deteriorated during the course of the second half and Moone kept going but AFC had the final say with the last kick of the game when Ben Doyle played a super looper over the top to Jamie Toman who passed to Benedict Fordjour and he banged it in for 6-0.

AFC now up to third in the table a point behind the leaders with games in hand. An exciting run in ahead. Referee’s Player of the match was Ben Doyle with fine performances by Jamie Toman and Ben Dwyer to note too.