Rooks gain victory in top-three battle against Goodwick

PHOTOS:
Scott Delaney contests a header at a corner
Jordan Griffiths hunts down possession
Chris O'Sullivan goes on the attack

 

Division One:

Goodwick United 2 - Carew 3

Venue: Phoenix Park, Goodwick

Referee: Alan Boswell (Who had a good game in a difficult match to officiate in view of the importance of the outcome for both teams.)

Men of the Match: Jordan Richards (for his Carew goals) and Sonny Phillips (a class act in The Rooks’ defence)

Two goals by ace striker Jordan Richards and a third from sub Lloyd Hughes helped Carew gain a vital away win in this important top-three clash at Phoenix Park and effectively threw a huge spanner in the works of home side Goodwick United in the process.

After a disappointing and disjoined goalless first half Richards’ first was a stunning 30 yard strike that would have graced any game at any level and his second was a well-struck penalty after referee Alan Boswell decided that Shaun Whitfield had been upended in the box. With sub Lloyd Hughes twisting well in the area and slotting his low shot past James Gwilt’s far post.

At that stage it seemed as if Goodwick’s title aspirations were all but over but in a dramatic finale they claimed an own goal and a close range volley by Johnny Horgan – and were only denied an equaliser from an excellent Kieran O’Brien header which looked to be heading into the top corner before Carew keeper Tom Davies somehow thrust up his left arm and managed to paw the ball out of danger.

No goals in disjoined first half

With semi-final appearances in the Senior and West Wales Cups imminent The Rooks rested key players like Sam and Jack Christopher, Max Brindley and others but their replacements soon settled in and Carew had the first real chance when Jordan Richards’ skills set up a Scott Ferney chance which flew just wide of the far post – and at the other end Jordan Griffiths hit the bottom of the post with Davies stranded.

Carew had another chance but Sonny Phillips, who was outstanding at the back for The Rooks, drilled his fierce free kick against the far post and in a frenetic period a couple of players were lucky to escape a yellow card before Alan Boswell lost patience and booked Carew midfielder Iwan Izzard.

Ferney was put through on Gwilt but the Goodwick goalkeeper did well to smother the danger before Whitfield also had a yellow card for a careless tackle to round off a first half which was scoreless.

Dramatic start to second half

But all that changed early in the second period as Jordan Richards fired a right foot shot past the stranded Gwilt and Goodwick also had Chris O’Sullivan booked before the midfield general rasped in a free-kick which poleaxed Carew defender Alex Bailey and left him with a sore groin.

The Rooks soon doubled their lead after Whitfield was felled in the area, leaving the home fans to feel strongly that he had ‘dived’ but after Mr Boswell pointed to the spot Jordan Richards the slid the penalty low to Gwilt’s right.

Hughes made it 3-0 with some nice skills before slanting his low diagonal shot into the far corner and at that stage a Goodwick fight back seemed most unlikely – until Tom Davies missed a Griffiths’ free kick almost straight from the kick-off and it flew into the net via the shoulder of a helpless defender.

Frenetic finish as Goodwick battle back

It sparked off a real urgency in the Goodwick camp and from a Hayes’  long throw, skipper Scott Delany forced a terrific point-blank Davies save from his header but Delaney was quick to react and volleyed home from only three yards.

Then came O’Brien’s header from a pin-point cross by Sean Dockerty which Davies saved and although Goodwick pushed forward in the final five minutes they were unable to add any further goals and Scott Delaney’s blocked shot proved to be final touch of a highly competitive encounter.

Goodwick United: James Gwilt: Steff Hayes; Scott Delaney; Wayne O’Sullivan; Luke Raymond: Llyr Tobin; Chris O’Sullivan; Lee Hudgell; Kieran O’Brien:  Johnny Horgan; Jordan Griffiths. Subs: James Evans; Mattie Delaney; Sean Dockerty.

Carew: Tom Davies: Shaun Whitfield; Scott Richards; Tom Grover; Sonny Phillips: Ian Darbyshire; Iwan Izzard; Alex Bailey; James Hinchliffe: Scott Ferney; Jordan Richards. Subs: Spencer Williams; Lloyd Hughes; Sam Lewis.

PHOTO:
Goalmouth action from Phoenix Park