O'Driscoll Leads Walk Over Friars

One draw and one loss from the first two games of the season so this third game with Friars Walk Celtic was high time to put 3 points on the board.

 Steve Parker is still struggling with a hipflexer issue so he was ruled out again in hope of recovering soon. David W joined him on the treatment table last week after getting a knock against Abtran. John JD Duggan was on International duty so had to miss out on this one as well. While news broke this week that Tristan had signed on, he had to miss this week, so Rory O Brien and Emmet long were called in to make up the seven.

Like nearly every week it took about 10 minutes to get into the swing of things, but Celtic didn't take that long and some fella banged in a long ranger to Balaga's dismay. But this woke the team up a bit and attacks started to tell on the opposition particularly as Phil was having great joy against the man marking him. Balaga's first came from good work by Rory in the right corner pulling the ball across to Phil who had an easy finish. Soon after though the Friars got in front again. An equaliser always looked like it would come though and it came via an Emmet through ball which Rory tried to do some spinny take yoke and somehow it went through and past the keeper. Sweet. Then the Cucumbers went 3-2 up as Tom flung in a long throw to Phil who bustled the defender out of the way and the ball went in off the keeper. Phil then got his second of the evening as Webz put him through on the keeper down the right and he finished powerfully into the bottom left corner. 4-2.

Phil O Driscoll Presents new very long awaited kit to team members last night.

Into the second half and Balaga Tongo kept pressuring Friars Walk with Rory and Emmet running they're balls off on each side of midfield and Webz in the centre covering all sorts of ground. Kev, after firing a first half effort into orbit over garryduff, caught a Webz cross to the back post with a very convincing strike into the net. BAM 5-2. Although Balaga were creating the best chances Friars were always hawking around infront of the defense and were not afraid to let fly with some long range shots as Kev, Tom and the cucumber midfield coming back were breaking up their passing attacks. As a result they got lucky with a few deflections, and exactly this happened as the score went to 5-3. This is when Phil really turned on the style though, taking the tip off he turned and fired a first time shot straight over the Friars defense and through the keepers arms! Unreal! Genius! Yikes! were all heard from the sidelines as Phil ODriscoll claimed his hat-trick. A beauty to put Balaga back into a comfortable lead at 6-3. 6-4 didn't take too long to come though and then soon became 6-5 as Balaga tired and lapsed in their defending. But a quick move from defense to attack as Tom made a tackle on the edge of the box and hoofed a ball down the left which Phil ran onto and fired a shot into the bottom right of the goal for his 4th of the night, NICCCEEE. 7-5. The last few minutes were played out as a now tired enough Balaga hoofed a few clearances ridiculously far, this is when Friars frustration and tempers flared up as they knew they had lost out. Great performances from all.

Elsewhere in the league Abtran edged DouglasMortgage 8-7 to go top, Passage rejects edged Balaga's next opponents Temple Inn Tigers 8-7 and Ma Dulleas beat QEF 7-3 to go second only on goal difference.  This means FC Balaga Tongo now sit mid-table after 3 games. Bring on next week!