Pike Rovers Maintain 100% Start to Season

Pike Rovers maintained their 100% start to the season with a comfortable 5-0 victory over near neighbours Janesboro at Crosagalla. Goals from Kevin Barry (x2), Colm Walsh-O’Loughlen (x2) and a Danny O’Neill penalty ensured it was three victories in a row for Robbie Williams side.

Williams made five changes to the team who beat Charleville 1-3 last Sunday in Cork with John Connery, Derek Daly, Nathan O’Callaghan, Mikey Conlon dropping out in place of Eddie O’Donovan, Brendan O’Dwyer, Kevin Barry, Danny O’Neill and Sean Moroney. Shane O’Hanlon also made three changes to his side with Sam Jordan, Oran Flanagan and Niall McNamara replacing the unavailable Glen Kelly, David McFarlane and Chris Quinn.

Janesboro started with a 3-5-2 and set out to frustrate their opponents from the start with a good defensive shape. For players of such a young age, centre-backs Oran Flanagan and Sam Jordan read the game superbly in the opening half an hour as Pike struggled to break them down. In the opening ten minutes, Kevin Barry drew a smart save from former Aisling Annacotty youth goalkeeper Finn Clancy while Colm Walsh-O’Loughlen headed over from O’Neill’s deep cross.

On the quarter hour mark, O’Neill’s searching diagonal ball found the run of Barry but the striker lifted his effort over the crossbar. Janesboro had a massive opportunity of their own to take the lead when Eoghan Burker’s free-kick wasn’t cleared by the home side and the ball fell to Cillian O’Shea at the back post but the ‘Boro man mishit the ball into grateful arms of Moroney.

On 25 minutes, Clancy kept the game scoreless as he saved Colin Daly’s low strike from the edge of the penalty area before getting straight up to deny Evan Patterson from the rebound. Minutes later, Barry was played through on goal by Patterson but the striker was once again denied by Clancy. The netminder was having a great game and he pushed Paudie Murphy’s shot away as Pike upped the tempo. Unfortunately for Clancy, just one minute later the Hoops did find the breakthrough as O’Neill’s inswinging cross was met by the head of Barry who found the corner of the net.

Moments later, Jordan was caught in possession in his own half and the ball was switched to Walsh-O’Loughlen who rifled a shot off the crossbar. The second goal was soft from a Janesboro perspective as Paudie Murphy evaded two tackles before sliding Barry in to grab his second goal of the game.

Ten minutes into the second period, Pike extended their lead further and in style as Barry and Patterson linked up before the latter passed to O’Loughlen who curled a sumptuous shot into the top corner. Williams could now afford to make changes and introduced Eoin Hanrahan, Aaron Murphy and Mikey Conlon to the fray but he will be far from happy with Murphy’s contribution.

The striker missed a sitter after being set up by O’Neill and maybe some of that frustration affected him as he needlessly kicked out at Flanagan on the sideline and received a straight red card from referee Brian Higgins. Prior to this incident, Boro had two great chances as Burke forced Moroney into a great save from a long range free-kick before Karl Turner headed wide.

On a brighter note for the home side, Walsh-O’Loughlen scored another cracking goal for his second of the game as he cut inside and placed the ball into the top corner for the second time.

With ten minutes remaining, Pike were awarded a penalty for a foul by Jordan and Conlon and although it looked to be a harsh decision on the youngster, O’Neill buried the penalty into the corner to make it 5-0. Pike will now turn their attentions to Carew Park on Sunday and with both teams unbeaten and well known to each other, it promises to be an exciting clash.

Janesboro will travel to Tipperary on Sunday morning to face Nenagh AFC and with the sad demise of Prospect Priory’s A team being confirmed on Thursday night, it is expected that up tp four of those departing Prospect players will sign for Janesboro.

Pike Rovers: Sean Moroney, Danny O’Neill, Adam Lipper, Eddie O’Donovan, Sean Madigan, Colin Daly, Brendan O’Dwyer, Paudie Murphy (Mikey Conlon), Colm Walsh-O’Loughlen (John Connery), Evan Patterson (Eoin Hanrahan), Kevin Barry (Arron Murphy)

Janesboro: Finn Clancy, Oran Flanagan (Zach Hayes), Alex Mason, Sam Jordan, Hamza Celik Selman (Sean Ryan), Jack Horan, Niall McNamara, Bradley McNamara, Eoghan Burke (Aaron Quinlivan), Cillian O’Shea, Karl Turner