Agonising defeat for U15 Boys Soccer Team

Mercy Kilbeggan 3 : 2 RCC
On Monday 11th November, RCC U15 boys’ soccer team suffered an agonising last-minute defeat to Mercy Secondary School Kilbeggan in their opening West Leinster Division 2 game. The game was played in misty conditions, but it did not affect what turned out to be a very tight and entertaining game. With many of last year’s successful team moving up an age group, it left an opportunity for the new first years in RCC to grab a place on the team.
RCC paid the price for a shaky start when they fell behind in the fifteenth minute of the first half when the number 10 of Kilbeggan managed to get a shot away from a tight angle in the RCC box, which deflected in past the RCC goalkeeper, Tom Óg Reddington. RCC then settled into the game and began creating chances with Mark Naughton and Ben O’Connor both going close to an equaliser, if not for some fantastic saves from Kilbeggan goalkeeper. RCC got their deserved equaliser in the thirtieth minute when Captain Harry McDermott hit a thunderbolt of a free kick
into the top right-hand corner and past the Kilbeggan goalkeeper, leaving a score locked 1-1 at half time.
The first fifteen minutes of the second half was a cagey affair with both teams keeping it tight and not forfeiting any chances. Harry McDermott broke the deadlock again when he fired RCC 2-1 in front in the 53rd minute. McDermott hit another strong free kick which took a slight deflection and nestled into the bottom left-hand corner of the net. RCC striker Mark Naughton came agonisingly close to adding a third goal for RCC when he headed the ball over the Kilbeggan keeper but was denied by the number 3 for Kilbeggan with the defender clearing the ball off the line. As the game headed into the crucial last ten minutes, it would prove heartbreak for RCC as Kilbeggan equalised in the sixty fifth minute from a long distance shot from the Kilbeggan number 10.
However, victory was snatched from RCC with the last kick of the game when Kilbeggan number 7 raced onto a freekick and knocked it past the RCC goalkeeper. Despite this late defeat, the RCC team took pride in their performance, as this game marked the first game with the U15 squad for many team members. There were also some standout performances for RCC with Jack Conway, Harry McDermott and Rory Lally in defence, Ben O’Connor, Jake Donlon and Eli Okamabawa in midfield along with striker Mark Naughton.
U15 Squad: Tom Og Reddington, Eli Okambawa, James Bolger, Harry McDermott, Mark Naughton, William Ward, Dylan Hoban, Jason Daly, Alfie Brehon, Noah Mulligan, Daniel Connolly, Luiz Rodrigues Da Silva, Ben O’Connor, Jack Conway, Rory Lally, Jake Donlon, Lorcan Daly.