Opening day disappointment for Club Team

RISSC (London) 1 - 2 Bristol City

The RISSC (London) football team commenced their APFSCIL League Division One campaign for season 2007/2008 with a disappointing home defeat to newly promoted Bristol City SC at the LPR Sports Ground on Sunday 23 September 2007.

The generally fine conditions were impacted upon, by a strong wind blowing diagonally across the pitch and RISSC faced the brunt of the wind in the first half. RISSC were without goalkeeper Darren Nolan and midfielders Dan Healy and Donnie Mullen from last season, but it is hoped that all three will shortly be available. There were a number of new faces in the squad and a lack of familiarity was evident throughout the match. This is an area that should improve as the season progresses and the players get to know each other better.

RISSC started brightly and a fine fourth minute pass from right back and captain Jon Carey found Mauricio Carrillo in space, but his shot lacked the power to trouble the visiting goalkeeper. Minutes later, a through ball was latched onto by Carrillo but again his effort on goal was saved comfortably. RISSC continued to carry the game to Bristol City SC and on ten minutes tidy build up play down the right flank created an opening for Fintan McKeown whose left foot shot was well saved.

Bristol City SC made their first inroad into an attacking position in the twelfth minute but shot wildy over the crossbar. Minutes later, another attacking opportunity presented itself to the visitors but like the first, the strike was well over the crossbar. Bristol City SC were now beginning to find their feet and with Roffey prominent, showed glimpses of the form that provided them with victory over Exeter City SC last week.

On nineteen minutes a long ball behind the RISSC defence was not dealt with by centre back Karl McGee whose careless back heel gave away possession and forced him to bring the attacker down for a free kick. The delivery to the back post was accurate and Bristol defender Dave Howell found himself unmarked, and possibly in an offside position, to score easily.

The visitors were lifted by the goal and with the wind continuing to favour them began to trouble the RISSC defence over the next ten minutes or so. They created two further scoring opportunites but both were squandered by feeble finishing. RISSC gradually re-asserted themselves and a pass from debutant Kieran O'Sullivan on the half-hour mark, found Brian Moriarty whose twenty five yard shot clipped the crossbar with the goalkeeper beaten.

The remainder of the first half was quite sterile with both sides only having half chances to score, usually deriving from defensive errors. The best opening for the visitors was once again blazed high and wide while shots from Carrillo and O'Sullivan for RISSC were weak and did not trouble the Bristol goalkeeper.

The second half started with another newcomer Patrick Neylon replacing Martin Flannery, whose left back berth was filled by Martin Kincaid, also making his debut, with Neylon taking up a wide right position. Five minutes after the resumption, David Hestor entered the fray with O'Sullivan giving way. RISSC now had the advantage of the wind and began to press their opponents back. Kerryman Neylon began to make inroads down the right flank and from his pass Michael Dunford, the fourth debutant, saw his shot saved. Within seconds, another right wing break and cross saw Dunford thwarted at close range by the Bristol goalkeeper.

Neylon was continuing to pressurise the Bristol defence and was unlucky when another confident run was foiled at the last moment. After sixty one minutes, RISSC were awarded a penalty when a left wing cross struck the hand of a defender for a fortunate award. From the resultant spot kick, Carrillo made no mistake and thumped home the equaliser.

Assistant Manager Mick Coffey entered the fray for the tiring Kincaid and Hestor switched to the left back position, where he performed very well for the remainder of the game. Within minutes Coffey was in the thick of things, getting on the end of another right wing cross but his effort was tipped over for a corner. RISSC continued to press in search of the lead and Dunford had a shot on target, but without the pace to really test the goalkeeper.

Seconds later a fine shot from Carrillo was pushed around the post for a corner. Carrillo himself took a deep corner to the back of the penalty area where the lurking Coffey volleyed just over. The pressure continued and Dunford saw another effort pushed away by the busy Bristol custodian. Then on seventy seven minutes, a glorious opportunity presented itself, when McKeon ghosted through the Bristol defence onto a superb Coffey pass but hesitated, perhaps because of the loud appeals for offside, which he was not, and his weak chip was grasped by the goalkeeper.

The matter was deeply compounded two minutes later when a rare Bristol attack resulted in a corner and from the right side delivery the same Howell arrived in the box and had a free header to regain the lead for the visitors. Try as they might in the final ten minutes, RISSC could not find an equaliser with their best efforts coming from Coffey and Moriarty.

Team

Tim Nagle
Jon Carey, Mick Cusack, Karl McGee, Martin Flannery;
Kieran O'Sullivan, Martin Kincaid, Fintan McKeown, Brian Moriarty;
Mauricio Carrillo, Michael Dunford.

Substitutes

Patrick Neylon for Flannery 46 minutes
David Hestor for O'Sullivan 50 minutes
Mick Coffey for Kincaid 62 minutes