The 6th of March in the year 2020. On a calm spring night, six teams lined out for the FNL Cup Finals. There were suggestions of no handshakes, but that was about the limit of the impact of this thing we call Covid-19. After three results of 2-1 in each of the cup finals, the champagne was popped and there was no observing of social distancing as Team Lightning, Analog, and Kearneys Army celebrated their respective victories. As the partying continued into the wee hours of Saturday morning and tales of goals scored, tackles made, and diving saves became more and more exaggerated, little did anyone know that this would be one of the last big hurrahs for a while.
Indeed, March seems a long time ago now. The world is a different place. Liverpool are champions of England. Leeds are back in the Premier League. You have to wear a mask when you go shopping. In these times of increasing uncertainty, it was nice to hear the familiar voice of John Mc exclaiming that "out here, I am the law...and no body else!". The Friday Night League is back.
An air of optimism, anticipation, and pent up energy from 6 months of lockdown could be felt as Matchday 1 and the new season began. Boca Seniors met Kearneys Army on pitch 1 of the 7pm kick offs. Calls of "samba football" and "it's like watching Barcelona" [the old Barcelona obviously, not the current side] could be heard as both teams clearly spent time working on their tactical shape and football philosophy during the off-season. Some good passing football was played by both sides in a tight first half. A Boca free kick in the 10th minute was the first shot on target but was well saved by the Kearneys keeper. The first real chance from open play fell Kearneys way - a snapshot from the edge of the box that was just dragged wide. In the 25th minute, Boca dropped a ball in behind the Kearneys defence but the chance was hit over. A minute later, Kearneys were up the other end and tested the Boca keeper with a powerful swerving shot from outside the area. The Boca keeper was equal to it and the scores remained 0-0 going in at the half. Meanwhile on pitch 2, Cutters got their campaign off to a good start as they took the lead vs Delta United FC via a penalty. David Fitzgerald made a blistering run down the right side and was pulled down inside the box. Cormac O'Donovan stepped up and drilled the penalty into the bottom left corner to put Cutters one up. United tested Cutters with several teasing balls played in behind the Cutters defence but couldn't get anything to materialise. A break down the left side saw an over-hit cross get sent back in and after a knock down, Cutters' Padraic O'Loughlin was on hand to apply the all important touch to put Cutters two up at the break.
Over on pitch 1, the second half started with a great shot from distance from Kearneys Army. The Boca keeper was forced into a finger tip save to keep the game scoreless. In the 35th minute, a lovely move began with a ping from Boca goalkeeper to right winger. The Boca winger progressed with the ball eventually squaring it to the edge of the area. The shot from just outside the box was hit just hit over and left the game still searching for its first goal.The tie could have easily gone either way, but it was Boca's Dion Lynch in the 40th minute that crucially broke the deadlock. That single goal was enough to separate the sides and Boca got off to the ideal start. Kearneys had plenty of positives to take from their first match, but unfortunately no points to go with a good performance.
Delta United were impressive vs Cutters on pitch 2 as they attempted to come back from two goals down. A golden opportunity was spurned in the 45th minute as a glorious chance in the center of the goal was hit wide and United were left wondering how they were going to get back in the game. But get back in the game they did, as a corner in the 47th minute produced a penalty for United. The penalty was duly stuck away and the score stood at 2-1 with 13 minutes to go. The Cutters defence weren't in the mood to be broken down however, and the game finished 2-1 to Cutters.
The 8pm kick-offs saw Bluestreak take on new boys St Pauli FC, and two of the much-fancied sides met as Wembeldines played Team Lightning. Bluestreak gave St Pauli a not-so-kind welcome to the league as they stuck 5 past them. Both teams created chances when they had the ball, but it was perhaps some defensive inexperience from St Pauli that cost them in this game. St Pauli did get off the mark with a goal of their own so had some positives to take from their first FNL outing.
One stunning goal from Lightning's Chimka Manjor was all that could separate Lightning and Dines. Frank McEvoy in the Wembeldines goal could do nothing about Chimka's sublime strike from distance at the end of the first half. Wembeldines jabbed and jabbed in the second half but struggled to find a knock out blow. In the 40th minute, a break from Dines saw a flat cross played in from the right. After shouts of handballs were waved away, the ball did fall for the Dines striker. Shooting through the crowd of bodies proved too difficult and the ball ran wide. The defining moment of the game came 2 minutes from time. If Lightning's long range effort in the first half was impressive, Dines looked to out do them with an absolute cracker of a shot from 35 yards. Lightning keeper Mark Carey got the slightest of touches to force the shot to crash off the crossbar. That was enough to get Lightning over the finish line and ensure 3 points to start their campaign.
25th September 2020 - Matchday 1
7pm Boca Seniors 1-0 Kearney's Army Pitch 1
7pm Cutters 2-1 Delta United FC Pitch 2
8pm Bluestreak FC 5-1 St Pauli FC Pitch 1
8pm Wembeldines 0-1 Team Lightning Pitch 2