This was Aidan’s 200th goal for the Club. After a lovely ‘scoop’ from Oisín Kinsella, Aidan ran with the ball into the edge of the 6 yard box, as AGP players converged, shooting low across goal to set VEC on our way.
3 minutes later, Aidan ran down the left channel and then brought the ball back out and backheeled to Conor Daly on the overlap. Conor whipped in a magnificent first-time cross towards Oisín at the front post, who leapt and glanced the ball brilliantly into the far top corner. 2-0.
Colm McSharry put us on our way in the 22nd minute, giving VEC a well deserved 1-0 lead at half-time. But two penalties (against the run of play) awarded to Harding and a breakaway goal in a 10-minute spell mid-way through the 2nd half put them 3-1 up, before Jeff DeCastro scored VEC’s second in the 90th minute. But the equalizer never came in the 8 minutes added on, despite constant pressure.
This was a match we shouldn’t have lost! After conceding a goal to Coolock Village in the 2nd minute, Neil Love equalised for VEC in the 70th minute and from then on, we were well on top with Séamus Staunton heading this effort against the crossbar, as we created many other chances, but the ball just wouldn’t go in – apart from two efforts ruled offside. To compound matters, the home team capitalised of their only real chance in the 2nd half, when the ball fell nicely for them to score what proved to be the winner, in the 74th minute in Parnell’s Astro on a cold Friday night.
Neill Love (in first pic.) opened the scoring for VEC in the 5th minute, only for Coolock Village FC to respond three minutes later and then take the lead in the 25th minute of the Premier Division match in Terenure. Then Jeff De Castro’s wicked cross from the right found its way into the net to make it 2-2 after 33 minutes. However, the visitors restored their lead just 5 minutes later and went further ahead 20 minutes into the 2nd half. Second pic. shows VEC’s third goal (o.g.) in the 75th minute, but Coolock had the last word, scoring their 5th – again just 5 minutes later.
