A.C Panache Trounced

A.C Panache were roundly thumped 3-9 by table toppers Olympique need someone ta Lyon last night. 

Not that traffic was completely one way as the final score would suggest, but what did start out as a nice drive through town descended quickly into a 2 hour tailback stuck in the Jack Lynch Tunnel! 

A.C Panache started quickly, rushing into a 3-1 lead. What happened after that was that wrong turn problem, though it must be pointed out that Olympique need someone ta Lyon know how to play and are a very sporting team to compete against, or at least try to compete against.

The game started at a very brisk pace and on the first attack down the right wing Brian Butler whipped a cross-shot into the bottom corner of the net, perhaps spurned on by Jamie O'Driscoll's accusations of dodgy reporting in last weeks article. We will never know, but that was about as good as he did all night. 

Aaron Buckley started again in goals and in the early going didn't have much to worry about. His defence of James Butler and Eamonn Kennedy were controlling things and breaking up attacks. Jamie started brightly controlling play from midfield and Sean worked hard to close down space and cut out passes while Brian Butler ran hard up front to disrupt Olympique need someone ta Lyon. 

The second goal game from a quick pass from the playmaker role by Jamie to set Brian free down the left wing. Rounding the last defender, Brian was clipped and this allowed the goalkeeper to beat him to the ball. Fortunately a mis-touch allowed him to catch up, nip in and take it past the keeper but wide of the goals. Now with the Keeper and Defender pinning him into the corner he tried to pull it across the face of the goal and Sean's supporting run was perfectly timed to allow him to coolly tap home into an empty net. 

Olympique need someone ta Lyon netted the next goal with a tidy passing movement culminating in an open shot at the edge of the box that left Aaron with no hope in goals. 

The third A.C Panache goal was a thing of sublime beauty. Olympique need someone ta Lyon had been increasing the pressure and as they broke down the right wing Jamie O'Driscoll plugged the gap and shut down the move with some tenacious tackling. The ball squirmed across the box and Aaron controlled it with his foot as Jamie came onto take control of the ball. 
Looking up he spotted the penetrating run of Brian Gunning and sent a perfect pass the full length of the pitch. Gunning, defying a knee injury, took to the air as graceful as a ballerina and controlled the ball on the toe of his outstretched leg to land perfectly set to sweep the ball past the on rushing keeper. 
But as the keeper ran toward him he faked for one split second forcing the keeper to play his hand, and like an assassin, when the keeper put his head up he pulled the trigger to shoot low and accurately through the opening!  

3-1 up and A.C Panache looked to be playing very well after 20 minutes. 

Olympique need someone ta Lyon turned the screw though. 10 minutes later the half time score was 3-6, with almost all the goals very well worked pass and go team moves that left A.C Panache gasping for oxygen! It was like a hurricane blew through the game leaving A.C Panache looking like a bunch of washed up homeless people walking around an astro turf pitch, it could have been New Orleans but for the paleness of the players! 

The 2nd half ended 0-3, giving a full time score of 3-9. Despite not scoring in the 2nd half, A.C Panache worked hard and kept trying to get back into the game but Olympique need someone ta Lyon sat back, absorbed the pressure and hit them on the break making their chances count with some very crisp break out moves.

Brian Gunning had a number of shots, Jamie worked hard to make openings and Eamonn Kennedy raided up the wings but no one could seem to pass the ball properly and stray passes, poor shooting and some nice defending broke down a lot of play. 
One 3 minute spell of play summed up A.C Panache's second half efforts. The ball broke 3 times to Jim Butler in the middle of the field, each one a perfect shooting opportunity, but no matter what happened, a leg, the cross bar, or a weak patch of gravity caused the ball to fly over the intended target. 

Despite the set back though, A.C panache are slowly coming together and can at least claim to have scored the goal of the game, possibly the season, thanks to Jamie O'Driscoll's Ronaldinho like vision and Brian Gunning's Yaya Toure like long legs! 

A blow, not a crippling blow though and Panache will be back. Bolder than ever!

Scorers Brian Butler, Brian Gunning, Sean