Non-League and Academy football writer

This London Diplomatic Football Summer League fixture (at Prince George’s Playing Fields, in Raynes Park) was between the Irish Embassy and Newcastle England, on Saturday morning. The Irish Embassy team started this fixture in fifth place in the table (after three matches played), with Newcastle England starting this game in seventh place in the table, after five matches played. My first time covering a game in this league, this match was an entertaining one, and it would finish 7-2 to Irish Embassy, as they picked up an important three points.

During the early stages of this game, and Ireland were beginning to dominate possession of the ball. And soon after Finbar Prunty had managed to get to the ball on the edge of the Newcastle penalty area, before powerfully hitting an effort over (on the bounce) the goal, Ireland would take an early and well deserved lead. A great cross from the right-hand side of the pitch from Eoin Sheils, went just inside of the Newcastle box, finding Donal Larkin, who cleverly flicked the ball on to Finbar Prunty, who finished emphatically in to the roof of the goal, courtesy of a powerful first time finish, 1-0.

Finbar Prunty was getting on the ball, and influencing the game well. After Finbar Prunty’s pass had found Mikie Quigley, on the left flank, Quigley would travel forward with the ball, taking it beyond a defender, before entering the Newcastle box. Quigley’s resulting low effort went wide, across the face of the goal. Shortly after Finbar Prunty’s powerful effort on the Newcastle goal (from distance) was parried by the goalkeeper, Ireland would go close once again to extending their lead. As Eoin Sheils had got to the ball inside of the Newcastle box, following a cross. But, Sheils’ first time effort went over the goal.

Continuing to dominate possession of the ball, the goalscoring chances continued to be created by Ireland. Next, and an Eoin Sheils cross in to the centre of the Newcastle box was flicked narrowly wide (by Mikie Quigley) of the goalkeeper’s right-hand post. However, two quick goals before half-time would follow, for Ireland. The first of which was an excellent solo goal from Donal Larkin, who after winning the ball some 30 yards out from goal, he would go forward with the ball. Larkin would skilfully glide past a sliding Newcastle defender, before progressing the ball in to the penalty area, and then powerfully finishing in to the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 2-0.

Very soon after Ireland’s second goal of the game, Darragh Loughlin would connect with Finbar Prunty’s corner-kick delivery to the centre of the Newcastle penalty area, with Loughlin heading low in to the goal, 3-0. Ireland could easily have been 6-0 up by the end of the first half. After Darragh Loughlin’s headed effort on goal (again courtesy of a Finbar Prunty corner-kick) was well pushed behind by the Newcastle goalkeeper, Lorcan O’Leary would hit an effort off the underside of the Newcastle crossbar, from the resulting corner-kick, before the ball was then cleared away.

Newcastle England had definitely improved by the early stages of the second half. Shortly after a Newcastle player’s (a lot of the Newcastle players didn’t have numbers on the back of their shirts) curling effort from 25 yards out was gathered by Ireland goalkeeper Kane Hall-Patterson, Newcastle would score their first goal of the game. Arriving as the result of a lofted ball in behind of the Ireland defence, a Newcastle forward would get to the ball, before taking it in to the Ireland box, and then finishing in to the left-hand side of the goal, 3-1.

Newcastle England were now having a good spell in the game. But, after a Newcastle forward had whipped an effort across the face of the Ireland goal, from the left-hand side of their penalty area, Ireland would further extend their lead. Mattie Smith and Greame Power would combine on the right-hand side of the Newcastle box, before Power finished well beyond the goalkeeper from a tight angle, 4-1. Newcastle would go on to respond quickly, however. With a powerful effort from the edge of the Ireland box being parried well by Hall-Patterson before a teammate finished in to the goal on the follow-up, and from close range, 4-2.

The goals kept on arriving, with both sides continuing to work hard. However, after Ireland’s player-coach Ryan Scully had met Cian Hession’s forward pass down the left flank, Scully would continue forward with the ball. The forward would then cut inside with the ball, before lifting the ball over the goalkeeper and in to the goal, from the edge of the penalty area, 5-2. Then, a couple of minutes later, and Ireland made it 6-2. Greame Power’s lofted pass found Finbar Prunty, on the right-hand side of the Newcastle penalty area, from where his well hit low effort (on the bounce) found the back of the goal, 6-2.

Ireland continued to play well, as we approached the latter stages of this game. A great forward run with the ball from Mattie Smith down the right-hand side of the pitch, eventually resulted in Smith squaring the ball to Ryan Scully in the centre of the Newcastle box, but, Scully’s first time effort would hit the crossbar. A handball from a Newcastle defender (inside of the penalty area) would result in a penalty being awarded to Ireland, by the referee. However, Finbar Prunty’s effort from the penalty spot bounced wide of the goalkeeper’s left-hand post.

Shortly after Kane Hall-Patterson had made a good stop, Ireland would go forward with the ball, at the opposite end of the pitch. Ryan Scully had managed to get to a through-ball pass down the left-hand side of the Newcastle box. Scully’s effort on goal was partially saved by the goalkeeper, with Mikie Quigley then finishing from close range, before the ball had gone behind for a corner-kick, 7-2.

This was a good game of football, in which the Irish Embassy played very well in. They were dominant throughout so much of this game, creating so many good goalscoring chances, and even though Newcastle England had improved during the second half, Ireland greatly deserved to win this game so emphatically, helping their goal difference in the process.

Irish Embassy player Finbar Prunty was my player of the match on Saturday. With two goals and one assist, he used the ball really well, and Finbar showed his class in the final third of the pitch, with two really good finishes capping off a really good performance. Donal Larkin (he scored a superb solo goal) was another player who really showed his class, when he was on the pitch, and Eoin Sheils, Darragh Loughlin, Ryan Scully, and Mattie Smith were just some of the many impressive performers for Ireland, on what was a really good day for the Irish Embassy.