Date: 8 August 2021
Competition: Leinster Senior League Sunday 1 Division (Irish fourth tier)
Result: Portmarnock AFC 0 – 3 Tolka Rovers
Tickets: free
Attendance: 50
The game: We arrived just in time for kick off at this one, and almost immediately saw Tolka go ahead, with a rapid-fire free kick that cannoned off the crossbar and arguably over the line – it didn’t matter, ultimately, as the rebound was headed in anyway. Portmarnock strugged to cope with Tolka throughout and only really came to life at 3-0, in phases in the second half.
Both teams were lower mid table in the Senior 1 division going into the game, and on this showing Tolka look by far the more accomplished – they were clinical in taking the three goals that had the game won early on, and could have added more after that. A Portmarnock player got a serious injury in the second half – a leg break of some sort, by the looks of it – and there was briefly talk of calling the game off altogether. It petered out a bit after that, perhaps inevitably.
The ground: Just a pitch at the top of a hill, really, but a nice spot, if incredibly windy. The wind impacted on the game quite a bit, especially when high balls went up and kind of hung in the air for a while spinning all over the place.
Lovely views down to Lambay Island, but pretty basic that aside.
Extras: There was a nice rustic looking coffee truck in the car park of Paddy’s Hill, though it doesn’t look like a permanent fcture.
Assorted asides: We went to the beach afterwards. Do that.
My totals for the year so far:
Games: 5. Home wins: 3. Draws: 1 Away wins: 1
Goals: 18. Home goals: 12. Away goals: 6. Goals per game: 3.6
A few pics:
