[caption id="attachment_66900" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Shamrock Over-30s pictured before a recent game. "]
Paddy McCarry's unbeaten run as Shamrock Over-30 boss is now at 20 games after the Rocks crushed Barnstonworth Rovers 5-2 on Randalls Island last Sunday.
McCarry led Shamrock to the Over-30 Div. II title last season with a 12-0-4 record after taking charge towards the end of the 2009-2010 season and picking up two wins.
Promoted to Over-30 Div. One, the Queens Irishmen handed the Stranorlar, County Donegal, transplant his first win of the new campaign in style.
Eugene Gormley, on target in the Rocks' 1-1 season opening tie with Greek-American/Atlas the previous week, opened the scoring [35th].
Karl Hughes had the assist on Gormley's strike and got the second [40th] and fourth [70th] goals, both from the penalty spot. Eugene Reynolds [55th] and skipper Stephen Doyle [80th] accounted for the others.
Gabriel Hernandez [50th] and Mark Daley [60th] replied for Rovers.
"We got the result without four starters, so that was magnificent," McCarry said, adding that his side would be contenders in Div. One. "The recruiting we did in the summer paid off."
He named midfielder Mike Bishop Man of the Match and had props for new assistant coach Sean McMullen.
BLACKOUT
A floodlight failure 20 minutes into the Shamrock reserves' Second Division match with Central Park Rangers on Saturday night proved to be an omen for the Rocks first XI later.
The reserve encounter was subsequently abandoned with the game scoreless. When the lights came back, Shamrock's first team was blanked 2-0 on goals by Ilija Zlatar [15th] and Adam Amann [80th].
Both teams had kudos for their respective shot stoppers: Robbie O'Neill for Shamrock, and Eric Wunsch for CPR.
"Both goalkeepers deserve special mentions as both were impressive
between the sticks," said the Shamrock's Glen Rafter.
DERRY ACE
Derryman Austin Friel scored twice as Lansdowne Bhoys rebounded from a tough loss seven days earlier to beat Manhattan Kickers 3-1 at Tibbets Brook Park and post their first win of the season.
The 30 year-old forward's second half brace [70th, 80th] brought his two-match tally in the Cosmopolitan Soccer League top flight to four goals. Friel had both goals in the Bhoys' 3-2 opening defeat to New York Athletic Club [NYAC].
Against Mike Fitzgerald's Kickers, Lansdowne went ahead in the 25th minute through new signing Joseph Ogoo, assisted by Kevin McPhillip.
Friel's first strike twenty minutes from time had the Bronx Irish cruising. His second in the 80th calmed Irish nerves after Adam Dhanens had pulled one back for Kickers.
"He can't stop scoring -- that's four in two games," remarked Bhoys' coach Kevin Grogan. "It was vital that we get three points. We played well in patches but overall deserved the result."
Lansdowne's youthful reserves crashed 3-0 to a Kicker side now undefeated in more than 30 league matches.
"We're trying to develop young players so the result is not the most important at this time," noted Grogan.
McGEENEY ENCORE
Also at Tibbets Park, Kevin McGeeney's second successive hat trick powered Lansdowne's high scoring Metro Div. II side to a 6-2 romp over SC Eintracht.
Martin Griffin [two] and Mogo Flood accounted for the other goals.
McGeeney's first hat trick came in Lansdowne's season opener, a 5-1 destruction of New York Itthiad.
CELTIC SALVO
Elsewhere in Over-30 action, Manhattan Celtic hammered Brooklyn Gunners 5-0.
David Linn [19th] opened the scoring with an assist from John O'Hagen and then set up Mickey Mason [43rd].
Barry O'Connell [39th], Rudy Amoresano off a ball from Roman Kalinin [64th] and John Williams [86th] also got on the score sheet.
