A severely depleted Crusaders 2B panel travelled to Stradbally on Sunday morning minus several regulars currently in action at World Cup 2026. Arriving at 10am, it soon became clear that there would be a few changes on the team sheet.
An early penalty from Ben Brophy put Crusaders ahead. Michael Morrissey was then withdrawn after the first half Hydration Break ™ with a case of sunstroke, opting to watch from the shady dugout in the blistering heat. Brophy made it 2-0 to Crusaders shortly after with a carbon copy penalty on 37 minutes.
Deputising for the unavailable Paddy O’Neill, currently on international duty with his spiritual homeland of Cape Verde, Donal O’Connor was a revelation between the sticks. However, he was beaten before halftime from close range when Stradbally forced one back from a corner.
During the halftime break, Halpin, sponsored by Ambre Soleir, tweaked the plan and called for all-out attack in the second half. The first of three resulting goals came on 48 minutes when Conor Brennan pounced on a spill by Stradbally’s excellent keeper to make it 3-1. As he came off the pitch to be substituted for Dan, the ginger winger melted into a puddle of red, blue and l’Oreal.
With Drew, Cian, Jim and Dale controlling the backline, and Tommy and Odhran running the midfield, all eyes turned to the front line for inspiration and surgical efficiency.
In the 67th minute, after some wizardry in the box by the coin-operated Tommy Smyth, Crusaders’ No. 13, mascot, reluctant shinpad model and current Golden Boot candidate Harry Ryan pounced to finish like a poacher and, channelling his mentor Zak, headed towards the corner flag to celebrate. He added a fifth in the 70th minute, but this was missed by the camera crew who were all searching in vain for match balls.
Unfortunately, the RefCam footage was unavailable as match official Razor Ryan had inadvertently charged his wallet instead of his camera en-route to Stradbally. However, this can be overlooked as the man in orange kept the game moving in what was a thoroughly entertaining watch for the gathered spectators.
Final Score: Stradbally FC 1 – 5 Crusaders AFC
Crusaders AFC 
Leave a comment