Martyrs- Anglo-Celtic Colleges United
In a rough and tumble match, the Martyrs returned to their winning ways, defeating Anglo-Celtic Colleges United (ACCU) 2-0. The opponents – a composite of English, Irish, and Scottish seminarians – joined the Martyrs in creating a physical contest, with the exchange characterized by hard, aggressive, and sometimes legal play. While the Martyrs found their closest comparison in terms of effort, the American side skillfully converted their force into moments of finesse, sustaining attacks and controlling most facets of the game.
The action began predictably – if inauspiciously – for the Martyrs. In an opening exchange that foretold the hard play to follow, Jeff Eirvin ’12 (Portland in Oregon) was the first to find himself on the turf. The left-footed Eirvin, a mainstay on the Martyrs midfield since his New Man year, had his right ankle slid into after making a pass in the 2nd minute. Eirvin stayed down for some time before hobbling to the sideline for medical care.
Finding themselves playing a man down as Eirvin’s status was evaluated, the Martyrs moved their 4-4-2 positioning into a 4-3-2, forcing their remaining players to cover additional space on Oratorio di San Pietro’s roomy Field A. When a gimpy but gritty Eirvin returned five minutes later, it was already clear the Martyrs were on the cusp of a breakthrough. It would come two minutes later. After Eirvin received another questionable challenge to his ankles, the ACCU gathered the ball on their back line. With pressure arriving, an ACCU defender looked behind to his deepest positioned teammate. The pass, however, would never reach its intended destination, as forward Deacon Daniel O’Mullane ’10 (Patterson) sprinted to intercept it. O’Mullane answered any outstanding questions on his health as he spun around one defender and cut inside another before forcefully striking a ball low and to the near post. This ball would find its target, giving the Martyrs a 1-0 lead in the 8th minute.
While the aggressive play continued in front of him, goalie Daniel Gallagher ’13 (Pittsburgh) remained comfortably insulated from any threats, on his way to his second “clean sheet” of the tournament. The ACCU keeper Antony Fionda, however, was not as fortunate. The skilled Scot who trained with the youth team of Scottish Premier League’s Dundee United was regularly on guard. Fionda, though, capably cleaned up whatever found its way in front of him, keeping the match a close 1-0 at halftime.
For the Martyrs to win the match, they could not afford an early second half lull, not with Fionda eliminating goalie errors, not with the ACCU continuing its hard play. The focus missing the previous week was apparent this week, as the Martyrs sustained their effort level. Though marred at times by a poor pass or shifted spacing, the squad’s effort was impressive. In the 43rd minute the Martyrs’ hard work was rewarded again. Striking a cross sent through by Nick Nelson ’13 (Duluth), fellow New Man Chris Seiler ’13 (St. Louis) finished the day’s scoring, tucking his shot nicely into the far, top corner of the goal.
The hard-earned 2-0 victory returned the Martyrs to 2nd place in Group A, three points behind defending champion Redemptoris Mater. The team closes out its pre-Easter schedule against a dangerous and skilled Collegio Sant’Anselmo on Saturday, March 20th at 9 a.m. on Field B.
