Our U12 C team faced Arklow United away at Credit Union Park this morning, in what was their third game in eight days.

Rovers started the match sharply, displaying some slick passing and movement. Their ability to play out from the back caused Arklow a lot of problems, with the energetic Rostyslav Lehostaiev proving to be a continuous threat in the front third.

Rovers' wide players, Lucas Hackett and Juanxian Lim, also posed a consistent threat going forward. With ten minutes left in the opening half, Alex Mullen capitalized on a loose ball in the box to give Rovers a deserved 1-0 lead. However, Arklow came back strongly and equalized on the stroke of halftime when their big center-half slipped in at the back post to finish neatly.

The second half was an even affair until fifteen minutes from the end, when the Arklow center-forward broke through and slotted the ball home to make it 2-1. Rovers regrouped and pushed for an equalizer, with Jake Flynn starting to dominate in midfield and win possession. With five minutes remaining, Flynn won possession again and broke free to coolly slot home, making the score 3-2.

Unfortunately, Rovers ran out of time to find the equalizer. Despite the result, it was another good performance from this team, especially considering the toll of playing three games in eight days. 

There were strong performances across the team, with the back three of Louis Dixon, Logan Byrne, and Sophie Byrne solid throughout. Goalkeeper Jay Doyle also delivered an excellent performance in only his third competitive game, and the midfield showed tireless effort, covering every blade of grass on the pitch.
Thanks to Arklow for a great game.