On a beautiful afternoon for football, We welcomed Piltown and produced a performance full of energy, quality, and relentless effort from first whistle to last.

We started brightly and set the tone early with sharp movement and attacking intent. On 11 minutes, Tom Hayes lit things up with a brilliant dribbling run before slipping the ball into James Reddin, whose effort flashed just wide. It was an early warning of what was to come. Five minutes later, Fawwaz tried his luck from distance, forcing a strong save from the Piltown keeper.

The pressure continued to build. Benjamin was hugely unlucky not to get on the scoresheet, firing over the bar after a strong performance that deserved a goal. Our persistence from set pieces finally paid off, with a series of corners causing chaos before Fawwaz rose highest to power home a header and give us a deserved 1–0 lead.

The momentum stayed firmly with us and on 27 minutes James Reddin produced a moment of real quality, unleashing a stunning strike from 25 yards that sailed over the keeper to make it 2–0. A superb goal to cap off a dominant first half, with the lads going into the break in full control.

The second half couldn’t have started better. Straight from kick-off, Tom Hayes got the goal his performance deserved, finishing well after great work and an assist from Asanda to make it 3–0. Piltown responded shortly after with a well-taken effort from outside the box following a corner, but we never let our intensity drop.

Finn Kehoe, fresh from an incredible five-goal haul earlier in Carrick, was unlucky not to add to the tally, seeing a goal-bound effort brilliantly blocked by a defender. At the back, Robbie, Michelle, Ben, and the entire defensive unit stood strong, dealing confidently with everything thrown at them and providing a solid platform for the team to attack.

On 44 minutes, Crystal’s attacking play was on full display again. Tom Hayes delivered a dangerous cross, Asanda intelligently knocked it down, and Fawwaz finished clinically to extend the lead. Minutes later, Fawwaz completed his hat-trick in style, using his pace to break through on goal and slot home with confidence.

But we weren’t finished yet. Tom Hayes nearly produced one of the goals of the game on 53 minutes, his curling effort destined for the top corner only to be denied by a fantastic save.

The final stages saw more reward for our relentless work rate. Conor O’Leary added two late goals — the first a powerful strike the keeper couldn’t hold, and the second a superbly taken finish from the edge of the box after an excellent corner from Piaras. Conor showed great technique, chesting the ball down and striking it on the half volley, sending it flying past the keeper.

Fittingly, Tom Hayes had the final say, adding another goal with the last kick of the game to cap off a superb individual and team performance.

This was a complete display from the lads today— quality in attack, discipline in defence, and above all, an outstanding collective effort. Every player contributed, working tirelessly for each other and showing great attitude throughout.

A fantastic result and a performance to match. Huge credit to the players, coaches, and parents for the continued support — it’s clear this group is building something special.