29.8.21
Esker Celtic 1, Spartak 2
Spartak began the game sluggishly against opponents who seemed sharper. However Kevin Cunningham set the tone with some fine interceptions, tackles and forays along the right and gradually the Sky Blues began to play. Just past the half hour mark, a fine Martin Rolfs pass found the overlapping Luke Stenson, who swept past a defender before finding his brother Cian with a cross. Cian swept the ball home to give Spartak the lead. Esker quickly responded and thudded an effort against the frame of the goal, before Cian Stenson was foiled by a brave intervention by the home custodian.
Spartak came even more into the game in the second period, and forced a succession of frees and corners without capitalising; and it was from a Spartak corner that Esker broke fast and cleverly found an unmarked man at the back post who equalised.
The game was pretty even then for a while as the goal had energised the home side, and once again they struck the woodwork. But as the match drifted into injury time, a move involving Amin Afsar and Daire Doyle allowed that man Cian Stenson to find space in the box and force home the winning score.
Form Report
Craig Howard 7 Kevin Cunningham 8 Luke Stenson 8 Ian Harmon 8 Ronan Buckley 8 Stuart Love 7 Neil McGowan 7 Jason Grehan 7 Martin Rolfs 7 Owen Marron 7 Cian Stenson 8
Subs: Daire Doyle 6 Amin afsar 6
