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| Matrin McClean with Senior 'B' Trophy |
In Athlone, in mid-October 2013, Amsterdam GAC drew the
curtain on its Tin Anniversary season with the Pan-European finals tournament.
For the first time, the finals were played over a single weekend, and, for the
Senior Men’s side the weekend was certainly one of two halves.
The old Irish saying Tús
maith, leath na hoibre might well have been written about European GAA
tournaments, and Amsterdam GAC have proven notoriously inconsistent when it
comes to starting well in early exchanges. Arriving on Saturday with high hopes
of changing that trend, Amsterdam Seniors were drawn in a group alongside
Stockholm Gaels, Gaelic Sports Club Luxembourg and Guernsey Gaels. Unfortunately,
the trend of starting slow was to continue for the North Hollanders, and Saturday
proved a day to forget.
The Stockholm game itself started reasonably well for
Amsterdam; good movement in the forwards and staunch defensive work set the
platform for a two point lead approaching half-time. However, a lapse in
concentration on the stroke of the twenty-minute half let Stockholm through for
a soft goal, and an undeserved half-time lead. This lamentable penchant for conceding
soft goals was to haunt Amsterdam throughout the day, and a second half that
was dominated by Amsterdam was tarnished by the concession of two unlucky
goals. Eyebrows might be raised at the failure to award Amsterdam what looked a
stone-wall penalty after Kevin O’ Connor was tripped by the Stockholm keeper in
the early exchanges, but the Norsemen were certainly more clinical in front of
goal and held out for a hard-earned victory on a scoreline of 3-3 to 9 points.
Things on the Saturday didn’t improve from there for
Amsterdam, and any hopes of emerging from the group were dashed with a defeat
in the second game vs Luxembourg. Despite an improved performance, Amsterdam
were punished while playing against the wind in the first half as they surrendered
a plethora of what appeared to be very soft frees. Luxembourg’s free-kicking
meant they took a lead into half-time having played with the wind, and they battened
down the hatches in the second half to affect a rugged, blanket-defensive
performance. Amsterdam played with great heart in trying to fight for their
survival in Senior A throughout the second half, but just came up short in a
heated encounter that often threatened to boil over.
The third group game against Guernsey was, ultimately,
immaterial in the grand scheme of the group. Nevertheless, a good quality game
of football was played between the two sides, with a high standard of defensive
and offensive skills on show. Once again, Amsterdam were out-gunned in the
goal-scoring stakes; Pete Jansen’s goal when reacting first to a ball off the
crossbar being the side’s only reply to three Guernsey goals. This proved the team’s
undoing, but Amsterdam proved in the last game of the day that the squad was
improving with every game under their belts in the tournament.
Sunday, in glorious juxtaposition to Saturday’s
disappointments, was a day of vindication in many ways for Amsterdam. Competing
now for the Senior B title, Amsterdam had the opportunity to take revenge over
two teams that had vanquished the Dam in recent games. First up was Zurich
Ineon, the side that caused Amsterdam such heartbreak in Maastricht in the
fifteen-a-side semi-final only a couple of weekends earlier. Amsterdam cast off
any ghosts of that defeat with a resounding
victory, and goals from the likes
of Pete Jansen and Fergal Walsh paved the way to a final rematch against
Stocholm Gaels. The audacity of Amsterdam’s play against Zurich in the semi can
be summed up by considering that even lumbering corner-back Brian Murphy
managed to miraculously scuff the ball between the posts on two occasions.
Amsterdam felt that this just might be their day.
The final proved to be a pulsating affair, with both teams
playing some excellent, full-hearted football. The first half was a very even
affair, with both teams trading scores right up to half-time. Amsterdam were
unlucky to be trailing at the break, as Stockholm sneaked in a goal coming up
to half-time, but the mood was certainly optimistic in the Amsterdam camp
emerging for the second period.
The second half was a fitting end for an enjoyable weekend’s
football; the capacity crowd was treated to a gripping contest. Stockholm felt
they had taken the upper hand as they goaled almost directly from the throw-in,
but Amsterdam fought back valiantly. The Amsterdam forwards tagged on the
points, and the defence put in a heroic performance led by the fleet-footed
Kevin O’ Connor at full-back. Playing a captain’s role, Martin McClean broke
onto a loose ball with ten minutes remaining to awkwardly thrash an ungainly
volley into the back of the net, and the game was level.
Amsterdam took the lead for the first time in the game with
five minutes to play when a penalty was dispatched to the net following a
high-tackle on Colm Ryan. It was a lead that the Dam would not surrender again,
and despite a late flurry from the Norsemen, Amsterdam played out the clock to
win by a precious, solitary point.
A season full of ups and downs for Amsterdam finished on a
high note, and the improving performances throughout the weekend gave a glimpse
of the potential that is in this panel of players. One big, collective effort from
the squad over the next year in training could see this kind of synergy become
the norm from minute-one of tournaments, and make Amsterdam a name to be feared
(even more!) in European GAA. A great weekend was had by all, and this
topsy-turvy Athlone tournament certainly won’t be the last time this Amsterdam
side, under the watchful eye of Pep Ducie, bring Pan-European silverware back
to picturesque Leidseplein.
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| Amsterdam GAC and Holland Ladies |