Baldoyle Utd win Fair and square

LAST Saturday week local club Baldoyle United took on the stars from RTE’s Fair City in a charity match for St Michael’s House and the club.

As revealed in a recent edition of Northside People, the match was set up after Fair City’s Carrigstown Crusaders claimed the Baldoyle goalkeeper cheated in a fictitious cup final penalty shootout during a recent episode of the top TV soap.

The rematch was a sell-out with almost 500 people turning up at Baldoyle’s Brookstone Road pitch.  The game ended in victory for the local side after ‘another’ dramatic penalty shoot-out.

Baldoyle goalkeeper Stephen Penrose saved brilliantly to his right in the shootout. This time there was no doubt that the ‘keeper saved fairly.  Fair City’s Will (actor John Cronin) played the pantomime villain as he approached his spot kick.  However, much to the delight of the home crowd he pulled it wide. It was left to Baldoyle United’s Barry ‘Bruiser’ Byrne to convert the kick that gave Baldoyle United the ‘Grudge Match’ cup. 

Charity was the real winner, though, with the game expected to raise around €6,000 for St Michael’s House.

Speaking afterwards, Fair City’s George McMahon (Mondo) said: “Congratulations to Baldoyle United on their win. It was a great game and we were delighted to take part in the rematch. We hope to do it again next year.”

A number of Carrigstown favourites took part in the game including Maclean Burke (Damien), Johnny Ward (Ciaran), Sorcha Furlong (Orla) Wesley Doyle (Doug), John Cronin (Will) and Adam Traynor (Aidan).