U17 Boys Div1 1 Colemanstown 4-2 Oughterard. In their final league fixture of the season, Colemanstown United U17s wrapped up a strong campaign with a 4-2 victory over Oughterard B on a beautiful spring evening at home. With little at stake for either side, Oughterard already relegated and Colemanstown guaranteed 3rd place regardless of result, the match had a relaxed atmosphere, but the home side showed great professionalism and focus in the lead-up to next week’s crucial Cup semi-final clash with Bearna Na Forbacha. Colemanstown started brighter, controlling possession early with sharp interplay from Ryan Gavin and Jamie Lally in central midfield. Their link-up with frontmen Dylan King and Shane Dempsey kept the Oughterard defense under pressure. Despite the dominant start, it was Oughterard who almost struck first on the counter, forcing Sean Cooke into an excellent 1v1 save to keep the game level. Eibhear Colleran had his work cut out for him tracking a pacy and strong winger but coped extremely well. The breakthrough came in the 30th minute in unusual but spectacular fashion. A long ball over the top forced the Oughterard keeper out of his box, but under pressure from Ronan Screene, his clearance fell kindly to right-back Conor Walsh, just inside the halfway line. With the goal gaping and cries from the sideline to shoot, Walsh delivered a perfectly measured effort that dropped straight into the net, an incredible finish that sent Colemanstown 1-0 up. Joshua McDonnell was lively on the wing and created several chances, unlucky not to register an assist. Half-time arrived with Colemanstown narrowly ahead. Management made three changes at the interval, introducing Tomas Rogerson, Matthew Keane, and Tommy Muldoon for King, McDonnell, and Dempsey. The reshuffle saw Conor Walsh drop into centre back and Josh Buckley move into midfield. The second goal was a team effort, starting from a defensive interception by Tyler Collins, who switched play wide to Cathal Keane. Cathal exchanged passes with Matthew Keane on the overlap before cutting it back for Matthew, who curled a stunning strike into the far top corner from the edge of the box, 2-0 to Colemanstown. Despite dominating the game, Colemanstown were denied by the woodwork on numerous occasions, with Tomas Rogerson and Ronan Screene both hitting the bar in quick succession. Ryan Gavin continued to impress in the middle of the park, breaking up play and sparking attacks, before making way for Niall Grady in the 70th minute. The third goal came in the 75th minute after Ronan Screene was fouled on the edge of the box. He took the free kick himself, forcing a save from the keeper, but Buckley was quickest to react and finished with confidence to make it 3-0. However, the game wasn’t over yet. A brief lapse in concentration allowed Oughterard to pull two quick goals back, making it 3-2 by the 80th minute and setting up a tense finale. Colemanstown weren’t rattled, and with five minutes remaining, they responded with a team goal worthy of any highlight reel. A slick combination between Ronan Screene and Matthew Keane saw a clever backheel into the path of Rogerson, who made no mistake with a low, clinical finish to seal the win at 4-2. That result closes out an impressive league campaign where Colemanstown climbed from 9th to finish 3rd, unbeaten in their final run of games and showing consistent growth and belief. Although promotion narrowly escaped them, their progress this season has been outstanding, and with a Cup semi-final showdown against league champions Bearna on the horizon, there’s still silverware to play for. Final Score: Colemanstown United 4 – 2 Oughterard B. Stay tuned for Cup semi-final updates, date, time, and venue to be confirmed. Match Report: Kara Mullins.
Squad: Sean Cooke, Eibhear Colleran, Conor Walsh, Josh Buckley (Cpt), Tyler Collins, Cathal Keane, Ryan Gavin, Dylan King, Ronan Sceene, Shane Dempsey, Jamie Lally, Joshua McDonnell, Tomas Rogerson, Niall Grady, Matthew Keane, Tommy Muldoon, Nathan Mannion, Adam Doyle, Darren Moran, Shane Quirke, Jack Muldowney. Management: Orla McCaffrey, Damien Mannion & Kara Mullins.
Mens Championship. Colemanstown ‘A’ 3-1 Mervue ‘B’. Colemanstown returned to league action on Saturday with a gritty & hard-earned 3-1 win over Mervue at home, overcoming a string of injuries & suspensions to claim all 3 points in a performance full of character & determination. With numbers tight, 15 hardy bucks donned the green jersey, including three U17s on the bench & gaffer Jason Finn as a backup option. Despite a bright start, Colemanstown fell behind after 15mins when Mervue capitalised on a set-piece, their striker reacted quickest to finish – somewhat against the run of play. But Colemanstown didn’t take long to respond. A James Collevy free-kick rattled the post & Thady Moran showed great composure to convert the rebound from a tight angle to make it 1-1. Momentum swung Colemanstown’s way just before the break with a stunning team goal. Aironas Kantauskas played out from the back to Damien Wynne, who linked up with Kevin Barrett. Barrett let fly from 20 yards, rocketing his strike into the top corner – a goal worthy of winning any match. 2-1 at the break & the management opted to stick with the same starting XI for the 2nd half. 10mins into the 2nd half, young Shane Quirke was introduced for Kyle Madden, & shortly after, manager Jason Finn was called into action at centre back due to a knock to Kevin Barrett. Kerrill Hardiman shifted into midfield as part of the reshuffle. The 2nd half was a physical battle, with both sides committed in the tackle, but the referee kept the contest flowing well. Colemanstown dug deep defensively, with Alan Finn in goal pulling off several top-class saves to keep Mervue at bay. U17 Shane Duffy who made his first junior start, was immense at centre back & looked right at home at this level. With 5mins to go, Colemanstown sealed the win with a superb 3rd goal. James Collevy sparked the move with a pass down the left to Matthew Keane, who whipped in a perfect delivery. Shane Quirke took a touch, steadied himself & calmly slotted the ball home – a brilliant moment as two U17s combined for the decisive strike as the game finished 3-1 to Colemanstown. This was a huge team effort, a big 3points & it was great to see the younger lads stepping up. Match Report: Martina Donnellan
Squad: Alan ‘Junior’ Finn, Aironas Kantauskas, Shane Duffy, Kerrill Hardiman, James Collevy, Kevin Barrett, Padraig Quirke, Kyle Madden, Mossy Carr, Thady Moran, Mossy Carr, Damien Wynne, Josh Buckley, Shane Quirke, Jason Finn, Matthew Keane.
Girls U13 Div 1. Colemanstown 6-1 Loughrea. Colemanstown produced a dominant display after a shaky start to claim a comprehensive 6-1 win over Loughrea in a thrilling encounter. The game began slowly for Colemanstown, who found themselves a goal down early on. However, the response was swift. A dangerous cross from Sorcha Nic an Iomaire forced an OG from the Loughrea defence to level the scores. From that point, Colemanstown asserted control & piled on the pressure. Sorcha Nic an Iomaire continued to torment the Loughrea defence, going close with a one-on-one effort that was well saved. She didn’t have to wait long to find the net, though – twice in quick succession. The first came after she was played through by Kate Geary & Amy Morrissey provided the assist for her 2nd to make it 3-1 to Colemanstown who were in the driving seat. Lauren O’Grady added a 4th just before the break, latching onto a cross & fired a superb finish into the roof of the net from close range. Julie Holohan was a standout player throughout as her relentless wing play caused constant problems for the visitors. In the 2nd half, the emphasis from management shifted towards composed, passing football & the girls responded with their most stylish play of the season as the slick build-up play was a joy to watch. Sorcha Nic an Iomaire went agonisingly close to her hat trick when she rattled the post, but she wasn’t going to be denied. A trademark left-footed strike into the top corner completed her hat trick in style. Siana O’Grady had a golden chance to add another when she broke through the Loughrea defence, only to drag her shot just wide. The scoring was rounded off by Kate Geary, who pounced on a loose ball 10yards out & drilled it into the bottom corner to cap a fine team performance. A special mention to Emily Touhy, who stepped up from the U11 squad to deputise in goal for Lily Burke. Emily put in a solid performance between the sticks and contributed greatly to the win. Final score: Colemanstown 6 – 1 Loughrea. Match Report: Garry O’Grady.
Squad: Emily Touhy, Mia Corcorran, Laoise Naughton, Amy Morrissey, Kayla Maloney, Siana O Grady, Kate Geary, Lauryn Murphy, Julie Holohan, Niamh Lally, Ava Forde, Lauren O Grady, Emma Burke
U15 Girls Championship Kilshanvey 3-0 Colemanstown. With little at stake in the final round of the league – Corrib Celtic already crowned runaway champions. However, Colemanstown made the trip to Kilshanvey on Sunday morning to round out their season.Despite a spirited effort from the young Colemanstown side, it was the hosts who dominated proceedings. Kilshanvey controlled much of the game & capitalised on their chances, eventually running out 3-0 winners. The result secures 2nd place for Kilshanvey & sees them tie for promotion to the Premier League. For Colemanstown, it was a tough learning experience against strong opponents & while the result didn’t go their way, the season as a whole has seen plenty of growth & development from this promising group of players.