U13B Boys Div 2: Moyne Villa B 6-5 Colemanstown. The sun was out and the conditions were surprisingly dry for a mid-March morning in Headford, but unfortunately, Colemanstown Utd B seemed to be caught in a daze as the whistle blew. Despite the bright conditions, the visitors started slowly, showing a touch of rust that proved fatal against a clinical Moyne Villa B side. The game was barely two minutes old when Moyne Villa exploited a lapse in possession on the left wing. Their speedy right-winger found space, raced through on goal, and slotted the ball past Avey Mahon to set the tone. Before Colemanstown could find their feet, they were hit again; a lightning fast counter-attack in the 5th minute left them staring at a 2-0 deficit. The struggle to retain the ball continued, and Moyne Villa were ruthless in their punishment. By the 16th minute, it was 3-0, and when a corner wasn’t properly cleared in the 25th minute, the hosts made it 4-0. The game looked to be disappearing over the horizon. However, with 27 minutes on the clock, Colemanstown found a vital lifeline. Cathal Burns stepped up to a free kick on the edge of the box and whipped a dangerous ball toward the back post. In the ensuing scramble, Lucas McKenna was the quickest to react, poking the ball home to register his first-ever goal in a Colemanstown jersey. It was 4-1, and while the mountain was still steep, there was finally a foothold.
At the break, we changed things up in a move to spark a revival. Captain Andrew Davoren made way for Eugene Kelly, a move designed to stabilize the backline while pushing the influential Patrick Collins further forward and moving Matthew Kelly into the engine room of the midfield. The instructions were clear: start fast. Unfortunately, Moyne Villa had the same idea. Within five minutes of the restart, two quick breaks and perfectly timed through-balls saw the hosts strike twice more, extending their lead to a seemingly insurmountable 6-1. Just when it seemed Colemanstown might fold, a moment of aggression sparked the team into life. Cathal Burns, who was putting in his trademark high-energy performance, was cunically chopped down as he bore down on goal. The referee produced the game’s only yellow card, but more importantly, the foul seemed to ignite a fire in the Colemanstown players. Shortly after Igor Ziolek replaced McKenna, the comeback began in earnest. Patrick Collins showcased his quality with a superb solo run and finish to make it 6-2. Moments later, Collins turned provider; after weaving his way through the Moyne Villa defence, he squared a perfect ball to George Moore, who took a composed touch and blasted it past the keeper. At 6-3, the momentum had completely shifted. With five minutes remaining, the relentless Cathal Burns took matters into his own hands. He intercepted a Moyne Villa kick-out, danced around two defenders, and calmly slotted the ball home to make it 6-4. The pressure was now suffocating. With only two minutes of normal time left, a desperate Moyne Villa defense conceded a penalty. Cathal Burns stepped up to the spot and, showing ice in his veins, expertly finished to make it 6-5. With the equalizer just one strike away, Colemanstown won a late corner. Every player, including the defenders, piled into the box. The ball broke to Igor Ziolek, who connected with a strike so clean it seemed destined for the top corner—only for it to thunder agonisingly over the crossbar. The final whistle blew seconds later, ending a breathtaking contest. While Moyne Villa celebrated their first league win, the Colemanstown boys were left with the bittersweet knowledge that their incredible “never say die” spirit had nearly achieved the impossible. It was a difficult result to swallow, but a powerful reminder that while games aren’t won in the first five minutes, they can certainly be lost there. They learn, they regroup, and they go again.Match Report: Dermot Moore.
Squad: Avey Mahon, Senan Prolux, Martin Fleming, Eugene Kelly, James Flaherty, Nathan Cleary, Lucas McKenna, Cathal Burns, George Moore, Matthew Kelly, Jamie Lally, Igor Ziolek, Andrew Davoren, Patrick Collins. Unavailable : Conor Finnerty, Oisin Duane, Oisin Kelly, James Vignoles, Dara Ryan.
U13 Girls Championship: Colemanstown 0-4 Salthill Devon. We welcomed table-toppers Salthill Devon to Colemanstown yesterday for our 8th league game of the season. Both teams started brightly & battled hard from the get-go. However, Salthill soon found their rhythm & opened the scoring within the first 5mins & added three more quick goals to lead 4–0 at half-time. It could have been more if not for the heroics of Emily Tuohy in goal, who produced several excellent saves throughout the game. In front of her, the defensive line of Realtín Saunders, Chloe Burke, Jade Devaney, Aislinn Murray & Ciara Maybin worked tirelessly to stay organised & withstand sustained pressure from a strong Salthill side. In midfield, Ruby Lally, Lucy Burke Hardiman, Lauren O’Grady & Ava Forde covered every blade of grass, showed fantastic energy, teamwork & determination throughout the match. Up front, Ella Kavanagh led the attack well & alongside Ava Forde, Lucy Burke Hardiman, Lauren O’Grady & Ruby Lally, created several chances & were unlucky not to find the back of the net. Despite the 4-0 result, the young Colemanstown outfit showed great spirit, teamwork & determination from start to finish.
A special mention to Chloe Burke who presented Ann & Barry Forde with a lovely trophy for being the ‘best coaches’ – a very thoughtful gesture that was great to see. Match Report: Ann Forde.
Squad: Emily Tuohy, Realtín Saunders, Chloe Burke, Jade Devaney, Aislinn Murray, Ruby Lally, Lucy Burke Hardiman, Ciara Maybin, Lauren O’Grady, Ava Forde, Ella Kavanagh.