The 1st half of this latest U14 league encounter against Tuam Celtic this evening in Colemanstown was a dour lack-lustre affair but by golly did the game come to life in the 2nd half. The match ball belonged to Ryan Noone who scored his first hat-trick since his sides draw in the U13 league against Oughterard last season. The breakthrough came on 4mins as the visitors broke from midfield, beat our defensive line and their striker found himself one-on-one with the keeper and made no mistake. Our hat-trick hero equalised matters on 10mins when he volleyed home Conor Moran’s free kick to slam his finish to the net for a sublime goal. Colemanstown ably dealt with a sustained period of Tuam pressure culminating in a massive save from Jayo Connolly. Colemanstown took the lead when a long ball from Connolly was added to by Sean Hansberry in midfield and he threaded a through ball for Ryan Noone to run on to and with his speed he snuck in front of the defender and finished well to put the home side 2-1 up at the break.
As the cold set in, in the 2nd half, the game sparked to life. Micháel Ryan had an early effort saved by the knees of the keeper before Tuam restored parity with a well worked goal which they finished into the far corner. Noone put Colemanstown back in the driving seat 11mins after the restart following a goalmouth scramble when his first effort was saved but fell kindly at his feet and he made no mistake on the second time of asking. Within a minute Sean Hansberry was gifted a one-on-one chance but his effort was wide of the left post. Tuam were then awarded a penalty moments later and levelled matters once again through their No. 4 who dispatched the take well. Colemanstown received a let-off seconds later when a Tuam effort hit the butt of the post and rebounded back into the hands of the back tracking Jayo Connolly who had an easy take in the end, although the ball could just as easily have crossed the goal line. The outrushing Connolly made another perfect save to spread himself well and deny an almost certain Tuam goal. Ryan Noone’s perfect piledriver almost squeezed in past the post but somehow the Tuam custodian got a glove to it. With 6 minutes left, Mark Donnellan fed Josh McGuire–Greaney and while he had the legs on the defender he could have wrapped the game up but struck straight at the keeper with the goal at his mercy. Michael Flattery got his head to a cross late in the game but the keeper’s diving lunge kept it out to ensure a share of the spoils; probably the fairest result on the night. It was a tense final couple of minutes as both defences held firm to claim a point apiece but the night belonged to hat-trick hero Ryan Noone with his three well taken goals.
Squad: Jayo Connolly, Liam Molloy, Dara Hansberry, Luke Lally, Micháel Ryan, Conor Byron, Conor Moran, Michael Kelly, Sean Hansberry, Ryan Noone, Dara Diskin, Liam Gormally, Mark Donnellan, Josh McGuire-Greaney, Michael Flattery.