Colemanstown U16s 4 – 1 Merlin Woods
Our U16s were back to winning ways with a good 4-1 home win over city side Merlin Woods on Tuesday evening. It was a must win game to stay in contention for the league title and they made sure of that showing their intent from the start. On 3mins Ciaran Mulhern was fouled and Tommy Mellody was wide with the resultant free kick. Then after a long stoppage, Mulhern got a boot to a Mellody corner in a crowded box but fired wide. Mulhern made sure on 15mins when Jason Rabbitte’s through ball sliced open the visitors defence and with Mulhern bursting through with pace, he took a touch before firing home.
At this stage, Colemanstown were showing great urgency and a quickly taken corner from Mellody to Harry Mitchell saw Cian Ruane on the end of the delivery but he just couldn’t connect with the nod. 4mins later Jason Rabbitte rose highest in the box to head home a powerful header from a Mellody corner. On 25mins Rabbitte this time provided the delivery for Mulhern and his piledriver was tipped onto the crossbar by the keeper. Then Mulhern went on the rampage as he burst through the middle, but he swept his left footed effort wide from the edge of the 18’ box.
Good work underneath the stand from Dean Connaire found Tommy Mellody who cut in across the box but the angle was acute and the keeper well positioned at the near post to make the stop. Then on 36mins a back pass from Cian Ruane was inadvertently picked up by Fionn and a free on the edge of the 6’ box was awarded. The goal line was lined with green jerseys, the goal bound effort took a deflection back out and on the 2nd attempt the ball was cleared off the goal line by Cian Ruane. Colemanstown pressed again and a through ball from Luke Williams for Harry to run on to but his attempted chip of the keeper failed. Harry had another speculative shot on 38mins after a lovely touch to control the ball but his effort swung the wrong side of the post. Right on the stroke of half time, Colemanstown made it 3-0 as Mulhern’s chip over the top for Harry to run on to and he whacked first time to volley to the net in a moment of magic. By half time, it looked like Merlin Woods had no answer. 3-0 at the break.
The second half saw the introduction of Eanna Burke & Dara Scarry who immediately got in on the action. Early in the 2nd half, Harry Mitchell set the seal on a much-deserved win when he got on the end of Mellody’s cross to finish well. At this stage, Larry Murrajvos, Johnny Keane, Jack Dillon & Cathal Kennedy were introduced to the fray. Moments later Harry’s effort bulleted off the woodwork & Tommy Mellody saw the rebound saved by the keeper. Midway through the half, Mulhern’s delivery saw Harry beat the offside tap, but his sumptuous effort thundered off the post. Then Cathal Kennedy won a corner which he swung in himself, was headed back by Cian Ruane for Jack Dillon but he fired wide.
The visitors put a slight dampener on the good mood with a consolation goal with 10mins to go when a free from under the stand was finished at the back post. With 9mins to go, Luke Williams blasted over and Fionn Flattery had to race off his line to win the ball at the feet of the onrushing striker to avert danger. With 5mins to play another long distance speculative effort from Harry wasn’t too far away & moments later his low hard drill was saved by the keeper. As the game came to a close, the last action saw a throw from Dara Scarry to Williams who linked up with Harry but he fired wide in the closing stages. 4-1 it finished and with 3 league games still to play, the lads must win all 3 to capture the all- elusive silverware by early June.
Squad: Fionn Flattery, Ciaran Keating, Jonah Donnellan, Cian Ruane, Dean Connaire, Ciaran Mulhern, Luke Williams, Jack Jordan, Tommy Mellody, Harry Mitchell, Jason Rabbitte, Eanna Burke, Dara Scarry, Jack Dillon, Cathal Kennedy, Johnny Keane, Larry Murrajvos.
Colemanstown U15s 3 – 1 Maree / Oranmore B
Our U15s continued their winning ways with a 3-1 away win yesterday evening in Oranmore. The result mattered little as Colemanstown had wrapped up the league against St. Bernards last weekend. But the boys wanted to continue their winning ways and that they did. Colemanstown started strong and within a few minutes Cillian Roche had nodded home David Walsh’s corner but the ref disallowed the goal, giving a free out instead. It’s moments like this VAR comes in handy. Oranmore then applied the pressure, bringing the game to Colemanstown as it took the visitors a while to settle. Their pressure paid off as it was the hosts who opened the scoring on 15mins when Colemanstown failed to clear a goalmouth scramble and the ball slowly made its way over the goal line despite the best attempts of Sean Connolly.
Both sides mustered little in attack for the next 15 minute spell until Shane Duffy equalised not long before the break. Following his trademark run down the right wing, he cut in across the box, beating a few defenders on route and fired past the advancing keeper from the edge of the 18’ box. David Walsh then tried his luck with a brilliant effort from the left which drew an equally brilliant stop by Oranmore’s top class keeper. Colemanstown had another chance just before the break when David Walsh’s corner was whipped in but no one could get on the end of it on the back post. 1-1 at half time.
The second half saw Ross Lally take custody of midfield and Cathal Kennedy up front. Colemanstown upped the tempo at the start of the 2nd half and within 7mins of the restart Tiarnan Lohan put Colemanstown 2-1 in front with a typical Lohan goal – his body demeanour, the destination of the shot, always into the far corner finding the bottom right this time.
That seemed to be the spark Colemanstown needed as they started to create more chances. Cillian Roche beat the defender and rattled the crossbar. Cathal Kennedy went on numerous probing runs, beating Oranmore’s defenders but failed to finish. At this stage Dylan Murphy was welcomed back after a 7 month hiatus through injury. Matthew Keane was introduced at right back; Josh McDonnell had a good chance up front only for a timely interception from Oranmore and Ronan Screene also played his part. Midway through the 2nd half, Oranmore pressed again buoyed up by their vocal supporters as Fionn Flattery was busy keeping Colemanstown in the game. With 3 mins to play, our €42m striker Cathal Kennedy wrapped up proceedings. An Oranmore corner saw their keeper come up to make 11 in the box , the ball was defended well; Michael Fallon sprayed the ball out wide to Cathal Kennedy who was manning the half way line, and with little to do he shot from just inside his own half into an empty net. His Ronaldo celebration quietened the home support as all the Colemanstown lads got in on the act even Jamie Nutley who was unable to tog due to illness.
Colemanstown saw out the last few minutes in jovial mood in the rain and it was no more than they deserved for their consistency all season. Then just as Tom Reddington of the Galway FA was about to present the cup, the heavens opened but the lads didn’t care one bit as they continued ‘singing in the rain’. What a glorious feeling …. One league game vs Knocknacarra still to play for Joe Finnerty and Gary Broderick’s charges.
Squad: Fionn Flattery, Sean Connolly, Diarmuid Ryan, Michael Fallon, Josh Buckley, David Walsh, Cillian Roche, Donnacha Walsh, Shane Duffy, Kyle Madden, Tiarnan Lohan, Ross Lally, Cathal Kennedy, Dylan Murphy, Matthew Keane, Joshua McDonnell, Ronan Screene, Jamie Nutley.