Colemanstown Ladies 1 – 0 Ballinasloe Town
A solitary goal was enough to seal all 3 points for our Ladies team against Ballinasloe Town yesterday evening but in truth, it could have been much more. It was evident from the off that Colemanstown didn’t want to lose this one and came out with all guns blazing in this latest RDFL league encounter played at home. They attacked from the outset and after 10 mins of good pure attacking football Rachel O’Brien made a super run from the left wing, cut into the box and finished aplomb into the bottom right corner to make it 1-0. There was lots of attacking play from Lucy Kenny down the right and Serena Hansberry on the left wing while Rachel O’Brien and Rebecca Clancy were like a thorn that never went away in the side of Ballinasloe. Coupled together, they created chance after chance but found a very on form keeper in the Ballinasloe goals. 1-0 at half time
The second half re-started with Ballinasloe on the attack but Ashley Roberts who has found her mojo in the last few weeks pulled off some top drawer saves to keep Colemanstown ahead. After Ballinasloe’s brief spell of dominance Colemanstown ladies took charge again with Lucy Kenny breaking down the left wing and unleashed an almighty shot which whacked off both posts before rebounding back out the pitch where Claire Keane was perfectly positioned in the box but was upended by the Ballinasloe defence and the ref immediately signalled a penalty. The spot kick was taken by Rachel O’Brien who went for the top corner with power but missed much to her own disgust kicking to the right and wide. With that the game fizzled out to a 1-0 win which was a serious result & valuable 3 points for the Ladies. Match report by Philip Dee
Squad: Ashley Roberts, Jessica Doherty, Katie Delaney, Shauna Hynes, Rori Doherty, Lucy Kenny, Claire Keane, Sammi Chang, Serena Hansberry, Rachel O’Brien, Rebecca Clancy, Sarah Keane.
‘A’ Team fail to advance in FAI Cup: Colemanstown 2 – 4 Tuam Celtic
Our ‘A’ team took on Tuam Celtic yesterday afternoon in the FAI Cup played in Kiltullagh astro. It was tit for tat for the first 20mins with the first real chance falling to Tuam which looked like it was looping wide but Tom Broderick wasn’t to know and dived well to round it out by the post. The resultant corner was whipped in but Broderick outmuscled all in the box to claim the ball. Tuam got their reward for their stent of pressure when they fired home the opener but almost immediately on the resumption of play a long kick out from Tom Broderick fell kindly for Geordan Kenny who was running at pace and his effort thundered off the post and wide. Another super one handed save from Broderick kept just the goal between the sides whilst up the other end Damien Wynne saw his close range effort saved but as the keeper fumbled Jason Finn followed in from a few yards but the keeper had redeemed himself on time.
As Colemanstown pressed for the equaliser, Tuam scored a second in a well taken effort to double their lead. The celebrations were short lived though as immediately Colemanstown responded. A delivery from Gary Lally in behind the defence found Kevin Moore who beat the offside trap and he finished well to score his first of the season. By 41mins Colemanstown had levelled matters when a speculative effort from Geordan Kenny from 25yards lobbed the keeper for a super tonic goal in what was 4goals inside 20mins. As the game approached the stroke of half time, Thady Moran was felled in the box and Richie Lally stepped up to take the spot kick but the keeper didn’t have to stretch too far to his left to make the save and keep the game at 2-2 at the break.
The second half restarted with 50/50 possession for the first quarter hour. Then some poor Colemanstown defending saw Tuam work the ball from the corner in along the end line and finish well in a comfortable manner to put Colemanstown on the back foot. Colemanstown responded though as Gary Lally showed great chest control out near the sideline, crossed into the box where Kevin Moore’s volley was hit with power but went agonisingly wide. At this stage young Ciarán Keating and Dean Reilly were introduced. Geordan Kenny fired a free from the edge of the box unhandsomely over as Colemanstown were showing some urgency in their play. Then came a sucker blow as a long kick out bounced nicely for their striker to whack low and hard precisely from the edge of the box into the far corner to put Tuam 4-2 up midway through the second half. From there until the end, Tuam weren’t put under any real pressure as they rode the came out comfortably in the end with Shane Lally, Dylan Grady & Ronan Carr called into the fray. Tom Broderick was called on to make a couple of saves before the end as the game finished Colemanstown 2 – 4 Tuam Celtic while we wish Tuam Celtic well in the next round of the FAI Cup.