U13 Boys Div 2: Colemanstown 3-4 Corrib Rangers. Our U13B Boys suffered a tough 4-3 loss against Corrib Rangers in a pulsating league encounter on Saturday. The young squad showed immense courage and commitment, leading twice in the match, but ultimately succumbed to a late Corrib Rangers winner. Captain Matthew Kelly led by example in his debut, and the midfield trio ensured the game was a constant battle. The opening minutes of the match were cagey, with Colemanstown successfully stifling Corrib Rangers, giving them no time or space on the ball. The pressure paid off in the 10th minute: Cathal Burns showed fantastic determination to win the ball back in midfield, drove at the defence, and finished with a superb chip over the keeper to put Colemanstown 1-0 up. Corrib responded quickly, leveling the score on 13 minutes after a good through ball found the net. However, the heads of the Colemanstown players didn’t drop. Within a minute, Oisin Kelly restored the lead with a beautifully struck goal from the edge of the box (14 min). The team fought hard to maintain the lead, with a crucial goal-line clearance needed in the 28th minute to keep the score at 2-1 going into the break.
Andrew Davoren replaced James Vignoles at the break, and the change paid immediate dividends. Just five minutes into the second half, a good throw from James Flaherty found its way to Oisin Kelly, who smashed home another beautiful goal from the edge of the box, securing his brace and extending the lead to 3-1. Corrib Rangers refused to yield. On 10 minutes, the visitors pulled a goal back after a scramble from a corner, with Avey Mahon getting a hand to the shot but unable to keep it out (3-2). Eugene Kelly then came on for Senan Prolux. The pressure mounted as Colemanstown struggled to clear their lines. In the 18th minute, a short corner was not dealt with, and Corrib pounced to level the scores at 3-3. Dara Ryan was replaced by Iarla Thompson, and James Vignoles returned for George Moore, as the Colemanstown team dug deep. Patrick Collins, Cathal Burns, and Oisin Kelly put in a huge effort to impose themselves on the game. James Flaherty was glued to their dangerous right winger, while Conor Finnerty and Captain Matthew Kelly fought bravely for every ball. Tragically, with less than five minutes left, Corrib Rangers struck again to take the lead for the first time. The final whistle confirmed a heartbreaking 4-3 defeat. It’s a tough result to take but our lads left absolutely everything on the pitch. We scored three excellent goals and showed fantastic character to go 3-1 up. Football can be cruel, and we were punished for not clearing our lines late on. We deserved something from this game, but we will learn from it and we’ll go again stronger the next time. Match Report: Dermot Moore.
Squad: Avey Mahon (GK), James Flaherty, Senan Prolux, Conor Finnerty, Matthew Kelly (Capt), George Moore, Oisin Kelly, Patrick Collins, Cathal Burns, James Vignoles, Dara Ryan, Eugene Kelly, Andrew Davoren, Iarla Thompson. Unavailable on the day: Igor Ziolek, Niall Kane, Oisin Duane, Jamie Lally.
Men’s Div1: Mervue B 0-5 Colemanstown. Colemanstown’s Junior Men delivered a superb performance on Sunday morning as they swept aside Mervue ‘B’ with an emphatic 5–0 victory on the road. From the off, Colemanstown played with tempo, great organisation & confidence & fully deserved their dominant win built on clinical finishing & relentless work rate. Colemanstown struck early. With just 10mins on the clock, Damien Wynne, who stepped in once again between the posts for the injured Alan ‘Junior’ Finn sent a long, hopeful ball down the field. Tom Flannery judged it superbly, took one touch & produced an exquisite chip from 23yards to give Colemanstown a tonic start. Colemanstown maintained the pressure & our 2nd goal arrived on 40mins from a well worked set piece. A corner was whipped into the near post where Tom Flannery cleverly flicked it on & Kevin Barrett reacted sharply with his close range finish. At this stage, Colemanstown were in full control & before the break Tom Flannery struck again with an extraordinary finish. He latched onto a long ball over the top, was tugged by a defender as he raced through, yet somehow still managed to get the deftest of touches to chip the advancing keeper while in mid-air. A finish worthy of Troy Parrott’s replay angles of the winning goal against Hungary. That saw Colemanstown part for the break 3–0 ahead.
Mervue attempted to muster a response after the restart as they crafted a couple of half chances, but Colemanstown’s well organised defence & energy ensured they never gained momentum. On 63mins our 4th arrived. Tommy Mellody delivered a superb ball from the right & Ray Moran met it first time, to slam into the net with textbook type technique & more than a fitting reward for a lad who covered every blade of grass all morning. Our 5th goal came 10mins from time & once again the supply came from the right flank. This time Jack Dillon delivered & Kerrill Hardiman slammed home from the near post with a confident finish to cap off a superb team display. Special mention also to stand-in keeper Damien Wynne, who kept his third clean sheet of the season while regular keeper Alan ‘Junior’ Finn continues his recovery. Match Report: Martina Donnellan
Squad: Damien Wynne, Shane Duffy, James Collevy, Richie Lally, Sean Hardiman, Aironas Kantauskas, Kevin Barrett, Ray Moran, Mossy Carr, Tom Flannery, Tommy Mellody. Subs: Alan Finn for Collevy, Kerrill Hardiman for Carr, Jack Dillon for Mellody, Cavan Atwood for Flannery.
U15 Girls Div 1: Colemanstown 2-1 Moyne Villa ‘B’. Colemanstown’s U15 girls produced a performance full of heart, grit & good quality on Sunday afternoon as they edged out league leaders Moyne Villa ‘B’ in a thrilling 2–1 home win & in so doing, secured their fourth league win in a row. Buoyed up by the home support, from the outset Colemanstown showed confidence & intent. Colemanstown’s early pressure was rewarded when newcomer Kara Higgins continued her impressive start to her season when she opened the scoring. The move began with terrific work from Leah Hansberry, who chased down a ball to the end line, kept it in play & squared it smartly across the box where Kara Higgins had positioned herself perfectly & calmly guided the pass home to give Colemanstown a well deserved lead. Colemanstown doubled their advantage about 15mins later with a nicely constructed team goal. Shauna McDonagh broke up play in midfield & released Maddie Rohan on the wing. Maddie showed dazzling footwork as she skipped past two defenders before she squared the ball into the danger area. Leah Hansberry who was influential throughout, arrived right on cue to slot in Colemanstown’s 2nd to send our girls into the break 2–0 up.
As expected, the league leaders came out with all guns firing in the 2nd half. Moyne Villa struck the post from a free kick & kept pushing, eventually pulling one back with 15 mins remaining after a well taken one-on-one finish that gave keeper Niamh Lally little chance. The goal set up a tense finale as both teams battled for every ball & every inch of the pitch. Colemanstown however, showed superb resilience. Centre-back pairing Ruth Burke & Grace Connolly were immense & dealt well with sustained pressure, while Niamh Naughton produced a game saving tackle at a crucial moment when momentum seemed to be shifting. With determination & composure, the girls held firm until the final whistle was sweet music to their ears as they secured a dramatic & hard earned win in a complete team display, filled with standout moments & relentless effort. A special mention to Leah Hansberry with a goal & an assist, the rock solid defensive duo of Ruth Burke & Grace Connolly & Niamh Naughton for her vital intervention when the stakes were at their highest. Match Report: Niall Rohan.
Squad: Niamh Lally, Aoife Lally, Ruth Burke, Grace Connolly, Niamh Naughton, Maddie Rohan, Muireann Roche, Shauna McDonagh, Grace Jordan, Leah Hansberry, Kara Higgins, Evelyn McDonnell, Aoife Morris, Emma Collins, Julie Holahan, Sorcha Nic an Iomaire, Ella Ryan.
Boys U17 Div1: Colemanstown 1- 7 Barna. Colemanstown U17’s saw their grip on the league summit slip away after a tough and sobering 1–7 defeat to a clinical Barna side on Sunday. The match was played in blustery conditions that made control and passing difficult, but Barna with the wind at their backs in the first half adapted better and dominated proceedings from the outset. Despite a spirited start from Colemanstown, Barna struck early and never looked back, showcasing sharp attacking play and exploiting defensive gaps. Colemanstown managed to pull one back midway through the second half with Paddy Gavin levelling from distance, offering a brief glimmer of hope, but Barna’s composure in front of goal sealed a comprehensive victory. The result means Colemanstown surrender top spot in the standings, while Barna’s impressive performance strengthens their title credentials. Colemanstown will need to regroup quickly as they look to bounce back in their next fixture before the end of the year. Final Score: Colemanstown 1 – 7 Barna. Match Report: Luca Lualdi
Squad: Tommy Nutley, James Somers, Fionn Proulx, Morgan Keogh, Mike Lally, Jamie Lally, Noah McDonnell, Martin Mellody, Joshua Lualdi, Paddy Gavin, Sean Keating, Daniel Booth, Tadhg Hart, Stephen Murphy, Gearoid Walsh, Tom Holohan, Harry Tierney.