Mens Div1: Kiltullagh Pioneers 1- 3 Colemanstown. Colemanstown resumed league action after the Christmas break with a hard-fought 3–1 away win over Kiltullagh Pioneers on Friday night, played on the Astro pitch in Kiltullagh. The opening exchanges were scrappy, with both sides struggling to find rhythm, but Colemanstown gradually grew into the contest and began to dominate possession. Their breakthrough came on the 20-minute mark when Tomas Carr beat his defender down the flank and delivered an excellent cross to the back post, where Kevin Barrett was on hand to finish confidently.
Colemanstown doubled their advantage 15 minutes later following some strong work in midfield. Luke Willams drove forward past a couple of challenges before releasing Barrett, whose delivery found Carr arriving to make it 2–0 just before the interval.
The visitors made a change at the break, with Kerrill Hardiman introduced for Kevin Barrett. The second half remained a stop-start affair, but Colemanstown continued to look the more threatening side. On the hour mark, further changes were made as Thomas Mellody replaced Carr, while Shane Quirke was also introduced in place of Tomas Flannery.
Colemanstown’s third goal followed soon after, stemming from some excellent interplay between Ray Moran, Aironas Kantauskas and Luke Williams, which released David Walsh down the flank. Walsh’s first-time cross was met at the back post by Kerrill Hardiman who finished clinically to make it 3–0.
Kiltullagh pulled one back with around 15 minutes remaining when a corner kick evaded everyone and ended up in the back of the net. However, Colemanstown saw out the closing stages with composure, dominating possession and limiting the home side to few clear chances.
It was a deserved and hard-fought victory, and we remain just one point behind league leaders Bearna with seven games remaining, setting up an exciting finish to the campaign.
Squad: Alan Finn, Shane Duffy, David Walsh, Richie Lally, Sean Hardiman, Aironas Kantauskas, Luke Williams, Ray Moran, Tomas Flannery, Tomas Carr, Kevin Barrett, Thomas Mellody, Shane Quirke, Kerrill Hardiman, Jack Dillon, Jack Kennedy, Enda Cunniffe.
Boys U12 Championship: Corrib Rangers 2-1 Colemanstown. Colemanstown’s U12 Boys made the long, icy journey to Corrib Rangers on Saturday morning for their first league outing since the Christmas recess. With a panel of 13 players available, the lads were eager to shake off the Christmas cobwebs on what turned out to be a surprisingly firm grass surface despite the recent cold snap. Both sides began brightly & it was tit-for-tat in the opening exchanges as players on both sides worked hard to rediscover their rhythm. Colemanstown gradually began to gain a foothold in midfield, though it proved difficult to get quality service into lone striker Patrick Collins. The breakthrough came after 20mins when Corrib Rangers were awarded a free kick from close range. Despite a well organised green wall stationed in front of goal, the home striker thundered his effort into the roof of the net to make it 1–0. Aside from that moment, chances were limited in a tightly contested opening half & Corrib Rangers went into the break with the slender advantage.
Colemanstown regrouped well at half time, with Avey Mahon introduced in goal, while Igor Ziolek & Martin Fleming also came into the action. Colemanstown enjoyed their best spell of the match in the opening 10mins of the 2nd half as they moved the ball with more purpose & composure. However, it was the hosts who struck next against the run of play when their striker slipped in behind the defence, with Matthew Kelly beaten for the first time all game, to double their lead.
With their backs to the wall, Colemanstown took a bold approach, switched to a 3 man defence & pushed Conor Finnerty to midfield. The change paid dividends. Oisín Kelly & Colm Mac an Iomaire combined superbly before Mac an Iomaire picked out Finnerty unmarked in front of goal & he calmly finished to make it 2–1 with 9mins left. That goal sparked a late surge from the Colemanstown lads as they pushed hard for an equaliser. They gave it their all in the closing stages, but Corrib Rangers defended resolutely & managed to see the game out. The result lifts Corrib Rangers to the top of the group, while Colemanstown will look to get their campaign back on track when they face Corofin in their next outing. Match Report: Peter Kelly
Squad: James Vignoles, Eugene Kelly, Conor Finnerty, James Flaherty, Matthew Kelly, Cathal Burns, Oisín Kelly, Nathan Cleary, Patrick Collins, Martin Fleming, Colm Mac an Iomaire, Avey Mahon, Igor Ziolek.
Boys U18 Div1: Cregmore/Claregalway 4–1 Colemanstown. Colemanstown U18s travelled to Cregmore/Claregalway on Sunday afternoon for a Division 1 league clash played in extremely difficult conditions, with persistent rain and a strong wind making it a real battle from start to finish. It was encouraging to see Matthew Keane and Shane Quirke return from injury, adding depth and energy to the squad on a challenging day.
Vice Captain Ryan Gavin had a great opening 15 mins and was causing serious threat on the right wing supported by his teammate Tyler Collins at right full. Despite playing against a strong wind and driving rain, Colemanstown got off to the perfect start. Just five minutes in, centre-back Josh Buckley stepped forward to find striker Tomas Rogerson, who laid the ball back neatly to captain Adam Doyle in midfield. Doyle spotted the intelligent run of Ronan Screene and threaded a perfect pass through the Cregmore/Claregalway defence. Screene showed great composure one-on-one with the goalkeeper, calmly sliding the ball underneath him to give Colemanstown a 1–0 lead.
The advantage was short-lived, however, as Cregmore/Claregalway responded just two minutes later with a thunderous strike that flew past Tommy Nutley in goal to level the game. Nutley was outstanding for Colemanstown throughout the first half, dealing superbly with a constant barrage of high balls, corners, and long-range shots. He produced two excellent full-stretch saves to keep Colemanstown in the contest. In front of him, the back four of Tyler Collins, Nathan Mannion, Josh Buckley, and Conor Walsh worked tirelessly in extremely slippery, mucky conditions.
It was clear from early on that this would not be a pretty game, it was always going to be about grit, determination, and who wanted it more. Colemanstown were under sustained pressure and were relieved to see halftime approaching, but unfortunately conceded just before the break. Another fine strike into the bottom right corner gave Nutley no chance, sending the hosts in 2–1 up at the interval.
Colemanstown introduced Shane Quirke at halftime for Matthew Keane, and Quirke immediately made an impact, driving at the defence and winning an early corner. Ronan Screene delivered a dangerous ball into the box, which was partially cleared before being recycled to the back post, where Nathan Mannion got his head to it but was unlucky not to find the net. Quirke continued to cause problems down the left flank, going on a dazzling run and firing a shot that fizzed agonisingly across the face of goal and wide.
However, another Colemanstown corner was cleared, and Cregmore/Claregalway broke at pace. With tired legs beginning to show, their striker made no mistake, lifting the ball past the onrushing Nutley to make it 3–1 after 20 minutes of the second half, a goal that visibly deflated the visitors.
Captain Adam Doyle was replaced by Paddy Gavin and Keane came back on for Screene shortly after as Colemanstown searched for fresh energy, but despite pushing forward with pace and skill, the hosts always seemed to have bodies in the way. Every tackle, block, and clearance was celebrated by Cregmore/Claregalway, who were fully committed physically and mentally to the contest.
Colemanstown came close to pulling one back when Rogerson reacted sharply during a goalmouth scramble, only for the Cregmore/Claregalway goalkeeper to pull off a spectacular one-handed save. It summed up the afternoon, there was simply no way through.
With 15 minutes remaining, management switched to three at the back, pushing Buckley into midfield and introducing Joshua McDonnell for Rogerson. Dylan King also came on down the left for Mannion, who appeared to pick up a hamstring issue. As Colemanstown committed bodies forward, space opened up at the back, and in the final five minutes Cregmore/Claregalway struck again on the counter-attack to seal a 4–1 victory.
The conditions were brutal, but Cregmore/Claregalway were both physically and mentally ready for the battle. They took their chances clinically, while Colemanstown perhaps struggled to adapt to the gritty, muddy contest, with several players suffering from cramping calves and tight hamstrings on the heavy surface. It may be a sign that future training needs to strike a better balance between astro and grass to prepare for days like this.
Player of the Match: Ronan Screene – tireless throughout and showed excellent composure to take his goal when the chance came. Despite the defeat, Colemanstown remain joint top of the table with Cregmore/Claregalway, with eight games still to play.
Match report: Kara Mullins
Squad: Tommy Nutley, Tyler Collins, Nathan Mannion,Josh Buckley,Conor Walsh, Ryan Gavin, Adam Doyle, Matthew Keane, Cathal Keane, Tomás Rogerson, Rónán Screene, Dylan King, Paddy Gavin, Joshua McDonnell, Shane Quirke, Jamie Lally, Sean Cooke, Shane Dempsey, Niall Grady. Management: Orla McCaffrey, Damien Mannion & Kara Mullins.
Ladies Championship: Colemanstown 5- 0 Tuam Celtic. On a blustery Sunday afternoon, Colemanstown Ladies delivered one of their most complete performances of the season, overpowering Tuam Celtic with a display full of tempo, cohesion, and attacking intent.
From the opening whistle, the girls in green played on the front foot, pressing high and moving the ball sharply despite the challenging wind conditions. Their early dominance was rewarded inside five minutes. Clever wing play from Sharon Finn created the opening, and captain Lucy Roberts finished clinically to set the tone for the afternoon.
Colemanstown continued to pour forward. Catherine Burke doubled the advantage with a well-taken goal, before Shauna Ward added a third soon after, capitalising on sustained pressure around the box. Just before the interval, Grace Mitchell capped a dominant first half by extending the lead further, leaving Colemanstown firmly in control, 4-0 to the good, at the break.
A raft of second-half changes did little to disrupt the rhythm. Colemanstown maintained their intensity, with fresh legs keeping the tempo high. Anna Barrett was a constant threat, using her pace to repeatedly isolate defenders, while her link-up play with Emer Finn proved decisive. The pair combined to set up Lucy Roberts for her second goal of the day, underlining the captain’s influence.
With the bench fully emptied, the second half also provided a platform for impressive cameos. Rachel Flaherty Greene marked her first goal for the club, a deserved reward for her lively contribution. Louise Byrnes came agonisingly close to adding a spectacular finish of her own, her thunderous 30-yard strike crashing off the inside of the post and skimming across goal rather than into it.
The scoring was rounded off in unfortunate fashion for Tuam Celtic, as an Alicia Flannery corner resulted in an own goal, sealing an emphatic result for the hosts. More than just the scoreline, this was a performance that reflected Colemanstown’s steady progression. Match by match, they are growing in confidence, understanding, and cohesion — and on this evidence, they are only getting stronger. Match Report: Neil Ryan