U16 Girls: Div 1: Colemanstown Utd 2-2 Tuam Celtic. Our U16 Girls faced into two league games in the space of a week, beginning with a midweek home clash against Tuam Celtic. With both sides near the foot of the table, this encounter was always likely to be closely contested & it certainly lived up to expectations. The visitors made the brighter start, opening the scoring after 10mins & doubling their advantage 10mins later to lead 2–0. Kate Mitchell performed admirably as stand-in keeper during the 1st half, with Kara Higgins taking over between the posts after the break.
The 2nd half saw a transformed Colemanstown side. Determined to get back into the contest, they raised the tempo and intensity. The introduction of Leah O’Connor proved inspired, as she made an immediate impact when she calmly finished to the net to reduce the deficit. Momentum continued to swing in Colemanstown’s favour & the other Leah …… Hansberry soon struck the equaliser to restore parity. Colemanstown pushed hard for a winner in the closing stages & dominated possession, but the Tuam Celtic keeper produced a string of outstanding saves in the final 10mins to deny them. Ruby Lynch led the line tirelessly, while Rachel Kennedy impressed on the right wing & Aoife Walsh was excellent at left back. Grace Connolly was solid in defence & Ruth Burke also delivered a strong performance in a hard-fought draw. Match Report: Niall Rohan
U16 Girls Div1: Moyne Villa 5- 0 Colemanstown. Our U16 girls were back in action again on Sunday with a trip to Headford to take on Moyne Villa. Despite the 5–0 scoreline, the game was far more competitive than it suggests. 2 early goals for the hosts gave them a platform to build on, which left Colemanstown chasing the game from an early stage. However Colemanstown battled gamely throughout & forced Moyne Villa to work hard for their goals. There were notable performances from Shauna McDonagh, while Niamh Naughton stepped into goal for the first half before Ruby Lynch took over goalkeeping duties in the 2nd half. Both keepers made several important stops to keep the contest respectable. The final scoreline may reflect otherwise, but there was plenty of effort & determination on display from the squad. Match Report: Niall Rohan
U15 Boys Cup: Colemanstown 0-6 Barna/ Furbo. Our U15 boys welcomed Barna na Forbacha to Colemanstown on Friday night under the lights for their opening round Cup clash. While the Colemanstown lads worked hard throughout & showed plenty of endeavour, the visitors proved far more clinical in front of goal. Barna na Forbacha took their chances well & controlled key moments of the game, ultimately running out comfortable 6–0 winners to progress to Round 2 of the Cup. Match Report: Martina Donnellan
U14 Boys Div 3: Colemanstown 1 -8 Corofin. It was a tough day at the office for our U14 boys as they went down 8–1 at home to Corofin Utd in torrential rain, in what was a reversed fixture on Saturday. The visitors were clinical from the outset but took full advantage of the difficult conditions as they into a commanding lead by halftime on a scoreline of 7–0. To their credit, our lads regrouped after the break & showed far more determination in the 2nd half. Mark Shaughnessy got the reward for their efforts with a well taken goal, but Corofin added one more to leave the final score at 8–1. Match Report: Ann Forde
Squad: Iarlaith Griffin, Conor Saunders, Adam Mitchell, Tim Ruane, Ritchie O’Connor, Caelan Noone, George Costello, Sé Laffey, Sean Forde, Thomas Kennedy, Mark Shaughnessy, Trevor Harlowe, Phelim Flynn, Oisin Flannery, Niall Mason.
U12 Boys Championship: Colemanstown 3-4 Corofin. A squad of 13 togged out for Saturday’s home league encounter as Colemanstown welcomed Corofin in the U12 Boys Championship. Notable absentees included Conor Finnerty (injured), Eugene Kelly (illness) & Charlie Hutchings (unavailable) which saw U11 players Panos Costello & Charlie Butler called up to bolster the panel. Colemanstown started brightly, matching Corofin for possession in the opening 5mins. However, aided by a stiff breeze, the visitors began to dominate from the five-minute mark onwards. Their pressure paid off on 7mins when a defensive mix-up allowed Corofin in for the opening goal. The 2nd & 3rd goals were disappointing to concede, as lapses in concentration at the back gifted Corofin two close-range finishes. Inside 20 minutes, Colemanstown found themselves 3–0 down. To their credit, the boys rallied for the remainder of the half. They piled on the pressure & attacked with real intent. Cathal Burns rattled the woodwork & Colemanstown forced numerous corners in a sustained spell of pressure. Despite several dangerous deliveries into the box, they couldn’t apply the finishing touch & so left the half-time score 3–0 in favour of Corofin.
The 2nd half saw the introduction of debutants Panos Costello, Charlie Butler & Igor Ziolek, while Matthew Kelly pushed into midfield as Colemanstown went in search of a way back into the game. The third quarter was evenly contested as both sides created chances in an end-to-end spell. The breakthrough finally arrived when Patrick Collins weaved through a tight defence & finished confidently to make it 3–1. As Colemanstown committed bodies forward in pursuit of another goal, Corofin struck on the counter to grab their 4th, seemingly putting the game beyond reach. Yet this Colemanstown side showed tremendous character. They refused to drop their heads & were further rewarded when Patrick Collins struck a low effort that found the net via a deflection off the post. Just 2mins later, Cathal Burns fired home to bring the score back to 4–3 with 3mins to play. Sensing an equaliser, Colemanstown pushed everyone forward, leaving just two at the back. A flurry of late corners caused panic in the Corofin defence, but the elusive equaliser just wouldn’t come. The final whistle blew after a battling 2nd half contest, finishing Colemanstown 3–4 Corofin. Next up for these lads is a home Cup clash against Corrib Rangers. Match Report: Peter Kelly
Squad: Avey Mahon, Matthew Kelly, James Vignoles, James Flaherty (captain), Nathan Cleary, Cathal Burns, Oisin Kelly, Patrick Collins, Martin Fleming, Igor Ziolek, Kayden Brett, Panos Costello, Charlie Butler.
U14 Girls Div 1: Colemanstown 4-2 Oughterard. Our U14 Girls welcomed Oughterard to Colemanstown on Sunday & delivered a strong performance to secure all three points. Taking their chances well, the girls played with confidence & composure throughout. They were clinical in front of goal and managed the game effectively to record a 4–2 victory. The win sees them sitting joint 2nd in the table alongside Mervue, although Mervue have two games in hand. It was another encouraging display as this talented group continues to impress. Match Report: Martina Donnellan