U15 Boys Div2 Cup: Colemanstown 8 -2 Craughwell. Colemanstown U15 Boys booked their place in the semi-finals of the local Div.2 Cup with an impressive 8-2 win over Craughwell on a sunny Saturday afternoon in Colemanstown. Despite the final score, it was the visitors who made the brighter start, catching Colemanstown cold to take the lead inside the opening minute. However, Colemanstown responded positively & gradually took control of proceedings as Mark Gerrard brought the sides level on the 10min mark. Gerrard opened his account after a splendid pass from Oisín Flannery & that goal set the tone for what would be a memorable afternoon for the Colemanstown striker. Colemanstown continued to grow into the game & further goals from Mark Gerrard & William Jordan put Colemanstown firmly in the driving seat. William Jordan then rounded the Craughwell keeper to find the net again before the interval in a strong first-half display & sent Colemanstown in at the break with a commanding 4-1 lead.
The 2nd half saw Colemanstown introduce Cathal Higgins & Marc Scarry, with both helping to maintain the team’s momentum. Scarry made an immediate contribution by providing the assist for William Jordan to claim his hat-trick early in the half. Craughwell managed to pull a goal back, but Colemanstown were not to be denied. Jordan continued to torment the visitors’ defence & added two more excellent goals to bring his tally to 5 for the afternoon. Mark Gerrard also completed his hat-trick in style, chipping the keeper with a fine finish as Colemanstown turned a competitive cup tie into a convincing victory. While Jordan’s five-goal haul & Gerrard’s hat-trick rightly grab the headlines, this was very much a complete squad performance. All 17 players received valuable game time & every member of the panel played their part in securing progression to the semi-finals. A special mention to Yassin Alami, who made his debut for Colemanstown following his introduction & made an immediate impact. It was great to see Yassin get his first taste of action with the lads & hopefully this is the first of many appearances in Colemanstown colours. Special mention must also go to the Pearses players, who travelled straight to Colemanstown after competing in – & winning – the U16 Hurling Shield Final earlier that morning. Their commitment to representing the club across both codes was fantastic to see. It was an excellent afternoon for Colemanstown, with plenty of goals, a strong team contribution & a place in the last four of the Cup competition secured. Match Report: Ann Forde.
Squad: Iarlaith Griffin, Adam Mitchell, Oisín Flannery, Connor Saunders, Caelan Noone, Mark Gerrard, Mark Shaughnessy, Sean Forde, William Jordan, Thomas Kennedy, Oran Cosgrove, Marc Scarry, Cathal Higgins, Yassin Alami, Trevor Harlowe, Niall Mason, Oisín Dolan.
U13 Girls: Coole 0-0 Colemanstown. Colemanstown U13 Girls travelled to Coole, Gort, yesterday for their second consecutive away fixture, this time with just 11 players available. Despite having no subs, the girls showed tremendous determination, work rate & resilience to battle out a hard-earned 0-0 draw in a closely contested encounter. Both sides were evenly matched throughout the 60mins, with plenty of effort & commitment on display. Colemanstown never stopped working & if anything, created the better chances over the course of the game. Leaving Gort with a clean sheet & a share of the spoils was a fine reward for the girls’ efforts & the result will certainly feel like a win given the circumstances. There were few clear-cut opportunities in a game where both defences worked hard to keep their opponents at bay. However, Colemanstown came close on a couple of occasions. Eve Corcoran produced a good effort around 10 mins from time, only to be denied by an excellent save from the Coole keeper. Elise Rohan also threatened after she managed to break free from her marker, only to be fouled in a promising position. Elise took the resulting free kick & came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock as Colemanstown continued to push for a winner. At the other end, Emily Tuohy enjoyed a relatively quiet afternoon in goals, with little to trouble her for long periods. When called upon, however, she remained composed & commanding & no doubt helped Colemanstown to secure a valuable clean sheet. With no subs to call upon, everyone had to dig deep & the girls deserve enormous credit for the way they stuck together & kept battling until the end. It was a strong team performance built on determination, discipline & a never-say-die attitude. Well done to all 11 girls on a battling display & a well-earned point on the road! Match Report: Kerrill Hardiman
Squad: Emily Tuohy, Katelyn Costello, Chloe Burke, Realtín Saunders, Ella Kavanagh, Lucy Burke Hardiman, Kayla Grealish, Caoimhe Greene, Elise Rohan, Grace Reddington, Eve Corcoran.
U15 Girls Championship: Kiltullagh 0-2 Colemanstown. Colemanstown U15 girls continued their fantastic start to the season with a superb 2–0 away victory over Kiltullagh yesterday, last season’s First Division champions. Colemanstown started brightly and enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges, playing some lovely football with excellent interchange of passing through midfield, particularly between Ciara Somers, Siana O’Grady and Julie Holohan. Laura Hayes also put in a tremendous shift on the wing, working tirelessly throughout the first half and providing a great outlet going forward. Despite missing three of the back four from their previous game, Colemanstown were extremely solid defensively. Kate Geary deputised brilliantly at left back, while Laoise Naughton delivered a commanding performance at centre back, leading the defence superbly and dealing confidently with everything that came her way. Caoimhe Cleary continued to impress in a position she is growing into with every game, while Amy Morrissey, making her first full appearance after a lengthy injury layoff, put in a massive shift. The breakthrough came courtesy of the trusty left boot of Sorcha Nic an Iomaire, who unleashed a terrific strike from 20yards that flew into the roof of the net. It was a wonderfully brave finish, with Sorcha taking a heavy challenge immediately after striking the ball. Kiltullagh were a strong, physical side who made Colemanstown work hard for everything, but the girls stood up to the challenge brilliantly. Lauren O’Grady worked tirelessly leading the line on her own in the first half, holding the ball up well against a tough Kiltullagh defence.
The introduction of Ava Forde early in the second half gave Colemanstown another dimension in attack. Our little dynamo brought tremendous energy, excellent touch and movement, linking up superbly with the midfield and providing a constant outlet. A huge special mention must go to goalkeeper Emily Tuohy, who rushed straight from an U13 game to produce an absolutely outstanding performance. Emily was immense throughout, sweeping up everything around her penalty area, showing great composure with her kick-outs and, most importantly, producing a magnificent penalty save after Kiltullagh were awarded a harsh spot kick. A real match-winning moment! Kiltullagh pushed hard for an equaliser in the closing stages, but Colemanstown remained composed and defended superbly. With just three minutes remaining, the girls broke forward and Sorcha Nic an Iomaire again, our scorer supreme, showed her trademark composure in a one-on-one situation, coolly slotting past the goalkeeper to seal a thoroughly deserved victory. It was a tremendous all-round team performance against quality opposition, with every girl playing her part. To come away with three points and a clean sheet against last season’s First Division champions is a fantastic achievement. Three games, three wins, the clean sheets and the only team to date with 100% record in the league! Most importantly, the girls are improving with every game, growing in confidence and playing some excellent football. Well done, girls! Match Report: Garry O’Grady.