Boys U18 Div1: MacDara 1 – 4 Colemanstown Colemanstown U18s travelled to Carraroe on Sunday, October 5th, aiming to extend their lead at the top of the GFA U18 Division 1 table. The lads made the journey by bus, stopping en route for their now traditional pre-match fuel, chicken rolls, a favourite protein and carb combo insisted on by none other than Shane Quirke. Colemanstown got off to the perfect start just seven minutes in. Right winger Darren Moran fired his side ahead with a precise, low-driven finish into the bottom left corner after a clever through ball from Matthew Keane, whose vision in midfield split the MacDara defence wide open. 1–0 Colemanstown.
Minutes later, Colemanstown nearly doubled their lead. A quick counter-attack saw Josh Buckley release Quirke down the left; he cut inside and slipped an outside-of-the-boot pass to Tomas Rogerson, who struck first time just wide of the far post, unlucky not to make it two. Controversy struck on 26 minutes when the referee showed Colemanstown keeper Cooke a red card following a goal-line dispute. With no substitute keeper available, striker Rogerson stepped up to put on the gloves, leaving Jamie Lally as the lone forward. Despite the setback, Colemanstown remained composed and continued to create chances. Quirke and Keane combined well again, only for Keane’s effort to be denied by the MacDara keeper. At the back, Joshua McDonnell, Nathan Mannion, Conor Walsh, and Cathal Keane were immense, snuffing out any MacDara threat. Their hard work paid off just before the break. Rogerson, now in goal, launched a long clearance with the wind behind him. The MacDara defence misjudged the bounce, and Quirke pounced, showing brilliant composure to lift the ball delicately over the onrushing keeper and under the crossbar. Rogerson with the assist and clearly delighted with himself. 2–0 Colemanstown after 44 minutes.
Second half arrived & against the wind and with 10 men, Colemanstown knew they’d need to dig deep. Vice-captain and captain for the day, Ryan Gavin, was introduced for McDonnell to inject fresh energy, and it worked instantly. Four minutes into the half, Gavin played the ball to Moran, whose perfect cross was met by Lally’s powerful header to make it 3–0. MacDara switched to a 4-3-3 formation and began to press. Rogerson was called into action, making key saves as Conor Walsh and Nathan Mannion battled bravely to defend set pieces. Eventually, MacDara pulled one back, a cross and initial save from Rogerson rebounded kindly for their number 10 to nod home. 3–1, with 35 minutes remaining.
Colemanstown’s response was superb. Refusing to sit back, they pushed for another. Cathal Keane linked well with Quirke down the left, whose low cross found Lally. With excellent control and a quick turn, Lally fired into the bottom right corner for his second of the game , 4–1, restoring the three-goal cushion. Ronan Screene replaced the hard-working Matthew Keane and nearly added an assist with a fine cross that Jamie Lally headed narrowly wide. Shane Dempsey came on for the tireless Lally on 80 minutes and almost got on the scoresheet himself, striking the post after a surging run. The final whistle blew with the score 4–1 to Colemanstown, a dominant and determined performance, especially impressive after playing over an hour with 10 men. This makes it 4 league wins from 4, unbeaten to date & table toppers for this bunch of lads.
Man of the Match: Hard to choose, every player gave it everything, but Jamie Lally getting a brace, his calm presence and holding up of the ball, and bringing players onto the attack provided a vital outlet to the team. Match report: Kara Mullins
Squad: Sean Cooke, Joshua McDonnell, Conor Walsh, Nathan Mannion, Cathal Keane, Darren Moran, Matthew Keane, Josh Buckley, Shane Quirke, Tomás Rogerson, Jamie Lally, Ryan Gavin, Dylan King, Rónán Screene, Shane Dempsey, Niall Grady, Tyler Collins. Management: Damien Mannion & Kara Mullins.
SFAI Girls U12 Colga 7 – 1 Colemanstown Our U12 Girls faced a big challenge on Sunday in the SFAI Cup as they took on Colga, a side competing two divisions above them. From the outset, Colga showed their experience & quality & started brightly to find the net early to take the lead.
Despite the early setback, Colemanstown’s young guns refused to be overawed & soon settled into the game. The girls created several excellent chances through determined play & clever passing. Lucy Burke Hardiman, Faye Ryan, Holly Mellody, & Eve Corcoran all came close to equalising matters as they showed great intent. Their persistence paid off when Lucy Burke Hardiman found the net to reduce the deficit before half-time. Colemanstown went in at the break 2–1 down but still very much in the game.
After the restart, Colga’s higher division pedigree began to show. They moved the ball quickly, showed great sharpness in front of goal & punished any lapses in concentration. Despite our tireless effort, Colga’s speed & precision in front of goal proved decisive as they extended their lead & ran out deserved winners. Our girls can be very proud as they pushed Colga all the way although the scoreline might suggest otherwise. Match report: Neil Ryan
SFAI U14 Girls: Colemanstown 7-1 Dunmore Town. A feast of goals in Colemanstown on Sunday morning saw our U14 Girls produce a superb team performance to claim a comprehensive 7–1 win & book their place in the next round of the SFAI Cup.
From the opening, Colemanstown stamped their authority on the game with confident play & relentless attacking at Dunmore’s goal. Colemanstown’s determination paid off as Sorcha Nic an Iomaire struck twice with 2 well taken goals to give Colemanstown an early cushion. Julie Holohan also added a brace with 2 well composed finishes, while Ava Forde also helped herself to a double as the girls continued to dominate proceedings. Laura Hayes also helped the scoring spree as she too found the net to make it 7 on a morning to remember for the team.
While Dunmore managed a consolation goal, it was only a minor blemish on an otherwise flawless display. Every player in green contributed to an excellent all round performance marked by teamwork, skill & clinical finishing in front of goal. Match Report: Martina Donnellan