U12 Boys: Div 5: Mervue ‘C’ – 5 -0 Colemanstown ‘B’. It was another challenging game for our U12B boys on Saturday morning away to an excellent Mervue C team. Hit by the news that Eillott Byrne and Daithì Cunniffe were sick the team had to be rearranged. In bright sunshine they started with a pep in their step and eased into the game absorbing several attacks before Cian Walsh covering half the pitch broke away with Joel Feeney and Iarlaith Doyne in support only to just miss out on goal. Mervue were pulling the team left and right but Eoghan Mitchell, Cian Kelly, Bobby McKenna and Rossa Lally held the defence strong with Fionn Nutley making a string of excellent saves. Mervue eventually found the net and in response Iarlaith Doyne broke beating several players and as he was passing the last defender got a nudge that sent him to ground. Mervue reset and the chance passed.
In the second half Donnacha Ryan took to goal and whilst making several saves pulled off the save of the season, going low to his right to palm away a ball that was racing to the corner. So good was the save that it brought a round of applause from both Mervue and the travelling support. Dima Tymoshenko then threw himself in front of a certain goal making a brave block to divert for a corner. The lads were asked to work hard throughtout the match and support each other which they did but unfortunately came away with a 4 – 0 defeat. Overall all the boys showed great team spirit and good attitude so well done. Match Report: Elaine Walsh
SFAI Boys U12 National Trophy: Colemanstown United A 0-3 Colga A. Colemanstown bowed out of the SFAI competition after a competitive and entertaining game against a strong Colga side in Colemanstown on Saturday. With conditions perfect for football, Colemanstown settled well and had the better of the opening exchanges. Colga however took an early lead after just 4 minutes. Colemanstown responded well and grew in to the game creating several chances but critically failed to hit the Colga net. Odhran Lynch at the other end, dealt with several Colga efforts well while his ball distribution was excellent throughout the entire game. Finn O’Grady went close hitting the post but it was Colga who finished the half stronger with a clinical finish to make it 0-2 at the interval. Colemanstown worked hard and played some nice football in the second half. Colm Mac An Iomaire and Conor Burns both went close to scoring. However it was Colga again who finished a nice move to the back of the Colemanstown net making it 0-3 for the finish. It’s back to league action next for the Colemanstown boys. Match Report: Mike Morrissey
Squad: Patrick Quinn, Odhran Lynch, Colm Mac An Iomaire, Panos Costello, Conor Burns, Shay Morrissey, Finn O’Grady, Charlie Butler (C), Shane Barrett, Conor Dunne, Fionn Ruane.
U16 Boys Divi. 2: Colemanstown 4-1 Barna/Furbo ‘B’. Colemanstown produced an excellent second-half performance to secure a convincing 4–1 victory over Barna/Furbo B in this latest Div. 2 encounter. Playing on grass, the lads took a little time to settle into their rhythm, but they made the breakthrough after 13mins. A clearance from Daragh Blake found David Barrett in midfield, who quickly picked out Dermot Parker. Parker showed great composure to slot the ball neatly underneath the advancing keeper to give Colemanstown the lead. The remainder of the 1st half was a closely contested affair as both sides created opportunities but neither able to find the net again. Credit must go to the Colemanstown back four of Oisín Nugent, Odhrán Madden, Daragh Blake and Darragh Finnerty, who put in a tremendous shift to protect Aidan Quinn’s goal & ensure the lads went in at the break with a 1–0 advantage.
Colemanstown wasted little time extending their lead after the restart. Just 5mins into the 2nd half, David Barrett once again picked out Dermot Parker, who made no mistake in finishing for his second of the afternoon. Parker then completed a superb hat-trick with a close range header from a Sean Forde delivery, following some excellent wing play from Mark Finnerty. At 3–0 Colemanstown looked comfortable, but Barna/Furbo found a way back into the contest when a free kick caused confusion in the defence & their striker finished well to make it 3–1 & set up a nervy final 10mins. However with just 4mins to play, Dermot Parker turned provider as he played a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Mark Finnerty, who kept his composure to finish calmly & put the result beyond doubt. It was a fantastic team performance, with Dermot Parker’s hat-trick, David Barrett’s creativity & a hardworking defensive display all contributing to a well-deserved 4–1 win. Well done lads! Match Report: Alan Walsh
Squad: Aidan Quinn, Daragh Blake, Oisín Nugent, Darragh Finnerty, Odhrán Madden, Sean Forde, David Barrett, Finian Walsh, Owen Hillary, Dermot Parker, Mikey Nutley, Thomas Kennedy, Tim Ruane, Mark Finnerty.
U16 Girls: Div 1: Knocknacarra B 4 – 0 Colemanstown. Colemanstown’s U16 girls faced a difficult Div1 league encounter away to Knocknacarra B today with the final scoreline of 4–0 perhaps a little harsh on a Colemanstown side that battled tirelessly from the off right to the bitter end. Colemanstown started brightly & created an excellent opportunity just 3mins in when Sorcha Nic an Iomaire saw her free kick well saved by the Knocknacarra keeper. Sorcha & Leah Hansberry linked up beautifully again moments later, but the resulting effort was once more denied by a keeper who was clearly in excellent form. Knocknacarra opened the scoring on 9mins & Colemanstown subsequently found themselves under sustained pressure. Ruth Burke was called into action on several occasions & produced three excellent consecutive saves between the 15th & 25th minutes to keep her side in the contest. At the other end, Leah Hansberry delivered a lovely cross into the penalty area, but unfortunately nobody could get on the end of it. Katie Quirke, Ruth Flaherty, Shauna McDonagh & Aoife Walsh worked extremely hard across the defensive line, while Maddie Rohan battled tirelessly up front against a well-organised Knocknacarra defence. Despite the pressure, Colemanstown held firm & went in at the interval just 1-0 down.
A change at half-time saw Ruth Burke move up front with Sorcha Nic an Iomaire taking over in goal. Sorcha immediately had plenty to contend with, not least the strong winter sunshine which shone directly into her eyes, but she produced some tremendous saves to keep Colemanstown in the game. The defensive pressure continued, with Ruth Flaherty & Shauna McDonagh particularly outstanding as they threw themselves into every challenge. With 20 mins to go, a strong run down the wing from Siana O’Grady created a great opportunity for Ruth Burke, who just couldn’t get her shot away in time. Sorcha then produced a fantastic diving save with 14mins remaining to keep the deficit at one. However, the hosts eventually doubled their advantage with 10mins left & quickly added a 3rd. Despite having only the bare 11 players available, Colemanstown continued to battle right to the end & showed tremendous determination & spirit. Knocknacarra added a 4th in the final minute to secure a 4–0 win. While the result went against us today, the scoreline certainly didn’t tell the full story of the effort, commitment & resilience shown by the girls. Match report: Margaret Girvan. With special thanks also to Paddy Burke & Elaine Walsh for their support.
Squad: Ruth Burke, Katie Quirke, Ruth Flaherty, Shauna McDonagh, Aoife Walsh, Evelyn McDonnell, Maddie Rohan, Laura Girvan, Siana O’Grady, Leah Hansberry and Sorcha Nic an Iomaire..
U14 Girls: Div 1: Colemanstown 2 – 4 Kiltullagh. There was plenty of action, determination & local rivalry on display as Colemanstown welcomed neighbours Kiltullagh for what proved to be a fast-paced & physical Div 1 local derby today. The visitors got off to a flying start when they opening the scoring after just 8mins. However, Colemanstown responded in the best possible fashion restoring parity just a minute later. Ava Forde delivered a dangerous corner into the box, where Rachel Lyons produced a fantastic left footed strike to find the top corner with a superb finish. The game continued at a frantic pace, with Megan Kelly, Jade Devaney, Zara Kelly & Chloe Burke putting in a strong defensive performance. In midfield, Holly Mellody, Lucy Burke Hardiman, Lauren O’Grady & Rachel Lyons covered every inch of the pitch as they worked tirelessly to keep Colemanstown in the contest. Despite their efforts, Kiltullagh continued to press & regained the lead on 14mins. Up front, Ava Forde & Helia Costello worked hard to get into the game but found themselves closely marked by a determined Kiltullagh defence. Colemanstown refused to give up & were rewarded when Holly Mellody produced a superb finish to bring the sides level once again. The end-to-end nature of the contest continued, with Kiltullagh managing to edge ahead for a 3rd time before half-time as the sides parted for the break with Colemanstown trailing 3–2.
The 2nd half saw fresh legs introduced with Saoirse White, Nicole Barrett, Ella Kavanagh & Ciara Maybin coming into the action. The Colemanstown squad continued to battle hard, showing great determination & commitment as they searched for another equaliser. However, Kiltullagh managed to find the net for a fourth time in the 2nd half, to give themselves some breathing space & make the task even more difficult for Colemanstown. Despite the final score of 4–2, these girls never stopped competing & showed plenty of fight throughout a tough, physical local derby. There were some excellent individual performances, great attacking moments & plenty of determination across the pitch. These local encounters are never easy, but the team can take plenty of positives from a good performance. Match Report: Ann Forde
Squad: Emily Tuohy, Megan Kelly, Chloe Burke, Jade Devaney, Zara Kelly, Holly Mellody, Lucy Burke Hardiman, Rachel Lyons, Lauren O’Grady, Ava Forde, Helia Costello, Ciara Maybin, Saoirse White, Ella Kavanagh, Nicole Barrett. Absent: Realtín Saunders & Ruby Lally.