Seniors Ladies Div1 Cup: Oughterard 3-1 Colemanstown. Thirteen Colemanstown ladies made the trip to New Village on Sunday to take on Oughterard in the GFA Women’s Cup. Facing opposition from a division above, Colemanstown produced a determined & hardworking performance in a physical encounter & showed plenty of promise despite eventually losing out 3–1.
Colemanstown started the game brightly & dominated much of the opening 25 minutes, with some excellent passing & movement through midfield, linking up well with the strikeforce. Their positive start was rewarded on 17mins when Roisin Feeney found the net, to finish off a great move after being set up by Louise Byrnes. Oughterard gradually grew into the game & began to apply more pressure & found the equaliser through a well taken finish from their winger. Colemanstown responded by tightening up defensively, with the back line showing excellent organisation & communication throughout the first half. A change in personnel on the half hour mark helped the team adjust to Oughterard’s growing threat & the sides went in level at 1–1 at the break.
Colemanstown made further tactical changes for the 2nd half. Rachel Flaherty Greene moved into midfield & Roisin Feeney switched from the wing. Ruby Lynch moved up front to join the industrious Rebecca Coen, while Gillian Byrnes was re-introduced on the wing to add fresh energy & attacking intent. The 2nd half proved a tough battle. Oughterard took the lead just 5mins after the restart. Colemanstown refused to drop their heads & continued to work tirelessly, maintaining a strong defensive shape while looking for opportunities to get back into the game. Rebecca Coen & Roisin Feeney both had efforts on goal as Colemanstown searched for an equaliser. Gillian Byrnes also impressed with her pressing, positioning & support in the forward line, helping to create opportunities & keep the pressure on the Oughterard defence. With Colemanstown continuing to battle right until the end, a foul inside the box resulted in a penalty for Oughterard, which extended their lead. With that the game petered out & confirmed a 3–1 win for Oughterard.
While the result did not go Colemanstown’s way, there were plenty of positives to take from the performance. Playing against a team from a higher division, the ladies showed that they could compete physically, move the ball well & defend with real determination. Every player put in a tremendous shift, showing commitment, resilience & a fantastic team spirit from start to finish. There is plenty to build on while the ladies can take great encouragement from their efforts against strong opposition. Well done to all 13 players who represented Colemanstown with pride! Match Report: Linda Phillips
Squad: Áine Cooke, Eimear Schwitalla, Chloe Manley, Amber Cosgrove, Annalise Doran, Eilish Fitzpatrick, Lucy Roberts, Gillian Byrnes, Roisin Feeney, Rebecca Coen, Louise Byrnes, Rachel Flaherty Greene, Ruby Lynch.