Men’s Div. 1: Colemanstown 4–1 Cois Fharraige. A brace apiece from Tom Flannery & Mossy Carr secured a deserved three points for Colemanstown in their latest league encounter at home on Friday night. Colemanstown opened the scoring on 10 mins when a corner kick floated into the Cois Fharraige box was only partially cleared. Tom Flannery reacted quickest & finished superbly to give the lads an early lead. The advantage was short-lived however, as the visitors struck back just 2mins later from a well-taken free kick that left stand-in keeper Kerrill Hardiman with little chance. Colemanstown regained control as the half progressed & were rewarded on 36mins. James Collevy, who produced a massive performance throughout with a huge work rate, delivered an inch-perfect corner; Luke Williams met it with a glancing header across goal, where Mossy Carr was perfectly positioned to apply the finish & restore Colemanstown’s lead. That goal ensured we went into the break 2–1 ahead. Cois Fharraige battled hard & created chances of their own, particularly in the 1st half & were denied on one occasion by a top-drawer save from Kegs in goal, who also contributed greatly with his kick-outs & ball distribution from the hand.
The second half saw Colemanstown begin to assert greater control as they dominated possession & forced the visitors to chase the game. That dominance told on 75mins when Mossy Carr unleashed a stunning piledriver into the bottom left corner with the assist coming from young Shane Quirke. With 5mins to play, Tom Flannery completed his brace from the penalty spot as he confidently dispatched his effort past the visiting custodian to seal the win. While the final scoreline suggests a comfortable enough win, Cois Fharraige fought gamely for much of the game, particularly during an evenly matched first half. Colemanstown’s ability to retain possession & control large spells in the 2nd half ultimately proved decisive. Match Report: Kerrill Lally
U12 Boys Connacht Cup – Rd 4: Colemanstown 3-4 Knocknacarra A. Colemanstown bowed out of the Connacht Cup on Saturday after a thrilling, high-quality encounter against Premier League outfit Knocknacarra A, with the visitors edging a 7 goal classic that was packed with drama, heart & no shortage of quality. Despite through divisions between the sides on paper, there was little evidence of it on the pitch. The 14-man Colemanstown squad were superbly prepared & fully up for the challenge as they set up defensively early on & matched Knocknacarra stride for stride in a tit-for-tat opening 15mins. The breakthrough arrived on 20mins in spectacular fashion. James Vignoles pounced on a Knocknacarra clearance near midfield & unleashed an unstoppable piledriver that arrowed into the top corner in a sensational strike & a serious contender for goal of the season. Buoyed by the opener, Colemanstown enjoyed a spell of dominance & doubled their advantage shortly after when Cathal Burns showed great composure one-on-one with the keeper to slot home & make it 2–0 with a cup shock very much on the cards. Knocknacarra responded well though & pulled a goal back before half-time to keep themselves firmly in the contest.
The visitors emerged after the break with renewed intensity & drew level just 5mins into the second half. What followed was a relentless 10-minute spell where Colemanstown found themselves backs to the wall, absorbing wave after wave of pressure as Knocknacarra pushed hard for the lead. With 10mins to go, a failed clearance proved costly & the Knocknacarra striker rifled the ball into the roof of the net to make it 3–2. In a final roll of the dice, Colemanstown emptied the bench, introducing Martin Fleming, Nathan Cleary, Colm Mac an Iomaire, Kayden Brett & Igor Ziolek with James Flaherty forced off through injury. The changes paid off dramatically. With 6mins left, an indirect free kick on the edge of the box saw Oisín Kelly tap the ball to Cathal Burns, who somehow squeezed his effort past the entire Knocknacarra team who were camped on the goal line & into the bottom right corner to level the match at 3–3, sparking scenes of absolute delight among the home support. Only God knows how he managed to squeeze it in. The drama wasn’t finished there. Knocknacarra piled on the pressure once more & with 2mins remaining, capitalised on another loose ball in the Colemanstown box to strike the decisive goal. Exhausted after leaving every ounce of energy on the pitch, Colemanstown couldn’t find a final response as Knocknacarra advance to the next round. While the cup journey ends here, Colemanstown can take huge pride in a performance full of courage, quality & resilience. We wish Knocknacarra the very best in the next round. Match Report: Peter Kelly.
Squad: Avey Mahon, James Vignoles, Eugene Kelly, Conor Finnerty, James Flaherty, Matthew Kelly, Cathal Burns, Oisín Kelly, Patrick Collins, Kayden Brett, Martin Fleming, Nathan Cleary, Igor Ziolek, Colm Mac an Iomaire.
U14 Boys Div3: Athenry 4–1 Colemanstown. Our U14 boys found the going tough at home on Saturday as they came up against a strong & well-organised Athenry B side in Division 3. Athenry started brightly & put Colemanstown under pressure & made good use of possession to create several chances. Despite plenty of effort & determination from our lads, Athenry took control of the game. To their credit though, the Colemanstown lads kept battling throughout & showed good spirit, worked hard to close down space & created some good opportunities of their own. Our goal came through an OG which rewarded the pressure applied by our lads. Thanks to all players, coaches & parents who turned out on the day. Match Report: Ann Forde