Boys U14 Div 1/2 Cup: Colemanstown B: 1 – 4 Maree/Oranmore C. Colemanstown Utd U14B Boys took on Maree/Oranmore C in the Division 1/2 Cup at home on Saturday. Avey Mahon started in goal, with a back line of Jack Heffernan at right-back, Eugene Kelly and Igor Ziolek in the centre & Martin Flemming at left-back. George Moore anchored the midfield in the central number six role, accompanied by Jamie Lally on the right wing, Matthew Kelly and Lucas McKenna in central midfield, James Flaherty on the left of midfield and Abiel Sudeep leading the line upfront. The match started evenly, and in the seventh minute, Matthew Kelly crossed for Lucas McKenna, whose header went just wide. Shortly afterwards, Abiel Sudeep was forced off due to injury and replaced by Andrew Davoren. Maree/Oranmore broke the deadlock in the 13th minute after some weak Colemanstown tackles allowed them to walk through and score the opening goal. The boys responded well, and in the 29th minute, some good play by George Moore in the middle of the park released Matthew Kelly, whose shot flashed just past the post. Colemanstown went into the break 1-0 down, but playing well and very much in the game.
Colemanstown came out for the second half full of belief that they could get back into the match and pin the visitors back. Jack Heffernan moved into midfield with Jamie Lally dropping back into the right-back role. Unfortunately, early momentum shifted when Maree/Oranmore broke down the middle, unleashing a good shot from the edge of the box that beat Avey Mahon to make it 2-0. The boys continued to push. In the seventh minute of the half, Lucas McKenna broke from midfield, weaving through the defence before firing just wide. Minutes later in the 9th minute, a lovely ball from Matthew Kelly sent Lucas through again, but his shot was blocked and turned out for a corner. Colemanstown were growing into the contest, but in the 14th minute, a cross was not dealt with by the defence, allowing the ball to ricochet to an unmarked Maree/Oranmore player who tapped in to make it 3-0—a heartbreaking goal after all the hard work the boys had put in to try to get back into the game. Despite the scoreline, Colemanstown kept creating. In the 22nd minute, Matthew Kelly played another wonderful ball through to Lucas McKenna, who fed Jack Heffernan for a shot that was saved. Andrew Davoren had the thankless job of chasing any ball that was knocked up. Eugene Kelly and Igor Ziolek were working well together while Matthew Kelly and Lucas McKenna were chasing down balls all over the pitch. Finn Scarry then came on to replace James Flaherty in the 25th minute. Against the run of play in the 31st minute, Maree/Oranmore capitalised on a tiring Colemanstown side to add a fourth. However, the team never gave up. Winning the ball back from a strong kick-out by Avey Mahon, Matthew Kelly drove through the heart of the Maree/Oranmore midfield, running at the defence and slotted it away brilliantly to pull one back and make it 4-1 just before the whistle. It was a tough result, but a performance full of grit and determination, and we played much better than the scoreline suggests. Something to build on for the next game. Match Report: Dermot Moore.
Squad: Avey Mahon, Jack Heffernan, Eugene Kelly, Igor Ziolek, Martin Flemming, George Moore, Jamie Lally, Matthew Kelly, Lucas McKenna, James Flaherty, Abiel Sudeep, Andrew Davoren, Finn Scarry
Unavailable: Daniel Kelly, Aaron Burke, James Vignoles, Nathan Cleary, Patrick Collins, Diarmuid Nevin.
U12 Girls: Div 1 /2 Cup: Colemanstown 2 -0 Tuam. Colemanstown U12 Girls made a perfect start to their Divisional Cup campaign with an excellent 2–0 victory away to Tuam on a glorious sunny Sunday morning. Facing a Tuam side competing in the same division & enjoying a strong run of form, the girls knew they would have to work hard to earn their place in the next round. What followed was a determined & disciplined performance, with resolute defending, excellent midfield work & two well-taken goals to secure a deserved victory. Tuam started brightly & seemed to put us under early pressure, but Colemanstown stood firm. Sadie Devaney, Katelyn Costello & Meabh Flannery formed a strong defensive unit, dealing confidently with the hosts attacking threats, while keeper Grace Kelly was alert & dependable whenever called upon. As the opening half progressed, Colemanstown began to find their rhythm. Caoimhe Greene & Meabh Lally linked up well in midfield, worked hard to win possession & got their team moving forward. Out on the right, Lily Hillary caused plenty of problems with her pace & direct running, stretching the Tuam defence & created opportunities for her teammates.
Lexi Hansberry also came close to opening our account with a fine effort from the left, but the Tuam keeper was equal to the task. The breakthrough finally arrived just before half-time & it was worth the wait! Elise Rohan produced a superb individual moment, bursting through the Tuam defence at pace before unleashing a powerful finish that flew underneath the keeper’s legs. It was a brilliant piece of play, combining determination, pace & composure when it mattered most. The goal came at a crucial time, to give Colemanstown the lead heading into the break.
The 2nd half saw Colemanstown continue to work hard, with fresh legs introduced to maintain the intensity. Ava Breslin came on at right-back, while debutant Caoimhe Dolan took up a position on the left wing. Both players settled in well & put in hardworking performances as Colemanstown looked to build on their advantage. At the back, Colemanstown remained rock solid, refusing to give Tuam a way back into the contest. Every player contributed to a superb defensive effort, with Grace Kelly & the defenders ensuring that the home side’s search for an equaliser came to nothing. Amelia Walsh was introduced up front, with Lucy Regan joining the action in midfield & the fresh energy helped Colemanstown push on in search of a second goal. Once again, Elise Rohan was at the heart of the action. She picked up possession & drove forward with real purpose & unleashed another powerful effort that the Tuam keeper could only parry. Lucy Regan was perfectly placed to react, showed excellent awareness & composure to tap home from close range & double Colemanstown’s lead. It was a fantastic reward for the pressure Colemanstown had been building & it put the result firmly within their grasp. Elise deserved huge credit for her role in both goals, first producing a brilliant solo finish to break the deadlock before creating the opportunity for Lucy Regan’s clinching strike. Her pace, direct running & eye for goal caused Tuam problems throughout. Meabh Lally & Meabh Flannery were reintroduced to add fresh energy as Colemanstown saw out the closing stages in confident fashion. The defensive unit remained organised, the midfield continued to work tirelessly & the girls saw the game through without conceding. The final whistle confirmed an excellent 2–0 away victory & a positive start to the Divisional Cup. Well done girls on a superb win & best of luck in the next round! Match Report: Liam Flannery
Squad: Ava Breslin, Meabh Flannery, Elise Rohan, Caoimhe Dolan, Amelia Walsh, Lily Hillary, Meabh Lally, Lucy Regan, Sadie Devaney, Grace Kelly, Caoimhe Greene, Lexi Hansberry, Katelyn Costello.
Men’s Championship: Cois Fharraige 3-5 Colemanstown. Colemanstown United got back to winning ways with an entertaining 5–3 victory away to Cois Fharraige on Sunday morning, in a game that had no shortage of goals or talking points. Facing a lengthy trip to Carraroe, Colemanstown made an excellent start and found themselves two goals to the good inside the opening 15 minutes. Tomas Flannery was on target twice, with Kevin Barrett and Tiernan Proulx providing excellent through balls for two tidy finishes from the Colemanstown forward. Despite Colemanstown controlling much of the opening period, Cois Fharraige struck against the run of play to reduce the deficit, with their striker finishing from close range. Colemanstown restored their two-goal advantage with five minutes remaining in the first half. James Collevy’s long-range free kick deceived the goalkeeper and, following a deflection off a Cous Farraige defender, found its way into the net to make it 3–1. However, there was still time for another twist before the interval. Cois Fharraige right full-back played an excellent one-two with his striker before finishing emphatically at the near post to leave Colemanstown with a slender 3–2 lead at half-time, despite their dominance for large spells of the opening 45 minutes.
Having regrouped at the break, Colemanstown started the second half positively and restored their two-goal cushion on 55 minutes. Thomas Carr produced excellent work down the left, cutting inside and rounding the goalkeeper before calmly slotting home to make it 4–2. Carr was involved again on the 70-minute mark when he beat his defender and was brought down inside the penalty area. Tomas Flannery stepped up and confidently converted from the spot to complete his hat-trick and extend Colemanstown’s advantage. Colemanstown made changes, the first change on 70 minutes, with Adam Wynne replacing Aironas Kantauskas. Richard Silence was introduced for James Cleavey on 75 minutes, before David Walsh and Daniel Keating came on for Carr and Kyle Madden respectively on 85 minutes.
Cois Fharraige refused to give up and found a way back into the game with 10 minutes remaining. A mix-up in the Colemanstown defence led to a scramble, with the ball eventually falling to the home side’s striker, who finished to make it 5–3. The home side applied some pressure in the closing stages, but Colemanstown defended resolutely to see out the remaining minutes and secure a deserved three points on the road. The victory sees Colemanstown sitting third in the Championship after five games played. The lads now have a free weekend before returning to action on Sunday, 25 October, when they face a huge challenge against table-toppers Corrib Rangers
Starting XI: A. Finn (GK), S. Duffy (C), J. Collevy, L. Williams, S. Hardiman, A. Kantauskas, T. Carr, K. Barrett, T. Proulx, T. Flannery, K. Madden. Substitutes: A. Wynne (70’); D. Walsh (85’); D. Keating (85’); R. Silence (75’) J. Kennedy
U14 Girls: Div1 Cup: St Bernard’s 1-2 Colemanstown. Colemanstown U14 Girls produced a fantastic display of teamwork, determination & fighting spirit to overcome neighbours St Bernard’s on a beautiful sunny Sunday morning & secured their place in the semi-final of the Divisional Cup.
Travelling to face a tough & physical St. Bernard’s outfit, the girls knew they’d have to be at their very best & they certainly rose to the occasion with a disciplined & hardworking performance from start to finish. Emily Tuohy was dependable as ever between the posts, while the defensive quartet of Realtin Saunders, Jade Devaney, Zara Kelly & Chloe Burke stood firm throughout, showing great composure & resilience against a determined home side.
In midfield, Rachel Lyons, Lucy Burke Hardiman, Lauren O’Grady & Holly Mellody worked tirelessly as they battled for every ball & provided the platform for Colemanstown to build their attacks. Debutant Megan Kelly was introduced in the 1st half & made a positive impact as she settled in well & contributed well to the team effort. The breakthrough arrived on 26mins following a lovely team move. Ava Forde & Lauren O’Grady combined brilliantly before linking with Helia Costello, whose involvement helped create the opening for Holly Mellody to find the back of the net. It was a superbly worked goal & a deserved reward for Colemanstown’s efforts. This gave Colemanstown a precious 1–0 lead at the interval.
Colemanstown could hardly have wished for a better start to the second half. Just 14 seconds after the restart, Ava Forde struck to double the advantage! Once again, Lauren O’Grady & Helia Costello were central to the move as they linked up superbly to set Ava up for a clinical finish. It was a dream start and gave the visitors a valuable cushion at 2–0. St Bernard’s refused to throw in the towel, however & pulled a goal back to set up a tense finish. With the home side pushing hard, Colemanstown needed to show all their character & defensive resolve. Second-half introductions of Ella Kavanagh, Ruby Lally & Saoirse White helped freshen things up as the girls dug deep in the closing stages. Every player played their part as Colemanstown battled for possession, tracked runners & threw themselves into every challenge. The pressure was intense, but the girls held their nerve & protected their advantage until the final whistle. Barry Forde’s charges now look forward to a Divisional Cup semi-final following a brilliant effort from the entire squad! Match Report: Ann Forde
Squad: Emily Tuohy, Realtin Saunders, Zara Kelly, Jade Devaney, Chloe Burke, Rachel Lyons, Lucy Burke Hardiman, Holly Mellody, Lauren O’Grady, Ava Forde, Helia Costello, Megan Kelly, Ruby Lally, Saoirse White.
U16 Girls: Div 1: Colemanstown 9- 1 Colga B Following 2 away games, it was a return home to for Colemanstown U16 Girls as they produced a superb attacking display to secure a convincing win over Colga B. In a game full of goals, great teamwork & excellent individual performances, Colemanstown were in blistering form from the off. Colemanstown wasted no time in making their mark & raced into a 3–0 lead inside the opening 7 mins. Captain Leah Hansberry opened our account, before Ruth Burke & Shauna McDonagh quickly added to the tally & put any suggestions of slow starts firmly to bed. At the other end, keeper Niamh Lally was well protected by a rock-solid defensive partnership of Kate Mitchell & Muireann Roche at centre-back. The pair were composed throughout & dealt capably with everything Colga threw at them. On 27mins, Ruth Burke grabbed her second of the day following a superb assist from Maddie Rohan to make it 4–0. Colga pulled one back on the half-hour mark with a well-taken header from a corner, but Colemanstown remained firmly in control. Julie Holohan & Katie Quirke were introduced just before the interval, with the excellent understanding between the strike force of Leah Hansberry & Ruth Burke causing constant problems for the Colga defence. Half-time: Colemanstown 4–1 Colga B.
Colemanstown picked up exactly where they left off after the break. 7mins into the 2nd half, Hansberry found the net again, with Maddie Rohan providing her second assist of the match. Ruth Burke followed up almost immediately, to complete her hat-trick after being set up by Shauna McDonagh to extend the lead to 6–1. With the game firmly in their hands, Colemanstown made full use of their squad & introduced Siana O’Grady, Laoise Naughton & Sorcha Nic an Iomaire. From the 52nd -60th minute, Colemanstown continued to press, with efforts from Maddie Rohan, Sorcha Nic an Iomaire & Laura Girvan all tested the Colga goalkeeper. On 64mins, Sorcha Nic an Iomaire produced one of the goals of the game, her effort from outside the box looped beautifully over the keeper & into the net to make it 7–1. Evelyn McDonnell & Kate Flaherty were introduced as Colemanstown continued to push forward, with Sorcha seeing another effort well saved. On 68mins, Leah Hansberry completed her hat-trick as she finished off another excellent move to make it 8–1, with Laura Girvan supplying her 2nd assist of the afternoon. Kara Higgins also saw action late in the game as Colemanstown continued to enjoy themselves going forward. The scoring was completed on 78 minutes when Sorcha Nic an Iomaire claimed her second goal of the match, following some tidy footwork from Julie Holohan before she slotted a low finish into the corner. It was a fantastic all-round performance from the 17-girl squad as they combined clinical finishing with hard work, defensive solidity & excellent teamwork. The strikeforce partnership of Leah Hansberry & Ruth Burke was particularly impressive, as both players finished the afternoon with hat-tricks. Sorcha Nic an Iomaire also made a big impact with 2 goals, while Shauna McDonagh rounded off the scoring contributions.
Special mention must go to the hard-working Laura Girvan & Kate Mitchell for their excellent performances, while Niamh Lally was solid between the posts throughout. Maddie Rohan also deserves recognition for her creative contribution, providing two assists in an impressive attacking display. A big thank you to Elaine Walsh & Margaret Girvan for their assistance on the day. Match Report: Paddy Burke.
Squad: Niamh Lally, Ruth Flaherty, Kate Mitchell, Muireann Roche, Aoife Walsh, Maddie Rohan, Shauna McDonagh, Laura Girvan, Kara Higgins, Ruth Burke, Leah Hansberry, Julie Holohan, Katie Quirke, Siana O’Grady, Laoise Naughton, Sorche Nic an Iomaire, Evelyn McDonnell.