Mens Championship Colemanstown 2-2 Knocknacarra. Colemanstown Utd put in an outstanding performance against Knocknacarra at home on Saturday. Their application & never say die attitude was 100% as they took the game to Knocknacarra but a sucker blow in the end was enough for both sides to share the spoils in a 2-2 draw. Colemanstown started brightly moving the ball around confidently & with purpose. Colemanstown had their first real chance on 15mins when a well delivered free kick into the box caused chaos, ricocheting around before Thady Moran connected to force a superb save from the keeper. The rebound fell perfectly for Harry Mitchell whose powerful header crashed off the crossbar in the same sequence. Our persistence paid off 5mins later when Aironas Kantauskas unleashed a strike that took a slight deflection, though the sheer power of the shot ensured it found the net. Knocknacarra responded quarter hour before half time when a 33-yard free kick was floated into the area. Their striker ghosted in from the left & finished clinically, catching our defense off guard. The score remained 1-1 at the break as Colemanstown opted to stick with the same lineup & formation for the 2nd half. 15mins after the restart we were forced into a reshuffle when keeper Kerrill Hardiman suffered a dislocated finger which prompted Eddie Mitchell to put his medical expertise to use. With Kegs unable to continue, Damien Wynne stepped into an unfamiliar role between the posts. Colemanstown regained the lead when Jason Finn intercepted a pass near the halfway line, weaved past multiple defenders before he linked up with Harry Mitchell, who laid off a lovely pass for Thady Moran who finished with composure. With 20mins to go, young Shane Quirke & Mossy Carr were introduced to freshen things up. However in the dying seconds, we were undone once again in a manner all too familiar this season. A cross from the left found its target & their striker applied the finishing touch. It was a harsh blow especially after successfully defending similar threats during a sustained period of pressure leading to the equaliser. It was a cruel end & one which very well sums up our 2024/25 season. Match Report: Martina Donnellan
Squad: Kerrill Hardiman, Damien Wynne, Aironas Kantauskas, Sean Hardiman, Jason Finn, Alan Finn, Richie Lally, Padraig Quirke, Kyle Madden, Thady Moran, Damien Wynne, Harry Mitchell, Tomas Carr, Shane Quirke, Josh Buckley.
U17 Boys Div1 Barna na Forbacha 3-3 Colemanstown. A Tomas Rogerson brace helped Colemanstown United U17s battle back to earn a thrilling draw against league leaders Bearna na Forbacha. In their penultimate league game of the season, Colemanstown United U17s travelled to Barna to face an undefeated Bearna na Forbacha side, who needed just a point to officially clinch the league title. With no league stakes left for Colemanstown, pride and preparation for next month’s Cup semi-final against the same opposition were the driving factors. On a windy but bright afternoon, the uneven playing surface proved an early challenge for the visitors, who are more accustomed to their home 4G pitch. It took Colemanstown a good 15 minutes to settle into the physical nature of the match, as Bearna came out strong from the first whistle. Bearna struck first just seven minutes in when Colemanstown failed to close down a loose ball at the top of the box, allowing their No.10 to fire a powerful, low shot into the bottom left corner past goalkeeper Sean Cooke, who could do little to stop it. However, Colemanstown responded well, growing into the game with some positive link-up play. The equaliser came in the 15th minute after the ball was played out from the back between a calm Tyler Collins & Cathal Keane, up along the right wing when Ryan Gavin lofted a high ball to Tomas Rogerson, who cleverly flicked it past the Bearna centre back and played in Jack Muldowney on the right edge of the box. Muldowney feinted a right-footed shot, dragged the ball inside, and struck a left-footed effort low and hard beyond the Bearna keeper. Colemanstown should have taken the lead shortly after when Shane Dempsey was through on goal but was blatantly taken down just outside the box. Matthew Keane’s resulting free-kick was destined for the top corner, but the Bearna keeper pulled off an incredible fingertip save. The visitors continued pressing, with Matthew Keane and Eibhear Colleran combining well down the left wing, forcing several corners. One such corner fizzed straight across the goalmouth but evaded all onrushing attackers, narrowly rolling past the far post. Despite controlling large portions of play, Colemanstown were undone on the counterattack just before halftime. Bearna’s pacey left winger managed to get past Cathal Keane and delivered a low cross into the box, which was finished clinically by their No.9 from close range. The teams went into the break with Bearna holding a 2-1 advantage. In response, Colemanstown’s management made tactical adjustments, introducing Darren Moran for Dempsey and shifting to a five-man midfield to match Bearna’s physicality. The switch nearly paid off instantly. Just three minutes into the second half, Moran surged down the right wing and delivered a low cross into the path of Rogerson, who made a diving connection, only to see his effort skim the left post and go wide. Minutes later, Moran won a corner, and Matthew Keane’s pinpoint delivery found captain for the day Josh Buckley’s head, but his effort was straight at the keeper. Ryan Gavin thrived in his new holding midfield role, breaking down Bearna’s attacks, while Shane Quirke was given more attacking freedom, linking up well with Rogerson, Keane and Muldowney. However, Bearna struck again against the run of play, mirroring their previous goal, another cross from the left wing met by their No.9 for a sharp finish. 3-1 to Bearna with 30 minutes left to play. For the next 10 minutes, Colemanstown had to withstand immense pressure, with Tyler Collins and Josh Buckley throwing themselves in front of shots, making crucial blocks. Then, with 15 minutes to go, the visitors went all-out attack, switching to a three-man defense and introducing Jamie Lally up front alongside Rogerson as Lally replaced Muldowney. Their persistence paid off in the 75th minute through a moment of brilliance from Matthew Keane and Shane Quirke. A quickly taken corner saw Keane play short to Quirke, who dribbled into the box before teeing up Rogerson. The striker sharply smashed his shot into the back of the net. 3-2, and the momentum had fully shifted to Colemanstown. Bearna, rattled by the comeback, struggled to regain control as Colemanstown piled on the pressure. Then, in the final moments of the match, the defining moment arrived. Matthew Keane, once again the architect, threaded a perfectly weighted through ball past the Bearna defense. Rogerson, charging at full speed, latched onto it, took one touch, and rifled a low shot beyond the keeper. 3-3! A remarkable comeback completed just before the final whistle. Though Bearna technically secured the league title, there were no celebrations at full-time. Colemanstown’s spirited performance had left them shaken, proving they will be a force to reckon with in the upcoming Cup semi-final. With one league game remaining against Oughterard B in two weeks, Colemanstown now sit third in the table and continue to show their ability to adapt and battle against any team that stands in their way. Match Report: Kara Mullins
Squad: Sean Cooke, Cathal Keane, Josh Buckley(Cpt), Tyler Collins, Eibhear Colleran, Jack Muldowney, Ryan Gavin, Shane Quirke, Matthew Keane, Tomas Rogerson, Shane Dempsey, Darren Moran, Dylan King, Jamie Lally, Niall Grady, Joshua McDonnell, Conor Walsh, Ronan Screene, Nathan Mannion, Adam Doyle. Management: Orla McCaffrey, Kara Mullins & Damien Mannion.