Men’s Championship: Oranmore 5-0 Colemanstown. Oranmore cruised to a commanding 5 – 0 victory over Colemanstown in Oranmore on Saturday as they delivered a harsh lesson to our lads who, despite the scoreline, put in a spirited effort. The hosts made a dream start as they scored twice in quick succession early on to establish control of the game. They continued to pile on the pressure & struck a crucial 3rd goal before halftime which felt like a sucker punch to Colemanstown’s efforts. Colemanstown’s best chance to get back into the match came when Thady Moran unleashed a powerful strike that rattled the crossbar, bounced straight down onto the goal line before being desperately cleared away. The near miss proved to be a defining moment; had it gone in, the game might have taken a different turn. Oranmore capitalised on their reprieve as they tightened their grip on proceedings. Their 4th goal came from a well worked corner soon after the restart while their 5th arrived late in the game, perhaps slightly against the run of play as Colemanstown pushed to salvage some pride. Despite the defeat, Colemanstown’s performance wasn’t as poor as the scoreline suggests. They showed flashes of promise but were repeatedly let down by bad luck & a ruthless Oranmore side that took its chances clinically. On a nicer note, young prospects Josh Buckley & Matthew Keane were handed their first team debuts, both introduced with 15mins remaining. Their appearances offer some hope for the future, but the focus for now is firmly on survival. Staying up in the Championship will require something of a minor miracle at this stage, but with the right mix of effort, belief, & perhaps a bit of lady luck, Colemanstown’s season may not yet be over. Match Report: Martina Donnellan
Squad: Alan ‘Junior’ Finn, Kerrill Hardiman, Sean Hardiman, Jason Finn, Dylan Grady, Richie Lally, Padraig Quirke, Kevin Barrett, Alan Finn, Thady Moran, Harry Mitchell, Damien Wynne, Shane Duffy, Jack Dillon, Josh Buckley, Matthew Keane.
U12B Boys Div 2 Colemanstown Utd B: 4 – 2 Moyne Villa B. Colemanstown welcomed Moyne Villa for our home fixture on Saturday 8th March. It was a lovely sunny day with a slight breeze blowing towards the playground end of the pitch. It was a must win game to keep our position in third place on the table. With a strong panel of 17 players we again had the luxury to rotate players in all positions which proved very important in unusually warm conditions. The game started off at a blistering pace and from a promising attacking position Colemanstown found themselves over turned and caught with a brilliant counter attach which Moyne Villas sharp shooter finished to the net leaving no chance for Avey Mahon in goal. 1 – 0 down after 3 minutes. This was a wakeup call and left us in no doubt of the oppositions quality and their ability to score goals. Our defensive back three of Iarla Thompson, Igor Ziolek & Senan Prolux were now on high alert and were much tighter defending from then onwards. Colemanstown began to pile on the pressure through our hard working midfielders of Oisin Kelly, Conor Finnerty & Cathal Burns creating chances for our forwards Andrew Davoren and Dara Ryan. Eventually after 10mins Cathal Burns got on the end of a great corner kick from Dara Ryan and finished to the net for the equaliser. Dara Ryan and Oisin Kelly had furthers shots on goal brilliantly saved by the Moyne Villa keeper before a long range effort from Cathal Burns found its way to the roof of the net. Now 2 – 1 up and creating a lot of chances with the aid of the breeze Colemanstown pressed and were rewarded with two mores goals from Cathal Burns after great link play through midfield and up front. Colemanstown were 4 – 1 up by half time. At half time we made changes on all lines. Oisin Duane, Eugene Kelly and James Flaherty were introduced in defence; Eoghan Kelly, Eoghan Burke and James Vignoles in midfield and Matthew Hansbury and Niall Keane up front. We knew the second half was going to take a huge effort to protect the lead and our midfielders were aware of the counter attacking abilities of Moyne Villa. From the very beginning of the second half Moyne Villa attacked with intent and within 3 minutes they managed to score to bring the score to 4 – 2. Our lads got to the pace of the game immediately after this early shock and worked tirelessly for the second half. Only for some brilliant defending and excellent saves from Avey Mahon, Colemanstown’s lead would be further reduced. We eventually weathered the storm and for the last 5 mins of the game Colemanstown began to dominate possession and again created some scoring opportunities. The game ended 4 – 2 with a valuable win secured. We travel to MacDara next Saturday for an away game and with both teams on equal points, but MacDara ahead on goal difference, another battle awaits our lads which we are looking forward to. Match Report: Peter Kelly.
Squad: Avey Mahon, Iarla Thompson, Igor Ziolek, Senan Proulx, Oisin Kelly, Cathal Burns, Conor Finnerty, Andrew Davoren, Dara Ryan, Oisin Duane, Eugene Kelly, James Flaherty, Eoghan Kelly, James Vignoles, Matthew Hansberry, Niall Keane, Eoghan Burke.
U17 Boys Div1: Colemanstown 5-2 Athenry B. Colemanstown United U17s secured their 6th consecutive win with 5-2 victory over Athenry B on Sunday afternoon. On a picture-perfect Sunday Colemanstown United U17s hosted Athenry B in a crucial Division 1 league fixture. Riding high on a five-game winning streak, the home side extended their dominant run with an emphatic 5-2 victory, propelling them into third place in the league table. The match saw some notable changes to the Colemanstown lineup, with regular goalkeeper Sean Cooke away on holidays. Stepping up to the challenge, Joshua McDonnell donned the gloves and delivered a standout performance, making vital saves at key moments. His teammates and management applauded his efforts, recognising the difficulty of standing between the posts when unaccustomed to the role. Another change saw Shane Dempsey earn a starting spot alongside Tomas Rogerson up front, rewarded for his strong form in training—an opportunity he seized by getting on the scoresheet. From the outset, Colemanstown controlled possession with impressive composure, moving the ball efficiently and demonstrating their growing confidence. Their ability to retain possession under pressure was a testament to their continued development, making them an enjoyable team to watch. It took just eight minutes for Colemanstown to break the deadlock. After Adam Doyle was fouled near the left corner flag, Matthew Keane cleverly spotted Shane Quirke unmarked at the edge of the box. Quirke made no mistake, curling a stunning effort into the far-right top corner—an early sign of Colemanstown’s attacking intent. The home side continued to create chances, showcasing excellent link-up play from the back. At the 25-minute mark, a flowing move started by Josh Buckley and Cathal Keane saw the ball worked to Matthew Keane on the right. Beating his marker, he delivered a low cross that Rogerson let run, allowing left-back Eibhear Colleran to strike. His well-placed effort skimmed the outside of the post, narrowly missing out on a deserved goal. Despite their dominance, Colemanstown were given a scare when Athenry launched a quick counterattack. A long ball sent their striker through one-on-one with McDonnell, who produced a superb diving save to preserve the lead. On 37 minutes following some neat footwork from Shane Dempsey, who drew two defenders before laying it off to Keane who saw his shot cannon off the crossbar and cleared by the Athenry defence. But 40 mins into the first half Colemanstown extended their well deserved lead by some great play in midfield from Ryan Gavin and Adam Doyle who played through Dempsey, his shot rebounded off the keeper was met by the poaching Rogerson who had an easy tap in finish. 2-0 to Colemanstown. Moments later, another Matthew Keane corner found Josh Buckley, whose header was saved, but Shane Dempsey reacted quickest to slot home, giving Colemanstown a commanding 3-0 lead at halftime. Athenry came out firing in the second half, capitalising on a brief lapse in concentration to score twice in quick succession. A defensive mistake gifted them their first, while a well-taken header from a corner reduced the deficit to 3-2 within the first ten minutes of the restart. Despite the setback, Colemanstown remained composed. Centre-back Tyler Collins was immense once again, living up to his reputation as an impenetrable “brick wall.” Meanwhile, Ryan Gavin and Captain Shane Doyle worked tirelessly in midfield, doing the unsung work that allowed their teammates to thrive. This provided the platform for Shane Quirke and Matthew Keane to create chance after chance out on the wings. A disallowed goal for Quirke, who had expertly nodded home a Matthew Keane cross, briefly halted the Athenry momentum. This disallowed goal only fueled Colemanstown’s determination. At the 55-minute mark, another pinpoint Keane corner found the onrushing Ryan Gavin, who powered his header home to restore a two-goal cushion. Set pieces have been a major weapon for Colemanstown in recent weeks, and this goal was another example of their aerial prowess. With a 4-2 lead, Colemanstown introduced Jamie Lally for Tomas Rogerson in the 60th minute. It didn’t take long for the substitute to make an impact. Shane Quirke picked out Lally with a perfectly weighted ball over the top, and the young striker executed a sublime volley over the goalkeeper to put the game beyond doubt at 5-2. Further substitutions saw Ronan Screene and Dylan King enter the fray, with Screene almost adding a sixth goal, only to be denied by the Athenry keeper. King immediately settled into the game, linking up well in midfield and contributing to Colemanstown’s composed finish. In the end, Athenry’s spirited fightback was not enough to shake this resilient Colemanstown side. Their ability to remain calm under pressure and regain control of the match speaks volumes about their progress this season. Now sitting third in the league table and pushing for promotion, this talented young team shows no signs of slowing down. Colemanstown prepare now for their next game in two weeks time when they are away to Division 1 kingpins Bearna Na Forbacha in the league on March 23rd. Match Report: Kara Mullins.
Squad: Joshua McDonnell, Eibhear Colleran, Josh Buckley, Tyler Collins, Cathal Keane, Matthew Keane, Adam Doyle (Cpt), Ryan Gavin, Shane Quirke, Shane Dempsey, Tomas Rogerson, Ronan Screene, Jamie Lally, Dylan King, Niall Grady, Sean Cooke, Darren Moran, Conor Walsh, Jack Muldowney, Nathan Mannion. Management Trio: Orla McCaffrey, Damien Mannion & Kara Mullins.