Men’s Championship: Corrib Rangers 1 -2 Colemanstown. Colemanstown A Team secured their second win of the season in dramatic fashion snatching a last minute winner away to Corrib Rangers on Sunday. This vital 3 points has helped propel them two places off the bottom of the table & a much needed boost in their battle to avoid relegation with four teams set to go down this year. The opening 20 mins were evenly contested with few clear cut chances for either side. Corrib Rangers were the first to threaten, but Alan ‘Junior’ Finn put in a Man of the Match performance between the posts, making superb saves at key moments. He commanded his box brilliantly, confidently collecting dangerous deliveries and punching others clear. The defensive unit of Dylan Grady, Luke Williams, Sean Hardiman & Alan Finn stood firm dealing very well with the early pressure. The hosts took the lead around the 25min mark when a deflected shot from outside the box found its way into the net. The remainder of the 1st half was largely uneventful with Colemanstown unable to carve out any significant opportunities. A tactical reshuffle at halftime saw Thady Moran push further forward to support Harry Mitchell who had been operating as a lone striker. 10mins into the 2nd half Padraig Quirke replaced Kerrill Hardiman as Colemanstown increased the intensity. Their attacking intent was rewarded midway through the half when sustained pressure led to a penalty for a handball. Richie Lally stepped up and calmly slotted home to level the score at 1 – 1. Shortly afterwards Alan Finn was forced off with an injury which made way for the introduction of Jason Finn at left back; a substitution that proved to be a masterstroke. Colemanstown piled forward in the final 20mins searching for a winner. With just 2mins left on the clock Geordan Kenny delivered a pinpoint cross from the left & Jason Finn rose highest to head home a dramatic late goal. The closing moments saw intense pressure from Corrib Rangers but Colemanstown defended resolutely to see out the win. It was a well-deserved & crucial win & a while in the making. The lads now look to build on this momentum as they continue their fight for survival. So lets hope they continue to surf the wave. A word of credit to Corrib Rangers whose pitch was in immaculate condition despite the heavy rainfall leading up to the match. Match Report: Martina Donnellan
Squad: Alan Junior Finn, Dylan Grady, Luke Williams, Sean Hardiman, Alan Finn, Richie Lally, Thady Moran, Kerrill Hardiman, Damien Wynne, Geordan Kenny, Harry Mitchell, Ciaran Keating, Jack Kennedy, Jason Finn, Padraig Quirke, Thomas Broderick.
U14 Div 1 Girls Colemanstown Utd 0 – 6 Kinvara Utd. Our U14 Girls faced a challenging league encounter against table toppers Kinvara on a wet and cold Sunday in Colemanstown. Despite putting in a determined & spirited performance, the gulf in class between the sides was evident as Kinvara came well armoured & proved to be the dominant force from the off. The 1st half saw our girls work tirelessly to contain the visitors but Kinvara’s slick passing & attacking movement resulted in a 4-0 deficit at the break. Keeper Lucy Butler was kept busy throughout making several key saves to prevent further damage. Tara Dillon had a chance to get on the scoresheet in the 1st half but a slight misjudgment denied her the opportunity. A very positive note from the game was the energy & enthusiasm brought by Laura Hayes & Laoise Naughton who both stepped up from the U13 ranks & showed great promise. Colemanstown improved significantly in the 2nd half, enjoyed better spells of possession & created some attacking opportunities. However Kinvara’s quality still shone through as they added 2 more goals to seal a convincing win. Despite this being our first league defeat of the season we still remain in 2nd place on the table with 3 games yet to play. The girls took plenty of positives & learnings from the performance & will look to bounce back in the next fixture in 2 weeks time. Match Report: Niall Rohan
Squad: Lucy Butler, Aoife Walsh, Grace Connolly, Tia Loughnane, Niamh Naughton, Emma Collins, Muireann Roche, Shauna McDonagh, Tara Dillon, Leah Hansberry, Evelyn McDonnell, Maddie Rohan, Laura Hayes, Laoise Naughton.
U18 Boys Premier / Championship Cup Colemanstown 0 – 2 Knocknacarra. On a cold Sunday in Colemanstown, the line between Premier League & Championship competitors was nearly indistinguishable as our U18’s battled fiercely against Knocknacarra in the Premier / Championship Cup. The game was only minutes old when Shane Duffy unleashed a powerful strike from outside the box, but the Knocknacarra custodian gathered it well. Knocknacarra then enjoyed a strong spell forcing Sean Cooke who stepped up from the U17s in place of the injured Fionn Flattery, into an excellent save at the back post from a curling corner. The visitors had a golden opportunity soon after, but Cooke pulled off a spectacular stop to keep the game level. Colemanstown nearly took the lead in stunning fashion when a long ball fell to Josh Buckley who spotted the keeper off his line & fired in an audacious lob from near midfield. As the Colemanstown crowd erupted, the ball agonisingly struck the post with Fionn Campbell unable to convert the rebound before Knocknacarra scrambled it clear. Josh Buckley & Kyle Madden linked up well on the 20min mark, with Madden firing just wide from the edge of the box before another Kyle Madden effort from a tight angle was saved. At the other end, Knocknacarra wasted a huge chance missing an open goal after Sean Cooke had advanced off his line. As Knocknacarra pushed forward Cooke was once again called into action & produced a diving save to maintain the stalemate. Just before halftime, Buckley attempted another long range lob, only to see the ball strike the same post for the second time in almost the exact same spot. Colemanstown defended resolutely from a dangerous Knocknacarra free kick but just before the break, Knocknacarra finally broke through. A well worked move saw their striker’s initial shot saved by Sean Cooke, but the rebound was tapped into an empty net leaving the visitors 1 – 0 up at halftime. The 2nd half saw the introduction of Cathal Keane on the left wing. Colemanstown had the first real chance minutes after the restart when Buckley was fouled but David Walsh’s free kick was fired straight at the keeper. Knocknacarra then took control of the game for a spell though Shane Duffy won another free kick taken by Madden which was spilled in the box, but despite a frantic scramble, Colemanstown couldn’t find the finishing touch. With 10mins left, a superb pass from Shane Quirke sent Madden through on goal, but he was inches away from converting. A minute later, a quickly taken Knocknacarra corner caught the Colemanstown defence off guard, allowing their striker to work the ball into a scoring position and drill it past Cooke to make it 2 – 0 with 9mins to play. Sean Connolly was introduced on the left wing in place of the tireless Kyle Madden & in the dying moments Sean Cooke produced two breathtaking saves, the latter acrobatically tipped over the bar. Right at the death Buckley had one final chance, sprinting onto a long ball & firing at goal, but his effort was saved, with the rebound flashing across the face of the goal mouth. 2-0 it finished to the visitors & despite the final result & missing key players the Colemanstown lads put in a tremendous shift, pushing a strong Knocknacarra side to their limits. It was a performance full of grit & heart & they can hold their heads high after a valiant effort full of worthy praise. Sean Cooke stepped up well for his first U18 game & displayed great composure in goal, while the back 4: Donnacha Walsh, Diarmuid Ryan, Aironas Kantauskas & David Walsh held firm, with Aironas leading superbly, as he read the game brilliantly & organised the defence with confidence. Shane Duffy worked like a horse & drove forward at every opportunity while also tracking back to support defensively. Fionn Campbell in the 1st half and Cathal Keane in the second provided quality on the wings while Conor van Oosterhout & Shane Quirke were a delight to watch in midfield with some superb passing play. Up front Josh Buckley was outstanding, holding up play well & showed excellent awareness. Sean Connolly also made a solid impact on the right wing when introduced. Match Report: Martina Donnellan
Squad: Sean Cooke, Donnacha Walsh, Diarmuid Ryan, Aironas Kantauskas, David Walsh, Shane Duffy, Fionn Campbell, Shane Quirke, Conor van Oosterhout, Kyle Madden, Josh Buckley, Cathal Keane, Sean Connolly.
U12 Girls Connaught Cup. Colemanstown 1 – 4 Castlerea. On a blustery Sunday afternoon in Colemanstown our U12 girls welcomed Castlerea for the last 16 of the Connacht Cup in a game which saw our young team face a physically imposing opposition. Castlerea immediately set the tone when they scored an unfortunate early goal within the first 10mins which put them on the front foot. They continued to assert their dominance earning a controversial free kick soon after; their striker curled the ball into the net to make it 2-0 by halftime. Despite the setback our defenders Jade Devaney, Aislinn Murray & Faye Ryan put in a strong performance, though they were eventually breached by a fiercely persistent Castlerea side. In goal Emily Tuohy had a busy day, making a host of impressive saves; with a few shake offs of the fingers to kill to the sting of some very powerful Castlerea shots. Fresh legs were brought on in the form of Ciara Maybin to help bolster our efforts. The 2nd half saw further tactical adjustments with the introduction of Holly Mellody & Grace Flynn. Despite valiant efforts from Helia Costello, Ruby Lally, Lauren O’Grady, Ava Forde & Lucy Burke Hardiman our young side found it difficult to break through Castlerea’s resolute defence. The hosts maintained the pressure, adding 2 more goals, though a late strike from Ava Forde ensured a final score of 4 – 1 in favour of Castlerea. Erin Holmes, Realtin Saunders & Ella Kavanagh also saw game time before the final whistle contributing to a spirited effort from our girls. Special mention to Lauren O’Grady who tirelessly covered every blade of grass on the pitch. There’s a bit of the mother & father in her! A big thank you to our amazing vocal supporters who came out in force to cheer on the girls & also provided some delightful welcome treats for both sides after the match. We wish Castlerea the best of luck in the remainder of the competition. Match report: Anne Forde
Squad: Emily Tuohy, Jade Devaney, Aislinn Murray, Faye Ryan, Ruby Lally, Lauren O’Grady, Lucy Burke Hardiman, Helia Costello, Ava Forde, Ciara Maybin, Holly Mellody, Grace Flynn, Erin Holmes, Realtin Saunders, Ella Kavanagh.