Boys U13 Div 2. Athenry 3 – 2 Colemanstown. Our U13 boys experienced a hard fought 3-2 defeat away to Athenry B on Sunday, a game that was clearly divided into two contrasting halves. Colemanstown put in a spirited 1st half display, as they started strongly demonstrating great fight and a flowing passing game. The breakthrough came on 12mins when Iarla Griffin capitalised on a superb pass from Richie O’Connor & with a display of impressive pace, Griffin raced in on goal, beat the advancing keeper & slotted home a beautifully worked goal from the back. Just 2mins later in a mirror image move, this time Kealan Murray released Iarla Griffin once again. The talented Griffin outpaced the last defender, found himself one-on-one with the keeper & composed himself before he slotted home his 2nd to give Colemanstown a 2-0 lead. However the hosts quickly regained their composure. On 26mins they were awarded a penalty which levelled the score & just 2mins later, they struck again from the ensuing play as Colemanstown’s defence was caught off-guard. The teams departed for halftime locked at 2-2. The 2nd half completely belonged to Athenry. They took the lead for the first time 8mins after the restart & maintained relentless pressure throughout the remainder of the game. Despite our best efforts we were unable to generate any significant chances as Athenry’s disciplined and persistent play stifled our attack. Although Athenry earned another penalty later on & had the opportunity to further extend their lead; the spot kick thundered off the crossbar & was well defended by Colemanstown which offered a glimmer of hope for our lads. In the end, the game petered out as Athenry emerged victorious 3-2. The Colemanstown lads though were left looking like battered boxers after a valiant effort & can take pride in their 1st half performance & will only learn from facing such a determined Athenry side. Match report: Martina Donnellan
Squad: Connor Saunders, Adam Mitchell, Sean Forde, Marc Scarry, George Costello, Oran Cosgrove, Kealan Murray, Caelan Noone, Thomas Kennedy, Ritchie O’Connor, Iarla Griffin, Oisin Flannery, Se Laffey, Daniel O’Dea, Tim Ruane.
Girls U13 Div 1 Colemanstown 1 – 5 East Galway Utd. Colemanstown U-13 girls suffered their fourth league defeat of the season at home to a strong East Galway United side. Missing key players Laura Hayes & Niamh Lally, the team struggled to match their usual performance levels while the visitors took control of the game largely thanks to their in-form striker, who played a pivotal role in all 5 of their goals. The opening goal arrived just 9mins in when East Galway Utd’s striker broke through the Colemanstown defence, cut in from the left, and finished clinically from inside the 6’ box. However Colemanstown responded well & on the quarter hour mark Sorcha Nic an Iomaire levelled the score with a well-taken left-footed strike from 12 yards after the ball broke kindly for her. The visitors regained the lead before halftime with their striker again proving unstoppable. This time she cut in from the right and unleashed a powerful left footed shot that clipped the underside of the crossbar on its way into the net, making it 2-1 at the break. Early in the 2nd half, Colemanstown’s defence failed to clear a loose ball in the box, allowing East Galway Utd to poke home a scrappy 3rd goal. Colemanstown had a chance to pull one back when Sorcha Nic an Iomaire fired in a high goal bound effort, but the East Galway keeper made a fine fingertip save. As Colemanstown pushed forward in search of a way back into the game, the visitors struck again, capitalising on a one-on-one opportunity to score their 4th, leaving Lily Burke with no chance in goal. Lauren O’Grady also had a shot well saved by the visiting keeper before East Galway Utd sealed the win with a late 5th goal, finishing from close range at the back post. Despite the defeat, Colemanstown will look to regroup and improve for their next game. The visitors were deserving winners on the day as they displayed a superior passing game & took their chances well. Match Report: Martina Donnellan
Squad: Lily Burke, Lauryn Murphy, Laoise Naughton, Amy Morrissey, Sianna O’Grady, Kate Geary, Kayla Maloney, Julie Holohan, Sorcha Nic an Iomaire, Aoife Flynn, Lauren O’Grady, Mia Corcoran, Ava Forde.
U17 Boys Div1. Colemanstown 4 – 1 Oranmore Maree B. Colemanstown United continued their impressive run of form with a dominant 4-1 away win over Maree/Oranmore B. This third consecutive league victory sees them climb to 4th place in the table, with two games in hand; keeping them firmly in the race for league honours. The game got off to a scrappy start, with both teams struggling to get the ball down and play. Colemanstown, however, looked the sharper of the two sides, with the first real chance falling to Ryan Gavin after some excellent hold-up play by Tomas Rogerson. Gavin’s shot from the right wing struck the side netting. Minutes later, Shane Quirke showed his individual brilliance, weaving through defenders to create space, only to see his shot drift wide. Despite Colemanstown’s early dominance, Maree/Oranmore struck first against the run of play. A quick counterattack caught Colemanstown off guard after a midfield turnover, allowing the home side to fire past Sean Cooke in goal. 1-0 to Maree/Oranmore after 15 minutes – a finish that gave Cooke no chance, despite his goalkeeping style reminiscent of ex-Manchester United shot-stopper David De Gea. Unfazed by the setback, Colemanstown showed their growing resilience, refusing to let their heads drop. Quirke continued to pull the strings, delivering a pinpoint cross from the left that found the outstretched boot of Tomas Rogerson – just inches from turning it in. Colemanstown’s defence of Tyler Collins, Josh Buckley, Conor Walsh, and Nathan Mannion then tightened up, snuffing out any further Maree/Oranmore attacks. The game took a dramatic turn when Nathan Mannion suffered a serious knee injury, forcing him off and bringing on Cathal Keane. Tyler Collins also made way for Jack Muldowney as Colemanstown reshuffled. Shortly after the restart, a clash between captain Adam Doyle and a Maree/Oranmore player resulted in an accidental boot to the nose, forcing another substitution for the home side. Doyle received a harsh yellow card for the incident. With the first half running long due to stoppages, the referee opted for a quick turnaround at halftime. After settling into their rhythm, Colemanstown finally got the equaliser they deserved. Muldowney sparked the attack, playing the ball into Rogerson, who expertly swiveled and unleashed a half-volley from outside the box. The Maree/Oranmore keeper got a hand to it, but the strike had too much power and precision—1-1! The visitors didn’t stop there. Moments later, a corner from Rogerson was cleared to Adam Doyle at the edge of the box. This time, after blazing over a similar effort in the first half, he kept his composure this time, drilling a low shot into the bottom-right corner – Colemanstown 2-1! With Matthew Keane covering every inch of midfield, he was substituted for Darren Moran, who moved to the right wing, while Ryan Gavin shifted centrally to partner Adam Doyle. Following a controversial moment in the 70th minute, Colemanstown responded with Shane Quirke dropped into midfield, bringing that calmness and control that was needed. The third goal was a masterpiece from a set piece coming from a very deserving duo. A corner from Tomas Rogerson found Conor Walsh at the back post, who smartly headed the ball across goal for his center-back partner Josh Buckley, who volleyed it into the roof of the net – 3-1 Colemanstown!As Maree/Oranmore pushed forward, Colemanstown’s defense stood firm, absorbing pressure and frustrating the home side. Ronan Screene came on in the 80th minute and nearly grabbed a goal, his long-range strike curling just wide. Joshua McDonnell replaced Eibhear Colleran at left back and made no mistakes & injected the team with great energy. The final goal was pure class. A dazzling solo run from Jack Muldowney, skipping past multiple defenders, ended with a perfect through ball to Darren Moran. With one touch to control, he smashed a shot off the crossbar and in a stunning finish to wrap up the game at 4-1. As the final whistle blew, Colemanstown’s players erupted in celebration. In the dressing room, a drumroll led to the coaches pinning another three points on the league table—a moment of pride and determination for this ever-improving squad. Everyone at Colemanstown United extends best wishes to Nathan Mannion and the injured Maree/Oranmore player for a swift recovery.
Standout Performances on the day: Shane Quirke – A football maestro, bringing skill and composure for the duration of the game. Eibhear Colleran – Thriving at left-back, making the position his own. Tomas Rogerson – Outstanding at number 9, proving a constant threat. Matthew Keane, Ryan Gavin & Adam Doyle – A midfield trio that will be hard to beat in the league. Jack Muldowney – The new signing impressed with his energy and creativity. Josh Buckley, Conor Walsh & Nathan Mannion – Rock solid at the back. Match Report: Kara Mullins
Squad: Sean Cooke, Tyler Collins, Josh Buckley, Conor Walsh, Nathan Mannion, Eibhear Colleran, Ryan Gavin, Adam Doyle, Matthew Keane, Tomas Rogerson, Shane Quirke, Ronan Screene, Cathal Keane, Darren Moran, Joshua McDonnell, Jack Muldowney, Shane Dempsey, NialL Grady, Jamie Lally, Dylan King, Tommy Muldoon. Management: Orla McCaffrey, Kara Mullins & Damien Mannion
Joe Ryan Cup: Maree Oranmore 1 – 0 Colemanstown. In a tightly contested Joe Ryan Cup game on Saturday, our A team succumbed to a narrow 1-0 defeat away to Maree/ Oranmore FC. The game was characterised by strong defensive performances from both sides resulting in limited clear cut opportunities. In the 1st half Colemanstown managed to create a couple of half chances through Alan Finn and Kevin Barrett but the score remained 0-0 at halftime with little to separate the teams. The decisive moment arrived 15mins into the 2nd half when Alan ‘Junior’ Finn made an excellent save following an attack down our left flank. Unfortunately shortly after, a miscontrol allowed an Oranmore striker to capitalise & score into an empty net giving Maree/ Oranmore the lead. In response Colemanstown pressed forward in search of an equaliser. Subs Shane Duffy & Damien Wynne made notable impacts off the bench. With 5mins to go, Harry Mitchell delivered a precise ball from the left to Shane Duffy who narrowly missed the target from close range. Despite a valiant effort to level matters the game finished with a 1-0 loss. The lads displayed commendable determination throughout & will aim to build on this performance this coming weekend. Match Report: Martina Donnellan
Squad: Alan ‘Junior’ Finn, Dylan Grady, Luke Williams, Ritchie Lally, Kerrill Hardiman, James Collevy, Aironas Kantauskas, Kevin Barrett, Padraig Quirke, Alan Finn, Harry Mitchell, Damien Wynne, Shane Duffy, Jack Kennedy, Jack Dillon, Cathal Kitt, Sean Hardiman, Thomas Broderick.