Colemanstown ‘A’ 3 – 4 Cloonfad Utd (AET)
Our Men’s ‘A’ Team played a thrilling match away to Cloonfad United in the Connacht Cup last Sunday, but ultimately fell short in extra time.
The game was off to a quick start with a goal from Richard Lally just a minute in, scoring from a free kick that found its way to the bottom corner. Cloonfad responded 25 minutes later with their first chance of the game and took the lead 10 minutes later. This started a three-minute period that saw three goals. The next 2 goals came our way through Gary Lally, one from a cool finish after an Alan Naughton cross found its way to his feet, and the second a beautiful chip from 35 yards out on the sideline. The score remained the same at halftime, with the lads holding a well-deserved lead but feeling it could have been more comfortable.
In the second half, Cloonfad came out stronger and put us under pressure from the start. Alan Finn Jr came in to goal in place of Tom Broderick and was kept busy throughout the half. With 10 minutes left in the game, Cloonfad scored on the counter-attack to level the score. The game ended in a draw and headed into extra time.
Cloonfad scored early in extra time, and despite our best efforts, we were unable to break them down. Although the result was disappointing it was a worthwhile runout and blew off the cobwebs in our first game of 2023. Match Report by Johnny Lally.