Our ‘A’ team relinquished a slender goal lead late in the game in a 2-2 draw against the students of NUIG at home yesterday. That makes it 5 draws on the trot to date – a rare feat indeed. Manager Gerry Moran was at least hopeful of naming a full strength team for the first time this season but this didn’t work out this time with some players ruled out through injury. NUIG opened the scoring for the visitors on 3mins. Some scrappy defending by Colemanstown and failure to clear the line resulted in an NUIG striker getting a left boot to poke the ball over the goal line. Colemanstown recovered quickly though and showed great resolve thereafter and for the duration of the remainder of the game, played with great exuberance and dominated possession spraying the ball about to good effect with some class moves. Meanwhile NUIG fed off a few rare breaks. Tom Flan in his first start this season had a good first half chance but was quickly crowded out before he had the chance to strike. Paddy Mullins, who put in a huge shift for the 90mins, also had a 20yard strike from the left but the keeper saved well. Squelchy also found himself in good positions in the first half but dwelt a few seconds too long on the ball. 1-0 half time. The second half saw a few changes as Gerry Moran introduced a blend of experience and youth. Veteran Garry O’Grady and young Lee Murphy were introduced adding great invention and craft while Johnny Lally was pushed out wide on the right. The second half started in much the same vein as the first seeing Colemanstown dominate possession. Flan had a penalty plea fall on deaf ears as he was clean through on goal and was clipped from behind but the ref waved play on. It was Flan though that gave us the perfect route back into the game as he squared up the score 1-1 25mins into the 2nd half. He was put through nicely, but still with some work to do, steadied himself and unleashed a right footed shot from the edge of the box to slam home to the left of the keeper. It was no more than Colemanstown deserved. With 4mins to go, Colemanstown went 2-1 up thanks to Damo Wynne after a Tom Flan pass across the box and Wynne’s rasping right footed shot took a deflection off the post and into the net much to the joy of the Colemanstown contingent. But we must wait another while to notch out first win of the season as it was the student visitors who had the last say scoring from a goalmouth scramble, similar enough to their opener as the Colemanstown defence failed to clear and the goal poacher slide in at the back post. There were commendable performances all through but none more so than Sean Hardy at right back, Paddy Mullins on the left wing, Gareth Lally & Ray Moran in midfield who all battled throughout while Flan held up the ball well up front.