Girls U12 Championship: St Bernard’s 0- 3 Colemanstown. Our U12 Girls team travelled to Abbeyknockmoy today to take on neighbours St Bernard’s. Both teams started very strong with both teams sniffing out any attacks. Colemanstown’s back 3 of Aislinn Murray, Faye Ryan & Jade Devaney were in command in defence with the ever reliable custodian Emily Tuohy giving them solid instructions. Grace Flynn led the attack with great runs in behind the defence. There was one clear chance in the first half when Ruby Lally put pressure on Bernard’s defence, won the ball, squared to Holly Mellody who hit the post with a great shot. 0-0 at half time in a tight encounter. Colemanstown started the 2nd half powerfully with Lauren O’Grady winning the ball well, involved Ava Forde who finished to the bottom corner for the opener. Ciara Maybin & Helia Costello were introduced & immediately caused problems with their pace & strength in midfield. The 3 amigos Ava Forde, Lauren O’Grady & Lucy Burke Hardiman worked their magic once more. Ava Forde fed Lucy who found Lauren O’Grady who in turn found the back of the net to make it 2-0. Lucy Burke Hardiman & Ciara Maybin controlled midfield with Aislinn Murray commanding the back three. Our 3rd goal arrived from a Realtin Saunders throw in to Ella Kavanagh who found Lauren O’Grady who claimed her brace & finish off a great win for the girls. Match Report: Barry Forde.
Squad: Emily Tuohy, Jade Devaney, Aislinn Murray, Faye Ryan, Ruby Lally, Lucy Burke Hardiman, Ava Forde, Lauren O’Grady, Grace Flynn, Holly Mellody, Helia Costello, Realtin Saunders, Ciara Maybin, Ella Kavanagh.
U12 Boys Championship 2: East Galway Utd A 1- 4 Colemanstown Utd A in Kiltormer. Our U12 A team boys kicked off their league campaign this morning in sunny Kiltormer with perfect conditions for football. It was a very cagey start for the first few minutes from the lads as both sides tried to get a foothold in the game. The home side struck first after their striker ran onto a perfect through ball. Kerrill Walsh spread himself excellently and made a great body save, but the rebound struck the helpless Ethan Monaghan and ended up in the net. The boys upped it a gear and started to dominate possession with our midfield trio of Se Laffey, Frank Dunne and particularly Oisin Flannery who appeared to be everywhere, started to turn the screw. The pressure eventually paid off after a failed corner clearance fell to Mark Shaughnessy, who fired it home to level the match. Chris Burke, George Costello, and Ethan Monaghan were coping well with the home teams’ attacks while Kerrill Walsh was moping up a few overhit through balls. Half time 1 – 1. Phelim Flynn, Aaron Burke and Jack Grealish were introduced for Kerrill Walsh, Chris Burke and Mark Shaughnessy at the break and they immediately made an impact as we were now enjoying the lions share of possession limiting East Galway to a couple of half chances which Phelim Flynn saved well. A super run through the heart of the defence by Eoghan O’Neill saw him finish nicely to the net to put us in front for the first time in the match. George Moore and Jamie Lally came off the bench for Eoghan O’Neill and Se Laffey and they immediately got into the action with tireless workrate and link up play. East Galway pushed on and despite pinning us back to defend 5 corners in as many minutes, our lads held strong and a quick counter attack with a mazy run this time by Oisin Flannery saw him dance around numerous tackles before cooly slotting home to ease the nerves of the travelling parents and coaches. After a strong second half showing from Jack Grealish he got his just reward when he converted expertly from the penalty spot after being upended himself in the box. Final score East Galway Utd 1 -4 Colemanstown Utd. Match report: Adrian Burke
Squad. Kerrill Walsh, Chris Burke, George Costello, Ethan Monaghan, Se Laffey, Oisin Flannery, Frank Dunne, Mark Shaughnessy, Eoghan O Neill, Phelim Flynn, Jamie Lally, George Moore, Aaron Burke, Jack Grealish.
U16 Boys SFAI Trophy, 2nd Round – Tuam Celtic 2 – 0 Colemanstown United. Colemanstown United U16s travelled to Tuam to face Tuam Celtic today and put up a commendable performance but ultimately fell short, losing 0-2 in a gripping match. The final scoreline didn’t quite reflect the quality and spirit our lads demonstrated throughout the game. From the outset, we played with great determination, trying to press high and maintaining solid possession. Our defensive line of Daniel Booth, Morgan Keogh, Niall “Robbo” Robinson, and Sean Keating were well-organized, thwarting numerous attempts by the home side and providing great cover for Tommy Nutley in goal. For most of the first half, there was very little difference between the two teams. It’s worth noting that Tuam plays a category above us in the league, and it was a moment of brilliance that saw the hosts break the deadlock midway through the first half, taking advantage of a fleeting lapse in concentration with a long-range shot. Undeterred, our boys continued to play with flair and resilience. Our midfield dynamism and steel, with Padraig “Podge” Fallon and Patrick “Paddy” Gavin, ensured we stayed competitive, creating several good plays for our wingers, James Somers and Jamie Cuniffe, and plenty of promising chances that were expertly saved from Martin Mellody and Jamie Lally. Our boys worked tirelessly to create chances. A shoutout goes to the Tuam goalkeeper who pulled off some great saves. The first half ended 1-0 to the hosts. Considering our boys played with a slight uphill pitch in the first half, it was time to bring on some fresh legs. Tom Holahan, Tadgh Hart, and Fionn Proulx came in for Daniel, Padraig, and Niall. The second half saw us pushing forward with renewed vigour. Tadgh Harte went close on a couple of occasions, but once more the Tuam keeper made some super saves. Oisin Gavin came on to help the cause in midfield together with Joshua Lualdi, Gearoid Walsh on the wings, Stephen Murphy, and Ryan Shaughnessy up front, for Paddy Gavin, Martin Mellody, Daniel Booth, Sean Keating and Jamie Lally. Despite our relentless efforts, the hosts capitalised on a counterattack and were awarded a dubious penalty to extend their lead to 2-0. Colemanstown, however, never looked defeated; their determination was evident as they fought until the final whistle, creating additional chances. While the match ended in favour of the home team, our lads can hold their heads really high. Our performance was spirited and full of positives. Each player gave 110%, whether in the starting lineup or coming on as a substitute during the game, and all worked really well together. Better outcomes will come in future games, no better time than our next league game in a couple of weeks time. Match report: Luca Lualdi
U18 Boys Championship: Salthill Devon 0 – 1 Colemanstown. On a glorious Sunday afternoon, a depleted Colemanstown team made the trip to Drom, with only 11 players available, leaving management with no headache in selecting the starting XI. The match began evenly, with both teams playing cautiously. Neither goalkeeper was heavily tested in the first half, although Salthill likely had the better chances. Colemanstown’s best opportunity came from left-back Tiarnan Lohan, who made a great solo run up the pitch, but his speculative shot went wide. After halftime, some positional changes saw Colemanstown gradually grow into the game, with impressive passages of play from Tiarnan Lohan, Jonah Donnellan, Matthew Keane, and Tiarnán Proulx. Despite their dominance, Colemanstown were unlucky not to convert their chances. A through ball from Jonah Donnellan to Matthew Keane put him in a one-on-one with the keeper, but the goal narrowly evaded him. Colemanstown also had a goal ruled out for not crossing the line, and despite a few promising free-kick opportunities, they couldn’t capitalize on them. While Colemanstown dominated the second half, Salthill had some counterattacks, with goalkeeper Fionn Flattery making an important save and solid defensive work from Diarmuid Ryan, Shane Quirke and captain Donnacha Walsh keeping the game level. With 7 minutes remaining, Colemanstown finally found the breakthrough. Lohan made another superb run down the wing, evading defenders and delivering a perfect cross for Proulx, who scored the match-winner. The team’s confidence soared after the goal, and Lohan’s dazzling footwork—complete with stepovers and pullbacks—almost resulted in a second goal, but his shot hit the crossbar. In the dying minutes, Salthill earned a dangerous free-kick, and even brought their goalkeeper up for support in search of an equalizer, but it was to no avail. Colemanstown continued to push forward, with a pass from Fionn Flattery expertly controlled by Lohan, who was fouled as he turned to shoot, earning a free kick. Lohan stepped up to take the free but couldn’t convert. Despite the missed opportunities, the 11 players showed incredible heart and spirit to secure the 3 points, sending them to the top of the table. Final score from Drom: Salthill Devon 0 – 1 Colemanstown. Match report: Roisin Proulx.
Squad: Fionn Flattery, Donnacha Walsh, Shane Duffy, Diarmuid Ryan, Tiarnan Lohan, Matthew Keane, Fionn Campbell, Jonah Donnellan, Tiarnán Proulx, Shane Quirke, Josh Buckley. So you’ve just met Roisin, our budding novice match reporter armed with her phone & a passion for sports with assistance from Mark Keane (I think !) What a professional report for a first timer !