2008-2009 MAREE/ORANMORE JUVENILE SOCCER CLUB INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT
Please note that this page updates Under 7 and Under 8 Tournament only. For the Under 9 and Under 10 Tournament updates see here
Details from Liam O’Carroll (087) 648 86 84.
U-7 Enquiries to Mike Shivnan (086) 850 14 56
U-8 Enquiries to Noreena O'Brien (086) 391 84 70
Why not Take the Slideshow Tour of the Last Day of last year’s Tournament Here:
Under 7 Invitational Tournament Final 5/4/09
Maree/Oranmore win Under 7 Invitational Tournament Cup in style. Athenry secure runners-up spot with Colga and Cregmore/Claregalway in very close attendance.
Results
Maree/Oranmore Colts 3 Colga Swans 0
Maree/Oranmore Tigers 1 Colga Foxes 2
Athenry Cubs 0 Cregmore/Claregalway Robins 1
Athenry Lions 1 Cregmore/Claregalway Cygnets 2
Final Club Positions and Points Total
1. Maree/Oranmore 26
2. Athenry 14
3. Colga 13
4. Cregmore/Claregalway 12
Under 8 Invitational Tournament Final 5/4/09
Colga win Under 8 Invitational Tournament Cup with Athenry just one point behind in the runners-up spot. Maree/Oranmore finish strongly to secure third place ahead of Cregmore/Claregalway.
Results
Athenry Pirates 1 Maree/Oranmore Stars 2
Athenry Harps 1 Colga Boys 3
Colga Comets 4 Cregmore/Claregalway Aces 2
Colga Titans 1 Maree/Oranmore Rockets 3
U7 INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT
Club Positions (Points Total)
1. Maree/Oranmore 26
2. Athenry 14
3. Colga 13
4. Cregmore/Claregalway 12
Results
23/11/08
Maree/Oranmore Colts 1 Colga Foxes 0
Maree/Oranmore Tigers 2 Colga Swans 0
Athenry Cubs 0 Cregmore/Claregalway Cygnets 1
Athenry Lions 0 Cregmore/Claregalway Robins 0
21/12/08
Maree/Oranmore Colts 1 Athenry Lions 0
Maree/Oranmore Tigers 0 Athenry Cubs 0
Colga Foxes 4 Cregmore/Claregalway Robins 1
Colga Swans 0 Cregmore/Claregalway Cygnets 0
25/1/09
Maree/Oranmore Colts 3 Cregmore/Claregalway Robins 0
Maree/Oranmore Tigers 5 Cregmore/Claregalway Cygnets 0
Athenry Cubs 3 Colga Swans 0
Athenry Lions 1 Colga Foxes 1
7/2/09
Maree/Oranmore Colts 0 Athenry Cubs 0
Maree/Oranmore Tigers 0 Athenry Lions 1
Colga Foxes 0 Cregmore/Claregalway Cygnets 0
Colga Swans 1 Cregmore/Claregalway Robins 0
14/2/09
Maree/Oranmore Colts 3 Cregmore/Claregalway Cygnets 0
Maree/Oranmore Tigers 1 Cregmore/Claregalway Robins 0
Athenry Cubs 0 Colga Foxes 0
Athenry Lions 1 Colga Swans 0
5/4/09
Maree/Oranmore Colts 3 Colga Swans 0
Maree/Oranmore Tigers 1 Colga Foxes 2
Athenry Cubs 0 Cregmore/Claregalway Robins 1
Athenry Lions 1 Cregmore/Claregalway Cygnets 2
U8 INVITATIONAL TOURNAMENT
Club Positions (Points Total)
1. Colga 30
2. Athenry 29
3. Maree/Oranmore 23
4. Cregmore/Claregalway 14
Results
23/11/08
Maree/Oranmore Rockets 1 Athenry Harps 1
Maree/Oranmore Dynamos 0 Athenry Pirates 5
Maree/Oranmore Stars 0 Colga Comets 1
Cregmore/Claregalway Aces 0 Colga Boys 0
Cregmore/Claregalway Kings 0 Colga Titans 1
21/12/08
Maree/Oranmore Rockets 1 Athenry Pirates 1
Maree/Oranmore Dynamos 1 Colga Comets 0
Maree/Oranmore Stars 0 Athenry Harps 1
Cregmore/Claregalway Aces 0 Colga Titans 1
Cregmore/Claregalway Kings 0 Colga Boys 0
25/1/09
Maree/Oranmore Rockets 1 Cregmore/Claregalway Kings 2
Maree/Oranmore Dynamos 0 Colga Boys 2
Maree/Oranmore Stars 1 Cregmore/Claregalway Aces 1
Athenry Harps 1 Colga Titans 2
Athenry Pirates 2 Colga Comets 0
7/2/09
Maree/Oranmore Rockets 2 Colga Comets 1
Maree/Oranmore Stars 0 Colga Boys 0
Maree/Oranmore Dynamos 0 Colga Titans 2
Athenry Harps 1 Cregmore/Claregalway Kings 0
Athenry Pirates 0 Cregmore/Claregalway Aces 0
14/2/09
Maree/Oranmore Rockets 1 Cregmore/Claregalway Aces 0
Maree/Oranmore Stars 1 Cregmore/Claregalway Kings 0
Athenry Harps 1 Colga Comets 1
Athenry Pirates 1 Colga Titans 0
Maree/Oranmore Dynamos 0 Colga Boys 1
1/3/09
Colga Boys 0 Athenry Pirates 1
Cregmore/Claregalway Aces 1 Athenry Harps 1
Colga Comets 0 Maree/Oranmore Rockets 0
Colga Titans 1 Maree/Oranmore Stars 0
15/3/09
Maree/Oranmore Dynamos 0 Cregmore/Claregalway Aces 1
Athenry Pirates 4 Cregmore/Claregalway Kings 1
Maree/Oranmore Stars 0 Colga Titans 1
Maree/Oranmore Rockets 2 Colga Boys 1
Maree/Oranmore Dynamos 0 Athenry Harps 3
Colga Comets 1 Cregmore/Claregalway Kings 0
5/4/09
Athenry Pirates 1 Maree/Oranmore Stars 2
Athenry Harps 1 Colga Boys 3
Colga Comets 4 Cregmore/Claregalway Aces 2
Colga Titans 1 Maree/Oranmore Rockets 3
Match Reports
Invitational Tournament Final Day - U7
5th April 2009
Result :
Maree/Oranmore Colts 2 - 0 Colga Swans
Maree/Oranmore Tigers 1 - 2 Colga Foxes
Champions!!!
What a day for the club as the throngs of proud parents, coaches and spectators milled around the Astro Turf and adjoining pitch for the final day of the Invitational Tournament. What a day for the boys of all the participating clubs as they togged out in their pristine club colours, nervous and excited as they prepared to represent their club in a final of their first competitive tournament.The sun played it's part and greeted all who came and took the cold edge off the day (well for a
time at least). The level of excitement grew as the boys organised themselves for the parade and like the old fable obediently followed the pied piper around the Astro Turf however this piper wasn't going to lead them away from the excitement that awaited them in their games. Once theparade excitement abated the pitches were cleared and we were set to go.
The Colts numbered 16 on the day and with the pitches being half size the max number of playersallowed per team was 8. Coach Kevin McCarthy decided to field two separate teams for each half. Daniel Arimoro started off in goal and pulled off a critical save early on. Aaron Callanan replaced him and ensured that a clean sheet was maintained for the first half. David McCarthy and Donal Higgins did very well in defence with many forays forward. Cian Flanagan, Alex Kuvaldin and Dean Mooney
pushed hard in midfield and up front however a resolute Colga defence were not in the mood for letting them score and the half concluded were unable to score. The second half brought a brand new team that proved to be much stronger. Colga were under pressure for most of the half and rarely made any forays into the Colts half. Ben Wright tended goal for most of the half and therefore had a quiet day. Josh Byrnes was outstanding in midfield and was backed up by Oliver McCamley and Fionn Duffy in defence. Ethan Connolly broke the deadlock with a fantastic goal drilling it in from long distance. Conor Carroll was not going to be denied and in similar fashion to Ethan let fly with his trusty right foot and put the game beyond Colga's reach at 2-0. Vincent Hornak and David Walsh were excellent on the day too.
Maree/Oranmore Colts :
Josh Byrnes, Conor Carroll (1), Ethan Connolly (1), Fionn Duffy, Cian Flanagan, Donal Higgins, Vincent Hornak,Oliver McCamley, Ben Wright, David Walsh
Over on the other pitch Tigers took on the Foxes. This was a very lively affair and with the large numbersa similar challenge awaited the coaches to make sure all the boys got a game. For this one they decided to follow a constant rotation approach and it turned out to be not as effective as the Colts full swap approach. That being said it turned out to be a most exciting game. Within 2 minutes of kickoff Tigers took the lead through a fast break with Alan Greene who pushed the ball through to Thomas Heraghty who slotted the ball through the advancing keepers legs. To Colga's great credit they did not panic and slowly but surely settled into the game and by midway through the first half had reversed the roles and started to exert pressure on Tigers. Avelino Assogba tended goal for the first half and his long clearances were a great boost to the team.Kevin Horgan played one of his best games all year at centre-half and cleared nearly every ball that came his way. Hugh Kilgannon followed up his great performance against Barna with another solid defensive display. Darragh Beirne cleared plenty of balls today. Oisin Quinlan, Jason Meehan and the busy Mark Shivnan toiled
hard in midfield. Ciaran Burke, Alex Fearon raided and provided great support to Alan Greene and Thomas Heraghty up front. 1-0 at half time and Avelino came out of goal and was replaced by Jason Meehan. In thesecond half with the constant player rotation it was difficult for the Tigers to maintain a solid midfield unit and Colga exploited this. Lots of pressure yielded a few corners and from one of them there was a scramble in the box and a Colga boot dispatched it to the net. Tigers rallied to the coaches urgings and Avelino, Alan and Thomas pushed hard but to no avail. Colga were dominating midfield at this stage and one of their star players went on a mazy run and dispatched a great shot that flashed into the Tigers net. With 2 minutes to go Tigers piled on the pressure and desperately sought the equaliser. In the last minute Mark Shivnan had a double chance. His first shot came back off the upright and while he tried to volley the rebound it just went wide. So Colga wrapped it up with a well deserved 2-1 win. The boys were a little bit down but when the coach explained to them that with the Colts win and the number of points we had before the match that we had enough points to win the tournament outright there was whoops of joy!!!
Maree/Oranmore Tigers :
Ciaran Burke, Alex Fearon, Alan Greene (2), Kevin Horgan (1), Jason Meehan (1), Dean Mooney, Sean Neary,
Oisin Quinlan, Mark Shivnan
The presentation of medals took place in front of the dressing rooms. Vinnie Faherty and Iarlaith Davoren fromGalway United graciously attended on the day and presented the gold medals to the boys. Before the match startedthere was a "draw" in the dressing room for a "Captain for the Day". All the boys names were put into a hat and Mark Shivnan was the lucky boy that had his name picked out. This meant that Mark was last up to represent both teams and was presented with the trophy by Iarlaith Davoren.
It has been a fantastic tournament and the boys have been brilliant. We have the trophy now for the year and hopefully we will have more success in the U-8's next year. Many, many thanks to all the parents and coaches who have helped during the year. In particular thanks to Stuart McCamley, Kevin McCarthy, Kevin Kilgannon, Martin Horganand Damien Flanagan who have helped to organise and coach the boys all year.Invitational Tournament - U7
***
15th February 2009
Result :
Maree/Oranmore Tigers 1 – 0 Cregmore/Claregalway Robins
Maree/Oranmore Colts 3 – 0 Cregmore/Claregalway Cygnets
We're back on track!!.....After the disappointment of last weekend in both the weather and the results the boys (and the weather) bounced back with a very impressive display today. To top off the day the results in both our matches went our way and got us back in the groove. 26 fine Tigers and Colts turned up today to represent the club. Cregmore/Claregalway, being our opponents, had no shortage of boys as well and this meant we could play 11 a-side and limited the amount of substitutions we had to make. While this made for tighter play it meant a little more continuity for both teams.
The Tigers took on the Robins and from the off this match was closely contested. Kevin Horgan tended the net for the first half and with a strong defensive line of Sean Neary, the impressive new addition, Aaron Callanan and Nicholas Kuvaldin there was no real danger posed in the first half. Midfield was marshalled by Ciaran Burke with an industrious Mark Shivnan covering plenty of ground and getting stuck in. Oisin Quinlan and another new face, Avelino Assogba, patrolled the wings and Hugh Kilgannon and Mark Mullins spearheaded the attack. Alan Greene and Alex Fearon waited on the line for a few minutes and then got into the action. Alan, normally in the thick of things, had a quiet day by his standards but this was amply made up by the strong display by the new boy Avelino. He posed a constant threat. At the turnaound there was nothing between the teams. Oisin Quinlan dropped back to goals and Kevin Horgan replaced him in midfield. Cregmore/Claregalway pressed more in the second half and a lot of the play centred around the Maree/Oranmore defence. Mark Shivnan learned a valuable lesson today by conceding two frees for handball in a dangerous area however the strong wall deflected both free kick attempts. Dean Mooney joined the fray in the second half after a dash from Sligo to get to the match. As time ticked on it looked sure to be a scoreless draw but if this tournament has taught us anything, it is that it is never over until the final whistle. After countering lots of pressure from the Robins, Maree/Oranmore were on a foray upfield that yielded a few consecutive corners. Cregmore/Claregalway defended well and looked to have weathered the storm when Avelino took a snapshot with his weaker right foot and it flashed to the roof of the net. Major celebrations ensued however the team settled quickly to weather the final flurry from Cregmore/Claregalway. Kevin Horgan and Sean Neary followed the coaches instructions for the final Robins corner...."Get that ball as far up the pitch as possible" came the call and Horgan duly obliged. This prompted the final whistle and the Tigers had won.
The Colts .v. Cygnets game was a different affair with the flash, style and top class goals normally on display in a premiership match. Vincent Hornak complained of a sore foot today and he volunteered to keep goals in the first half and would play outfield in the second half. David Walsh and Daniel Arimoro played with their usual strength and presence. The Donal Higgins "skills" were on display again today and were matched by Josh Byrnes however these guys were not destined to get on the scoresheet this time - That was reserved for some new faces today. First up (and take a bow!) with a goal that is certainly a contender for goal of the season was our own Fionn Duffy. His low screamer from about 20 yards out, which flashed straight to the net was made more special when we realised it was with his weaker left foot - well done Fionn! - that training is really paying off!! Cregmore came back with a vengeance and were anxious to level the scores and pressed hard. Cian Flanagan spotted that the Cygnets had pushed up very far and kicked a sublime long pass in over the hapless defence. David McCarthy was the quickest to react and sprinted in behind the defence leaving a one on one situation with the advancing keeper. David didn't hesitate and bet on himself to take on the keeper. As he narrowed the angle, David hit an early strike and while the keeper did get a hand to it, it wasn't enough to prevent the ball crashing to the net. 2-0 and the halftime whistle came. The second half saw Ethan Connolly dropping back into goals and Sean Sexton and Alex Kuvaldin marshalled a compact midfield that challenged for everything. Cregmore/Claregalway were desparately trying to pull back the deficit and were running out of time. A foul just outside their box left the Colts with a dangerous free kick situation. I wonder who was going to step up and take it.....no need to wonder - there as only going to be one candidate ... step forward Conor "Torres" Carroll. Conor had put off a trip to Athleague to be here today and wasn't going away empty handed. As he stepped back he took a quick look at where he wanted the ball to go. One....Two....Three...Four steps and then bang!, straight into the net....straight from Fernando's top drawer. That was the killer blow and the Colts ran out the last few minutes with ease.
So - we're back, and sitting on top of the league - this is no more than the boys deserve because they are great tryers. Their confidence on the ball is great to watch and they know now how to win matches. Thanks to all the 26 boys who turned up and played today! Thanks to all the coaches & parents who helped today too.
Maree/Oranmore Tigers :
Ciaran Burke, Alex Fearon, Alan Greene, Kevin Horgan, Hugh Kilgannon, Nicholas Kuvaldin, Dean Mooney, Mark Mullins, Sean Neary, Oisin Quinlan, Mark Shivnan, Avelino Assogba (1), Aaron Callanan
Maree/Oranmore Colts :
Daniel Arimoro, Josh Byrnes, Conor Carroll (1), Ethan Connolly, Fionn Duffy (1), Cian Flanagan, Donal Higgins, Vincent Hornak, Alex Kuvaldin, David McCarthy (1), Sean Sexton, David Walsh
Invitational Tournament - U7-
8th February 2009
Result :
Maree/Oranmore Leopards 0 – 1 Athenry Lions/Cubs
Maree/Oranmore Tigers 0 – 1 Athenry Lions/Cubs
Maree/Oranmore Colts 0 – 0 Athenry Lions/Cubs
This Sunday was certainly a Sunday with a difference. We awoke to a landscape painted white with snow and our hearts sank assuming it would be called off but the organisers decided to press ahead with the tournament. The pitch had a light covering of snow that provided a great distraction for the boys while they were "warming up" - they weren't quite sure which was more fun.....throwing snowballs or kicking around. During the warmup the parents were kept busy by "Snow Ploughing" the pitch with the temporary fencing and while they were doing that I did a quick headcount......(25 and counting....!!!) This was going to be our best turnout ever....on a day that the pitch was covered in snow! In contrast Athenry turned up with only 7 boys so we had a problem - how do we get nearly 30 boys a game against only 7. Time for some quick thinking. What do you get when you put a group of prancing Colts and roaring Tigers together? Why, Leopards of course!!.....and on this particular day...."Snow Leopards". Such were our number that we had no option but to create a third team from the assembled boys - and we called them the "Leopards " and we agreed with Athenry to play them in 3 periods against each of the Leopards, Tigers and Colts.
First up were the Leopards. The pitch was quite slippy and both sides had to play very tentatively. In goals was Dean Mooney with Oliver McCamley, Alex Kuvaldin and Fionn Duffy in the backs, Hugh Kilgannon and Ciaran Burke were industrious in midfield and Ethan Connolly provided most of our threat up front with Michael Hand and Sean Sexton in support. We only had 10 minutes and with the state of the pitch we knew this was not going to be a high scoring game. Athenry were continually pressing, however our defence was holding well. Their relentless pressure paid off though, when a ball sneaked into the corner of the net after a scramble in our defence. While the boys doubled their efforts and had a few good shots the Athenry 'keeper was in top form and let nothing past. Finally the ref blew the whistle and it was time up for the Leopards.
Meanwhile the Colts and Tigers were playing on the other pitch keeping themselves warm. Time for the Tigers to do battle!! Led by Mark Shivnan in goals this match was played at a higher pace than the first. Sean Neary, as usual, was at the heart of the defence and worked well with Mark Mullins and Darragh Beirne. Thomas Heraghty, Kevin Horgan and Nicholas Kuvaldin were holding the midfield with the dynamic duo of Alex Fearon and Alan Greene up front. Alan and Alex, who have been the Tiger's busy attack to date struggled to keep their feet with the poor state of the pitch and our chances of scoring were weakened. This game was destined for a draw when, with 5 seconds to go Athenry connected with a vicious shot. The best that Shivnan in goals could do was to get a hand to it but could not prevent it from crossing the line. Time up and the whistle was blown....I suppose justice was done as we had scored in the last few seconds when we met Athenry the last time.
And so for the Colts. We were quickly running out of time and the other team's were piling up ready to play their games. We decided we had to curtail the time alloted to the Colts and they only played 5 minutes against Athenry. The match did not really produce any threats from either side and the game ended up in a stalemate 0-0 draw. Best for the Colts was Donie Higgins who dribbled and harried and was ably supported by Josh Byrnes and Conor Carroll. David Walsh and the strong Daniel Arimoro marshalled the defence with Ben Wright playing his usual sweeper role and David McCarthy easily kept a clean sheet. Cian Flanagan and Vincent Hornak dominated the midfield however the pressure did not yield any goals.
So - not a great day at the office but what was most encouraging was the number who turned up today. This presents a headache for the coaches to make sure all get a game but it's a headache we don't mind as it is a reflection of the great enthusiasm the boys have for the game and the willingness to represent their club and have fun! Thanks to all who turned up and played today! Thanks to all the coaches & parents who helped today too - especially the "Snow Plough Team"
Maree/Oranmore Leopards :
Dean Mooney, Oliver McCamley, Alex Kuvaldin, Fionn Duffy, Hugh Kilgannon, Ciaran Burke, Ethan Connolly, Michael Hand, Sean Sexton
Maree/Oranmore Tigers :
Darragh Beirne, Alex Fearon, Alan Greene, Kevin Horgan, Sean Neary, Mark Mullins, Mark Shivnan, Thomas Heraghty, Kevin Horgan, Nicholas Kuvaldin
Maree/Oranmore Colts :
Daniel Arimoro, Josh Byrnes, Conor Carroll, Cian Flanagan, Donal Higgins, Vincent Hornak, Ben Wright, David McCarthy, David Walsh
Under 8 Reports - March 01st. 2009
MAREE/ORANMORE ROCKETS 0 – COLGA BOYS 0
Team: Cillian Doyle, Keelan Fogarty, Thomas Farland, Eoin Lernihan, Ronan Ascari, Jack Grealish, Oisin Smith, Ronan O'Donoghue
Rockets played their hearts and had many chances at scoring but none were successful. They continued to battle through both halves. Rocket’s passing and defending was top class and the goal they deserved, eluded them. While there were a few shots on their goals, any such shots were easily saved by Keelan Fogarty. As the game went into the dying moments a superb shot by Oisin Smith unfortunately hit the upright. Well done again Rockets.
MAREE/ORANMORE STARS 0 CREGMORE/CLAREGALWAY KINGS 1
Team: Jack Mc Hugh, Malo Salmon, Jack Morrissey, Liam Slevin, Rory Finn O Regan, Ronan Hanniffy, Jamie Curran.
Although it was only seven a side it was a great game to watch with both teams displaying great skill both defending and attacking with the visitors taking the lead before half time with a well worked goal. The Stars started the second half living up to their name and came very close to equalizing but for some great goal keeping. Everybody without exception played well. Ronan Hanniffy flew up and down the pitch causing all sorts of problems and Jamie Curran defended like the master Paul McGrath. Malo Salmon made the most of his ball and passing skills in the middle while Rory Finn O Regan did a great job in goal, with Jack Morrissey & Jack Mc Hugh working well at the back and in midfield. Liam Slevin worked his socks off and was unlucky not to score despite a couple of close attempts.
The Stars are a team to watch out for in the future.
Under 8 Reports - February 15th. 2009
Maree/Oranmore Mighty Under 8’s
On Sunday the 15th February, spectators and coaches were treated to some fantasticfootball by the under 8 boys. It was a real nail biting experience during which the Oranmore boys really demonstrated some superb talent.
Oranmore Maree Rockets 1 – 0 Cregmore
Team : Eoin Lernihan ,Dylan Cox, Cillian Doyle, Jack Grealish, Oisin Symth, Ronan Lenihan, Kevin Byrnes, Eoghan Geraghty, Thomas McFarland.
This was a game the Rockets needed to win, and from the off they showed passion and determination. The first half remained scoreless, although the Rockets had a number of shots at goal. Their defence remain strong and cleared danger from the goal mouth a number of times. The sides turned over and after half time the Rockets placed the Cregmore defence under serious pressure. Finally, Eoghan Geraghty rifled the ball to the back of the net after a corner. Rocket’s defence were then under pressure as Cregmore fought back. Only some great tackles and saves by Rockets prevented Cregmore from scoring. Well done Rockets.
Oranmore Maree Dyanmo 0 – 1 Colga Comets
Team : Cian Doheny, Conor Loughran, Eoghan Carr, Jack Morrissy, Jamie Curran, Kelan Fogarty, Cillian Keane, Tommy Hennessy , Liam Slevin
The Dyanmos were the best team from Oranmore this weekend. They managed their passing well and those passes were always accurate and slick. Their defence and goalkeeping was steady throughout the match, but against the run of play in the first half they conceded a goal. Dyanmos, true to their name, did not give up; right until the final whistle they chased and fought for every ball. Dynamos are truly a great team.
Oranmore Stars 1 – 0 Cregmore/Claregalway Kings
Team: Conor Loughran, Keelan Cole-Savage, Jamie Curran, Danny Mannering, Tommy Hennessy, Jack McHugh, Malo Salmon, Ronan Hanniffy, Mark O’Brien
The Stars provided some really exciting football, battling for every ball. They were pretty much in control for most of the game, having got off to a great start with a goal in the 3rd minute from new comer Keelan Cole-Savage. Ronan Hanniffy had some great runs up the wing to feed plenty of ball into the forward line. Conor Loughran ensured that Cregmore boys didn’t get their name on the scoreboard. This had to be credited also to Jack McHugh and the mighty Jamie Curran who didn’t let any ball pass him. Without a doubt the contribution of Tommy Hennessy, Danny Mannering, Malo Salmon and Mark O’Brien ensured that the Oranmore boys were deservedly victorious.
UNDER 8 TOURNAMENT – 8TH FEBRUARY 2009
CLASH OF THE TITANS
COLGA TITANS 2 - 0 MAREE-ORANMORE DYNAMOS
Maree-Oranmore Dynamos were unfortunate to come up against stiff opposition in the form of a skilful Colga Titans team at the Astro turf on Sunday. The first half was a well fought contest with some superb goalkeeping from Rory Finn-O'Regan, keeping the score to nil all at half time. Both Conor Loughran and Tommy Hennessy came close to putting their names on the scoreboard but unfortunately not close enough. Early in the second half an unlucky goalmouth scramble saw the ball slip into the back of the Oranmore net opening the scoring for Colga. Colga scored again late in the second half ensuring victory over an unfortunate Oranmore side.
Maree-Oranmore Dynamos- Rory Finn-O'Regan, Daniel Burke, Cian Doheny, Ronan O'Donoghue, Keilan Fogarty, Conor Loughran, Jamie Curran, Tommy Hennessy.
ROCKETS SOAR
MAREE-ORANMORE ROCKETS 2 - 1 COLGA COMETS
This was a very close fought battle in the first half with the only goal separating the two sides coming mid way through the first period to Colga. However, Oranmore did not let the heads drop and stepped up the pressure taking the fight to Colga. This bore fruit early in the second half with an excellent strike from Jack Grealish finding the net. It was all Oranmore after that with the second goal coming from a wonderful volley from Eoin Lernihan, courtesy of a Cillian Doyle corner. Oranmore held off a spirited Colga counter attack winning the game 2-1.
Maree-Oranmore Rockets- Eoin Lernihan, Cillian Keane, Ronan Ascari, Cillian Doyle, Dylan Cox, Oisin Smith, Jack Grealish, Eoin Geraghty, Thomas McFarland.
SHINING STARS
MAREE/ORANMORE STARS 0 - COLGA BOYS 0
The game was played at a breath taking pace by both teams on a difficult surface. The Stars defence was solid with Eoghan Carr making three excellent saves. Ollie Grange and Jack McHugh with superb defending kept the Colga strikers at bay to ensure the teams went in at half time all square. The players gave their all, including Malo Salmon and Jack Morrissey who worked hard in midfield. Some fine play by the Colga defenders in the second half denied Liam Slevin a powerful attempt on goal which could have given the home side all points although in the end a draw was a fair result.
Team: Eoghan Carr, Ollie Grange, Jack Mc Hugh, Malo Salmon, Jack Morrissey, Kielan Darcy Carr, Liam Slevin, Danny Mannering, Cillian Doyle, Cillian McCarthy
Invitational Tournament - U7
25th January 2009
Result :
Maree/Oranmore Tigers 5 – 0 Cregmore/Claregalway Robins
Maree/Oranmore Colts 3 – 0 Cregmore/Claregalway Cygnets.
Saturday's training finished with a swarm of boys wondering if the game was going to be on the next day. "Yes", I said, "Weather permitting...." It was met with a communal groan - the rain has been our nemesis this season!! Thankfully all the rain came through overnight and we were greeted with a beautiful sunny morning that could not have been more perfect for playing soccer. With the fantastic day and the eagerness for competition we had a great turnout of 10 boys each for the Tigers and the Colts. We were playing Cregmore/Claregalway and apart from some matches we had with them last year they were largely an unknown package. They too had a great turnout and they were able to match our 10 players for each team. This brought a sigh of relief to the coaches as it meant that the tricky rotation of subs could be avoided this week.
Tigers game started about 5 minutes before the Colts and it was all action from the outset. Maree/Oranmore stamped their authority on this game quickly with a powerful attacking force of Dean Mooney, Alan Greene and Jason Meehan backed up by Mark Shivnan, Ciaran Burke and Oisin Quinlan with a stout defence of Sean Neary, David Walsh and Kevin Horgan. Alan and Jason got their names on the scoresheet in the first half with the busy Greene getting a brace. Half-time at 3-0 up there was a change of ends and a change of attack. Sean Neary and Kevin Horgan moved up front and caused the opponents lots of problems. Corners were raining in from all sides and from one of these Kevin Horgan corners an unfortunate Cregmore/Claregalway defender connected with the ball and sent it into his own net. With a few minutes to go Kevin entered his own name on the scoresheet with a great goal. Alex Fearon (1st half) and Jason Meehan (2nd Half) tended the goals but had not much work to do. A great result - well done boys.
The Tigers came over to watch the Colts finish their last 5 minutes however at that stage all the hard work had been done.
The Colts game was a much closer contested affair from the start. Nothing separated the sides for much of the first half. Fionn Duffy tended a clean sheet goal for the first half and from his viewpoint he looked upon a hard working team. Ethan Connolly was industrious throughout the game. Vincent Hornak and Oliver McCamley were a constant threat in the attack however Josh Byrne's deadly left foot once again left an indelible mark on this game. Faced with a crowded goal, from about 12 yards out, he let loose a low left footed drive through the defence that smacked off the bottom of the upright and into the net. 1-0 took the boys to the half-time break and a well earned rest and words of encouragement from their coach Stuart McCamley. The second half brought more great passages of play with Cian Flanagan and Sean Sexton being very industrious and Donal Higgins dropped back into goals. Ben Wright finally increased the daylight between the teams with a low drive from outside the box that nestled in the bottom corner. With 5 minutes to go the boys were looking to press home the advantage and they did so with a drive and an exquisite finish from Conor Carroll. He picked up the ball past midfield and pushed past two defenders and struck a low ball, inch perfect, across the goal, swinging away from the keeper and into the net. And so ended the Colts game.
A great result no doubt, however what most pleased the coaches today was the way that the boys are showing and using their skills to control, pass and shoot the ball very well. Hopefully we will now get a run of regular games as the boys love them!
Thanks to all who turned up and played today - you were great! As always - thanks to all the coaches & parents who helped today too.
Maree/Oranmore Tigers :
Ciaran Burke, Alex Fearon, Alan Greene (2), Kevin Horgan (1), Jason Meehan (1), Dean Mooney, Sean Neary, Oisin Quinlan, Mark Shivnan, David Walsh
Maree/Oranmore Colts :
Josh Byrnes (1), Conor Carroll (1), Ethan Connolly, Fionn Duffy, Cian Flanagan, Donal Higgins, Vincent Hornak, Oliver McCamley, Sean Sexton, Ben Wright (1)
Sunday December 21st. 2008
Maree/Oranmore Tigers/Colts 1 – 0 Athenry Lions/Cubs
Hats off to the U7 bravehearts of both Maree/Oranmore and Athenry as they took on the elements on this second outing for the teams. The poor weather and Communion masses this weekend meant that the turnout was going to be low but to their great credit the Tigers and Colts had 8 and 10 players respectively and all were ready and eager to play. Athenry were not so lucky and were only able to muster a single team. Not to worry - we agreed that the Tigers would play them in the first half and the Colts would play in the second half.
Within a few minutes it became clear that this was going to be a closely contested affair and with the strong wind it was expected that a goal or two scored with the wind would make it tough for the other team. Maree/Oranmore started with wind advantage and hoped to make it count. Athenry however, had other ideas and their stout defense thwarted all our attempts at goal. Alan Greene (who started in goal) went up front for the second part of the first half but an ankle injury made it hard for him to be effective. Our defence, anchored by David McCarthy ensured that Athenry too were not going to score either. Half time arrived with nothing separating the teams and the Colts, who were prancing in the spare pitch were ready to take on their leg of the challenge.
The second half was as tenacious and close as the first. The Colts had fresh legs and they put Athenry under a lot more pressure in this half with lots of good interplay and great skills displayed by Donal Higgins. This fresh impetus seemed to cancel out the wind advantage that Athenry had during the half however their last line of defence was strong and they were not giving anything away lightly. As the clock ticked down and the various attacks foundered on their rock like defence we were resigned to having a scoreless draw and sharing the spoils, which, to be honest would have been a fair result. However, fate dictated that this was not to be the case. In the final attack the ball was crossed and initially blocked by the Athenry defence but the ball dropped to the waiting Conor Carroll. Conor didn't need to be asked and promptly dispatched the ball past the helpless Athenry keeper. 15 seconds to go on the clock - this was a fatal blow for Athenry and ensured that Maree/Oranmore came away with the victory.
The two wet and weary teams retired to the dressing rooms and all shared in a well deserved box of Roses. A good day in the office for Maree/Oranmore, the win a bit fortuitous but, we will take that as there will be days when it will not go our way too. Thanks to all who turned up and played today - you did yourselves and the club proud. Thanks to all the coaches & parents who helped today too.
Lastly may I wish you all a very happy Christmas, I hope Santa brings you all great presents and best wishes for a great 2009 - Mike S.
Maree/Oranmore Tigers :
Darragh Beirne, Ciaran Burke, Alan Greene, Thomas Heraghty, Kevin Horgan, Dean Mooney, Oisin Quinlan, Mark Shivnan.
Maree/Oranmore Colts :
Conor Carroll (1), Ethan Connolly, Fionn Duffy, Cian Flanagan, Donal Higgins, Vincent Hornak, David McCarthy, Sean Sexton, David Walsh, Ben Wright.
Sunday, November 23rd. Under 7 Tournament
Maree/Oranmore Tigers 2 – 0 Colga Swans
Maree/Oranmore Colts 1 – 0 Colga Foxes
Well – we’re off! After our first outing was cancelled due to bad weather on the Tournament kickoff day we braved the cold and showers today to get our tournament up and running. Maree/Oranmore Tigers lined out against Colga Swans and our Colts team faced Colga Foxes. The Tigers/Swans match was a closely contested affair however excellent goals in either half by Alan Greene delivered a well – earned victory for the lads from Maree/Oranmore. “Tigerish” defending and clean sheets by Darragh Beirne and Mark Shivnan gave this team the platform to launch many attacks and close out this particular game.
The Colts/Foxes game was a much closer affair with the play ebbing and flowing throughout the entire match. With two minutes to go this match looked as if the spoils were destined to be shared as the defences and keepers on both sides were not in the mood for giving anything away. Suddenly, from a melee of players in the Colga box Josh Byrnes connected with a sweet left foot and the ball shot straight into the top right corner of the net. Much celebrations ensued and the last 2 minutes were fraught with danger but a well marshaled defence shut out the hungry Foxes to hold on for the victory. David McCarthy and Daniel Arimoro tended goal and played behind a tenacious defence and midfield.
With 6 points and 3 goals in the bag we could not have asked for a better start. Thanks to all who played today – they were all great and did the club proud. The numbers were large and while we had to shift the teams around a lot everyone got some good game time. Thanks to all the coaches & parents who helped today too.
Maree/Oranmore Tigers :
Darragh Beirne, Ciaran Burke, Alex Fearon, Alan Greene (2), Thomas Heraghty, Kevin Horgan, Hugh Kilgannon, Nicholas Kuvaldin, Mark Mullins, Sean Neary, Mark Shivnan.
Maree/Oranmore Colts :
Daniel Arimoro, Josh Byrnes (1), Conor Carroll, Ethan Connolly, Cian Flanagan, Donal Higgins, Vincent Hornak, Alex Kuvaldin, Oliver McCamley, David McCarthy, Connor McGreal, David Walsh, Ben Wright
Under 8 Tournament
Maree/Oranmore Rockets 1 Colga Boys 1
Maree/Oranmore Dynamos 0 Athenry Harps 1
Maree/Oranmore Stars 0 Athenry Pirates 5
Pirates steal victory,
A frenetic first half of this opening encounter for Maree-Oranmore Dynamos saw them struggle to hold a strong Athenry Pirates side at bay. But struggle they did and some excellent defending saw them only 1-0 down at the end of the first Half. However, the strength of the Athenry side showed in the second Half where a further 4 goals were added to their tally. The Dynamos did not lose heart though and battled to the bitter end showing plenty of promise for the rest of the season. The Dynamos team were Cian Doherty, Ronan Lenehan, Daniel Burke, Keelan Fogarty, Jamie Curran, Tommy Hennessy, Rory Finn-O'Reagan, Ronan O'Donoghue, Alan Harrington and Micheal Hand.
Rockets off to flying start
The Maree Oranmore Rockets began their under 8 invitational tournament campaign with a hard fought, evenly contested draw with Athenry Harps. The rockets maintained most of the possession in the first half and this was rewarded with a lovely goal from Cillian Doyle just before the whistle. However, Athenry Harps fought hard to get back into the game in the second half and nicked a goal at the end for the draw. The Rockets were Ronan Asgari, Dylan Cox, Cillian Doyle, Jack Grealish, Eoin Lernihan, Thomas McFarland, Oisin Smith, Mark O'Brien, Cillian Keane, Cillian McCarthy and Eoghan Geraghty.
'Boys shot down Stars
Maree Oranmore Stars were unlucky not to steal a draw in their opening encounter of the under 8 invitational tournament. The game was a very even handed affair with plenty of skill on show from both sides, however a good Colga Boys strike in the dying seconds of the first half put them on the scoreboards. Despite the lions share of the possession in the second half and some heroic attempts on goal the stars were very unfortunate not to grasp the equaliser before the full time whistle. The Stars were Eoghan Carr, Kealan D'arcy-Carr, Oliver Grange, Brendan Mahoney, Jack McHugh, Jack Morrissey, Malo Salmon, Liam Slevin and Ronan Hanniffy.
Cillian McCarthy, Cillian Keane,Thomas McFarland, Ronan As, Owen Geraghty, Oisin Smith, Dylan Cox, Cillian Doyle, Mark O'Brien, Jack Grealish and Eoin Lernihan
Final Club Positions and Points Total
1. Colga 30
2. Athenry 29
3. Maree/Oranmore 23
4. Cregmore/Claregalway 14
