View a Photograph Album of the Tournament Here
2009-2010 U10 Invitational Tournament
Final Day Results (14/3/10) Match Reports Below
Maree/Oranmore Town 3 Colga Albion 0
Maree/Oranmore Rangers 3 Colga Everton 0 (W/O)
Cregmore/Claregalway Rovers 4 Corrib Celtic United 0
Craughwell Athletic 1 Corrib Celtic Pier 3
Maree/Oranmore Astros 2 Craughwell Harps 8
Maree/Oranmore Villa 3 Cregmore/Claregalway United 1
League Table (Final Club Standings)
1. Maree/Oranmore 50
2. Cregmore/Claregalway 44
3. Corrib Celtic 32
4. Craughwell 31
5. Colga 26
Previous Results
7/3/10
Maree/Oranmore Town 1 Colga Everton 7
Maree/Oranmore Rangers 4 Colga Weir 3
Corrib Celtic Pier 2 Cregmore/Claregalway Rovers 0
Corrib Celtic United 2 Craughwell Harps 6
Maree/Oranmore Villa 6 Colga Albion 5
Craughwell Athletic 1 Cregmore/Claregalway United 4
28/2/10
Maree/Oranmore Town 0 Corrib Celtic United 2
Maree/Oranmore Astros 3 Corrib Celtic Pier 3
Maree/Oranmore Villa 3 Craughwell Harps 4
Maree/Oranmore Rangers 3 Craughwell Athletic 1
Colga Albion 1 Cregmore/Claregalway Rovers 1
Colga Weir 1 Corrib Celtic Pier 2
21/2/10
Colga Everton 1 Cregmore/Claregalway Rovers 3
Corrib Celtic Pier 1 Cregmore/Claregalway United 0
Colga Weir 3 Craughwell Harps 4
Colga Albion 1 Craughwell Athletic 6
Maree/Oranmore Villa 5 Maree/Oranmore Astros 1
Maree/Oranmore Rangers 7 Maree/Oranmore Town 5
Corrib Celtic United 1 Cregmore/Claregalway United 4
14/2/10
Maree/Oranmore Astros 3 Cregmore/Claregalway United 1
Maree/Oranmore Town 1 Cregmore/Claregalway Rovers 2
Craughwell Athletic 6 Colga Weir 0
Corrib Celtic United 4 Colga Albion 2
Corrib Celtic Pier 0 Craughwell Harps 7
Maree/Oranmore Villa 2 Colga Everton 0
7/2/10
Maree/Oranmore Astros 0 Corrib Celtic United 8
Maree/Oranmore Villa 5 Colga Weir 1
Colga Albion 3 Craughwell Harps 8
Colga Everton 2 Craughwell Athletic 6
Maree/Oranmore Town 2 Cregmore/Claregalway United 3
Maree/Oranmore Rangers 2 Cregmore/Claregalway Rovers 2
31/1/10
Maree/Oranmore Villa 1 Corrib Celtic United 1
Maree/Oranmore Rangers 4 Corrib Celtic Pier 0
Cregmore/Claregalway United 2 Craughwell Harps 0
Cregmore/Claregalway Rovers 3 Craughwell Athletic 1
Maree/Oranmore Town 3 Colga Weir 1
Maree/Oranmore Astros 3 Colga Albion 1
24/1/10
Maree/Oranmore Rangers 7 Craughwell Harps 2
Maree/Oranmore Town 4 Craughwell Athletic 1
Colga Everton 4 Corrib Celtic United 1
Colga Albion 3 Corrib Celtic Pier 0
Maree/Oranmore Villa 1 Cregmore/Claregalway Rovers 2
Colga Weir 0 Cregmore/Claregalway United 1
17/1/10
Maree/Oranmore Astros 1 Cregmore/Claregalway Rovers 5
Maree/Oranmore Rangers 5 Cregmore/Claregalway United 3
Colga Weir 0 Corrib Celtic United 2
Colga Everton 3 Corrib Celtic Pier 0
Maree/Oranmore Villa 2 Craughwell Athletic 0
Maree/Oranmore Town 4 Craughwell Harps 5
20/12/09
Maree/Oranmore Town 4 Corrib Celtic Pier 1
Maree/Oranmore Rangers 0 Corrib Celtic United 7
Colga Weir 0 Cregmore/Claregalway Rovers 4
Colga Albion 1 Cregmore/Claregalway United 0
Maree/Oranmore Astros 4 Craughwell Athletic 0
Craughwell Harps 4 Colga Everton 4
13/12/09
Maree/Oranmore Astros 2 Colga Weir 3
Maree/Oranmore Rangers 2 Colga Albion 3
Cregmore/Claregalway United 6 Colga Everton 2
Corrib Celtic United 3 Craughwell Athletic 2
Cregmore/Claregalway Rovers 4 Craughwell Harps 0
Maree/Oranmore Villa 7 Corrib Celtic Pier 1
6/12/09
Maree/Oranmore Villa 7 Colga Albion 0
Maree/Oranmore Town 3 Colga Everton 4
Maree/Oranmore Rangers 5 Colga Weir 2
Maree/Oranmore Astros 3 Colga Everton 5
Reports
14/3/10
The U10 Invitational Tournament reached a thrilling conclusion last Sunday with the host club securing the cup with six points to spare over their nearest rivals Cregmore/Claregalway. The day started well for the hosts when Maree/Oranmore Town defeated Colga Albion on a 3-0 scoreline. This was a welcome return to form for the town team after they were heavily defeated in their last outing. If the previous result represented one of their worst performances of the season this was certainly one of their best. They played fine passing football throughout the game and goals from Luke Smyth, Kevin Maguire and Sean O'Rourke capped a splendid team performance. Maree/Oranmore Rangers were awarded a walkover when, much to the disappointment of our players, Colga Everton failed to field a team for this much-anticipated match. In the days second round of matches Corrib Celtic Pier enjoyed a 3-1 victory over Craughwell Athletic to secure third spot for the club in their first appearance in the Invitational Tournament, an impressive debut indeed. On Pitch 1 Cregmore/Claregalway Rovers convincingly defeated Corrib Celtic United 4-0 to maintain their clubs outside chances of lifting the U10 Invitational Cup.The final series of matches saw Maree/Oranmore Astros face Craughwell Harps and Maree/Oranmore Villa takle on Cregmore/Claregalway United in a match which was to decide the destiny of this years cup. The Astros got off to a great start with two goals in the opening five minutes seemingly putting them in command on the match. Craughwell however were determined not to suffer a second defeat on the final day of the season and they stormed back into the match scoring four goals without reply before the break. The Astros heads went down and Craughwell assumed total control of the match scoring another four in the second half to inflict a heavy defeat for the home side. Meanwhile the excitement was at fever pitch as Maree/Oranmore Villa and Cregmore/Claregalway United were engaged in a titanic struggle to decide the outcome of this years tournament. With Villa needing just a point to secure the cup the players nerves were eased a little when a magnificent long-range effort from Cian O'Toole ended up in the back of the visitors net midway through the first half. The contest was far from over however and there were chances aplenty for both teams as the game flowed from end to end. A fine strike from Alan Moran put Villa 2-0 up early in the second half but the visitors were offered a lifeline when a mix up in the home defence allowed them back into the match. Cregmore/Claregalway United pressed hard for an equaliser but some fine goalkeeping from Robbie Commins kept the score at 2-1. Villa assumed control of the match in the final quarter and with the midfield trio of Matthew Kilgannon, Cian O'Toole and James Cahalane relentlessly driving the home team forward a third goal was always on the cards. It duly arrived in the closing stages when club captain Matthew Kilgannon skipped through the visitors defence and placed the ball beyong the reach of the advancing keeper. The players from all four Maree/Oranmore teams celebrated with great gusto and took off on an impromptu 'lap of honour' around the OCDA pitch. All made their way over to the main astro pitch where Guest of Honour Michael D. Higgins presented the U10 Invitational Cup to Declan Gill (Astros), Dominic Curley (Town), Cian O'Toole (Villa) and Aaron Connolly (Rangers) reprentatives of the four teams we entered in this years tournament.
7/3/10
Overall this was a very good day for the Maree/Oranmore U10's with two hard-fought wins for Villa and Rangers putting the club 3 points clear at the top of the table heading into the final series of matches next Sunday. The only low point of the day was a 7-1 reversal for the Town team against Coga Everton so lets get that one out of the way first. Having taken the lead in the opening minutes of the match courtesy of a Luke Smyth strike Town seemed to be on their way to a good result. However things went downhill very quickly and once they fell behind the heads went down they never looked like getting back into the game. This team has competed well in the tournament this season so lets hope that they can rediscover their form and end the season with a good result next week. Over on Pitch 2 Maree/Oranmore Rangers were involved in a very tight game with Colga Weir. First half strikes from Sean Boyle and Mateusz Pawlowski were cancelled out by two goals from the Weir team and the balance of play was accurately reflected in the 2-2 scoreline going into the break. Failings in defence were identified in the half time team talk and once these were corrected Rangers were a different team in the second half. Indeed Rangers dominated proceedings after the break and an Aaron Connolly goal and a fine individual effort from Sean Boyle saw the home side race into a 4-2 lead as the game entered its concluding stages. The concession of a last minute goal was disappointing in that a well-formed six-man wall inexplicably disintegrated just before a Colga Weir free kick leaving the taker with a simple task of stroking the ball into an unguarded net. With the blame game in full swing it was just as well that the final whistle sounded shortly after the restart. Overall though this was a good performance by Rangers particularly in the second half. We all thought that was too close for comfort but the final match between Maree/Oranmore Villa and Colga Albion was an even more nail-biting affair. Villa attacked with great gusto throughout but their fragility in defence constantly allowed Albion back into the match. First half strikes from Cian O'Toole, Alan Moran and Stephen Coyne were all cancelled out by equalising strikes from the counter-attacking Albion side. A strong start to the second half saw Villa take a two goal lead with Cian O'Toole scoring direct from a corner and Sean Delany volleying home a splendid cross from James Cahalane. The points seemed safe but Albion were never out of this match and two fine strikes for the visitors saw the sides tied at 5-5 heading into the closing minutes of the match. With a draw looking likely Matthew Kilgannon went on a mazy run which ended with player being felled close to goal and the home supporters screaming for a penalty. A free kick was awarded but with a five-man wall in place and two more players on the goal-line the options seemed very limited indeed. This didn't phase Matthew however as he stepped up and incredibly planted the ball in the top right hand corner of the net. It could prove to be the goal that wins the tournament for Maree/Oranmore but lets not count our chickens just yet as we have it all to do again next Sunday. The final word here must go to Colga who have clearly recovered from their recent slump in form and are definitely a club to be reckoned with once again. See you all next week for what will certainly be a very exciting finale to a hugely successful tournament
28/2/10
Town and Astros were first up for the host club on another fine sunny morning for the U10 Inviational Tournament. The Astros should have taken all three points against Corrib Celtic Pier but had to fight hard to secure a share of the spoils in the end. Declan Gill scored a memorable hat-trick as he continued his recent goal-scoring spree. However we could easily have scored five or six in this match were it not for some lacklustre finishing and bad luck. The scores were tied at 1-1 going into the break and although the Astros dominated much of the second half some poor defending allowed Pier to take a 3-2 lead heading into the final quarter. The home team laid siege to the visitors goal in the last 15 minutes but were desperately unlucky with both Sean Delany and Declan Gill striking the frame of the goal. Declan finally grabbed a much-deserved equaliser in the closing minutes and we were delighted with the point in the end. Credit also to the Corrib Celtic Pier team who produced a fine display of counter-attacking football and very nearly stole all three points in this exciting encounter. Meanwhile Maree/Oranmore Town were engaged in a tough battle with Corrib Celtic United on Pitch 1. With a couple of players missing Town knew they would have to produce a big performance against one of the strongest teams in this years tournament. They didn't disappoint and despite having to re-organise their team they ran Corrib Celtic United very close. The game was delicately balanced after United's early strike and Town had a couple of chances to equalise before they were hit by a sucker punch in first half stoppage time. The second half was nip and tuck with the play switching from end to end but there were few clearcut scoring opportunities for either team. In the end United comfortably held on to their 2-0 half time lead. Villa and Rangers took to the pitch immediately after their team-mates and both teams found themselves involved in titanic struggles with the in-form Craughwell Harps and Athletic, who have notched up six consecutive wins between them. Villa and Harps served up a a real treat for the large number of spectators with fluent attacking football the order of the day. This was certainly one of the most exciting contests we have witnessed in this years tournament with Craughwell Harps stealing all three points at the end of a pulsating match. Goals from Cian O'Toole, James Cahalane and Matthew Kilgannon put Villa 3-2 up and firmly in the driving seat as the game entered its final quarter. However it was Craughwell Harps who finished the stronger and two well-taken goals made them worthy winners on the day. Villa have no reason to be disappointed after this performance and they will definitely be a better team for having being involved in such a competetive match, which was played in the true spirit of the sport. On Pitch 2 Maree/Oranmore Rangers were involved in a similar high octane match with Craughwell Athletic. First half goals from Aaron Connolly and Sean Boyle put Rangers firmly in control at half-time but an early second half strike from the visitors put this game right back into the melting pot. As both sides pushed hard throughout the second half it was uncertain which way this game was going to go until Matthew Barrett applied the finishing touch to a well-worked Rangers move to secure three vital points for the home club.
21/2/10
Maree/Oranmore's four invitational tournament teams squared up to each other today for the first and only time this season. These matches had to be played in order to make up the requisite number of games for each of our teams. Villa played Astros on Pitch 1 and ran out comfortable 5-1 winners in a game which saw some attractive football played by both sides. The first half was evenly-balanced and Villa were probably a little fortunate to be 2-1 up going into the break. However Villa certainly stamped their authority on the game in the second half and showed why they are performing second strongest of the thirteen teams in this years tournament. Villa's passing and movement off the ball was undoubtedly one of the decisive factors in this win and there always seemed to be plently of options for the advancing midfielder players. At the other end of the pitch the Astros attacks tended to break down in the final third as the options for the holding player fizzled out. The Astros did have quite a few long range shots at goal but Robbie Commins was in splendid form and was determined not be beaten a second time following the concession of a controversial first half penalty award. Other players to impress for Villa were the midfield trio of Matthew Kilgannon, James Cahalane and Cian O'Toole, who have been the foundation stone of the teams success this season. On the Astros side David Wall had a good game between the posts, Daniel Fitzmaurice performed strongly at the heart of the defence and Declan Gill provided most of the teams attacking impetus. It was a much tighter affair over on Pitch 2 where Rangers beat Town 8-6 after a titanic struggle between two well-matched sides. Aaron Connolly was a big loss for the Rangers side but the confidence arising from their impressive form in this years tournament stood them in very good stead on the day. As I have said many times before this team has gelled really well and their run of good results is no mere coincidence. However they certainly had to be at their best today as the the Town team really put it up to them. The game swung from end to end and the goalscoring opportunities just kept coming in what was a very exciting game and great entertaintment for the watching parents and coaches. Eamon Flynn kept things tight at the back for the Town team while Dominic Curley put in a strong performace in the middle of the park. Upfront Luke Smyth had a splendid game and was a constant thorn in the side for the much harried Rangers defence. Hard to pick out individual players from the Rangers team as all performed well on the day. However Sean Boyle was certainly in top form and his immense contribution to this Rangers victory is definitely worthy of a mention.
14/2/10
Town and Astros were first up for the host club on yet another fine dry morning for the Invitational Tournament (Thats five Sundays in a row without a cancellation - must be a record for the tournament!). Our lads knew they were in for a tough time as they would be facing the the United and Rovers teams from Cregmore/Claregalway, the leading club in this years U10 tournament. last week a much-depleted Astros side were on the wrong end of an embarrassing defeat but it was a very different story this week as Declan Gill, Tom Walker and Cian Manning all returned to help steer the team to an exciting 3-1 win over Cregmore/Claregalway United. David Wall took over from Conor Ruane in goal while Conor slotted into David's right back position and both had fine games in their new-found roles. Conor Mullins had another fine game in the centre of defence while upfront Dylan Gallagher was a constant threat to the United rearguard. However it was Tom Walker and Declan Gill who masterminded the victory from midfield and with the Astros leading 2-1 midway through the second half it was a cracking penalty from Declan Gill which finally settled this match. Over on Pitch 2 an understrength Town team nearly pulled off the surprise of the day when they narrowly lost to the very impressive Cregmore/Claregalway Rovers team on a 2-1 scoreline. Missing key players Luke Smyth and Isi Richards we feared the worst for this team but the lads produced one of the best battling performances of the season and very nearly came away with a share of the spoils. A splendid goal from Alan Costello put Town ahead early in the game and the team comfortably held onto this lead going into the half-time break. Rovers upped the ante in the second half and their constant pressure was finally rewarded with two goals ensuring that they maintained their unbeaten run in the tournament and preserved Cregmore/Claregalways lead at the top of the Inviatational Tournament table. From our point of view this was a fine performance from the Maree/Oranmore Town players and they deserve great credit for very nearly pulling off an unexpected result. With Rangers enjoying a rest day Villa were the last side up for Maree/Oranmore. The team was at full strength and needed to be at their very best to see off a strong Colga Albion side. Matthew Kilgannon had a great game in the centre of the park and dictated the pace of the match right from the kick-off. Alan Moran also performed very well slotting in for James Cahalane on the right side of midfield. There were several half chances at either end in the opening exchanges but both defences seemed to be coping well with everything that was thrown at them. Villa then broke the deadlock when a well-worked move down the right was neatly finished by Cian O'Toole to put the home side 1-0 up midway through the first half. As the game wore on it became clear that Villa held the upper hand but we had to wait until late in the game until the points were secured courtesy of a fine finish from Sean Monaghan after a period of sustained pressure from Villa. Todays results keep the home side in touching distance of Cregmore/Claregalway as the tournament enters the home straight.
7/2/10
The day started with very mixed fortunes for the Maree/Oranmore U10's with Villa running out comfortable 5-1 winners over Colga Weir while Astros were on the receiving end of an 8-0 drubbing at the hands of Corrib Celtic United. Late withdrawals left the Villa team short of players but fortunately last minute replacements were found in the form of Sean Delany and Luke Smyth. Villa started sluggishly and went 1-0 down in the opening minutes of the match. They soon found their feet however and once they got going the result never looked in any real doubt. Goals from Sean Delany (2), Stephen Coyne, James Cahalane and Luke Smyth reflected Villa's dominance of this match. A spate of withdrawals (7 in total) left a much-depleted Astros side with a huge uphill battle against a strong Corrib Celtic United team. Aaron Connolly, Damian Sharry and Matthew Barrett stepped in to make up the numbers but with so many regulars missing the Astros team lacked cohesion and were well-beaten by the visitors. The day ended with two very tight matches between Maree/Oranmore and Cregmore/Claregalway. On Pitch 1 Town were slow out of the blocks and found themselves 2-0 down to Cregmore/Claregalway United at the break. An impressive second half revival saw Town draw level with goals from Dominic Curley and Luke Smyth. A draw looked on the cards as the clock ticked down but a late free kick saw United steal the points in this exciting contest. It was a similar story on Pitch 2 where Cregmore/Claregalway Rovers started impressively and deservedly went in 2-0 up at the break. The closest Rangers came to scoring was through Brendan Commins who nearly broke the crossbar with a rasping shot from the middle of the park. Rangers were a different team after the restart and a fine curling shot from Brendan Commins brought them right back into the game. The under-pressure Rovers defence then conceded a clear-cut penalty which was expertly dispatched to the net by Brendan. With confidence soaring Rangers pushed hard for a winner but it was not to be and nobody could deny Rovers a share of the spoils in this pulsating contest. Centre back Brendan Commins and Keeper Daniel O'Neill were the star players for the Rangers team who have now won 3 and drawn 1 of their four games in 2010.
31/1/10
This was not an official Super Sunday but it certainly turned out to be one for the Maree/Oranmore U10's. Three wins and a draw from four games played represents our best return from a single days play in the tournament this season. Maree/Oranmore's Villa and Rangers kicked off the days proceedings with matches against Corrib Celtic's United and Pier respectively. Villa faced up to a strong Corrib Celtic United side in what proved to a very tight and close-fought contest. The football was excellent but neither keeper was really tested in the opening half. The only goal of the half came when a lively Corrib Celtic Striker beat the advancing Robbie Commins to a bouncing ball and headed over the keeper into the unprotected net. Villa came out fighting in the second half and the pressure finally paid off when Luke Smyth applied the finishing touch to a well-worked move to ensure a deserved share of the spoils for the home side. Sean Higgins and Matthew Kilgannon performed well for the home side but man of the match goes to James Cahalane who produced a magnificent display of attacking football. Over on Pitch 2 goals from Aaron Connolly (2), Sean Boyle and Brendan Commins saw Maree/Oranmore Rangers race into a commanding 4-0 lead over Corrib Celtic Pier going into the break. Rangers took their foot off the pedal in the second half but some solid defending from Dara Folan in particular ensured the visitors were never going to get back into this match. Goal of the game goes to Brendan Commins whose super-strike from the halfway line ended up in the back of the Corrib Celtic net. In the final matches of the day Maree/Oranmore Town and Maree/Oranmore Astros both chalked up impressive 3-1 wins over Colga Weir and Colga Albion respectively. Carrying a niggling ankle injury into the match Dominic Curley showed his fighting spirit by scoring a splendid hat-trick to set up town for a fine 3-1 win over Colga Weir. Daniel Costello and Sean Fallon also impressed for this rapidly improving Town side. On Pitch 2 the Astros produced their best performance of the season in defeating a strong Colga Albion outfit. This was a great team performance with some wonderful and intricate passing moves by the home side. Conor Ruane had a great game in goal while David Wall, Conor Mullins and Cian Manning were superb in defence. Declan Gill and Tom Walker were full of running in midfield while upfront Tomas Carr, Dylan Gallagher and Kevin Byrnes player the games of their lives. Kevin Byrnes had a particularly good game and set the tone for the match when he opened the scoring with a fine shot to the roof of the net from a very tight angle.
24/1/10
Sunday 24 January 2010 will go down in club records as the first Super Sunday for the Maree/Oranmore AFC Invitational Tournament. The U7's and U8's took to the main astro pitch, the U10's lined up on the grass pitch while the U9's played the first ever tournament matches in the astro cages.
First up for the Maree/Oranmore U10's were Town and Rangers with Craughwell Athletic and Carughwell Harps providing the opposition. It was a great start to the day as both home sides notched up comfortable victories with impressive displays of attacking football. Maree/Oranmore Town gradually wore down the determined resistance of Craughwell Athletic with goals from Luke Smyth, Sean O'Rourke and Dominic Curley sealing a great win for the home side. Damian Sharry had a fine game in goal while Luke Smyth continued his impressive goal-scoring run with two more strikes underlying his consistent form in front of goal this season. It was a similar story on Pitch 2 where Aaron Connolly gave another great performance in steering the Rangers team to an emphatic 7-2 victory over Carughwell Harps. Dara Folan marshalled the defence effectively while Matthew Barrett and Sean Boyle impressed on either wing. This Rangers team has gelled nicely and their confidence is growing week by week.
Last up for the home club were Villa who knew they were in for a tough match against Cregmore/Claregalway Rovers. Both teams had won their opening three games so something had give on this occasion. As expected it was a tight match with few clear goalscoring opportunities in the first half leaving the score deadlocked at 0-0 going into the break. Villa stepped up a gear after the break and deservedly took the lead with a belter of a strike from Cian O'Toole. That looked like it might be enough for Villa but Rovers were not about to relinquish their unbeaten record without a fight. Two set-pieces proved the undoing of the Villa team in the closing quarter. A free kick was dispatched to the net after coming back off the frame of the goal to leave the scores tied at 1-1. Rovers now had the wind in their sails and a late corner put the home defence under pressure resulting in an unfortunate own goal to give the visitors a moral-boosting victory. Make no mistake though this Villa team will certainly bounce back from this defeat.
17/1/10
Astros and Rangers were first up for Maree/Oranmore this morning with Cregmore/Claregalway providing the opposition for both of our teams. Rangers were involved in a cracking match with Cregmore/Claregalway United on Pitch 2. The first half was a real ding-dong battle with play switching quickly from end to end. United just about shaded the exchanges and deservedly went in 3-2 up at the break.The match was far from over however and Rangers were in confident and determined mood after the half time team talk. They came out firing on all cylinders in the second half and scored three times without reply to run out 5-3 winners at the end. Aaron Connolly and Mateusz Pawlowski scored two apiece for the home side with Sean Boyle netting the other. This was a great team performance against strong opposition and the signs are good for this Rangers team in their forthcoming matches. Unfortunately it was not a great day for the Astros team as they were well-beaten by a very strong Cregmore/Claregalway Rovers outfit, who recorded their third win on the trot. The omens were poor at the outset for the Astros team when a raft of withdrawals saw them struggle to field the required 9 players. Town players Luke Smyth and Damian Sharry made up the numbers but the home side struggled from the start and never really looked like getting anything from this match. Cian Manning was the stand out player for the Astros but the lads will have to pick themselves up for the next game.
The final matches of the day saw Maree/Oranmore Villa and Town facing Craughwell Athletic and Harps respectively. Villa and Athletic served up a very entertaining match on Pitch 1 with Villa coming out on top on a 2-0 scoreline. Cian O'Toole was man of the match for the home side scoring a splendid solo goal in the first half and setting up Sean Monaghan for the goal that finally settled the game midway through the second half. Craughwell Athletic certainly played their part in this exciting encounter and keeper Robbie Commins had to be at his best to thwart the visitors attacks on a number of occasions. Over on Pitch 2 Maree/Oranmore Town seemed to be on their way to a comprehensive defeat when trailing 4-1 to Craughwell Harps early in the second half. However the Town players rallied superbly and showed great fighting spirit to bring it back to 5-4 with the clock ticking down.Town poured forward in search of an equaliser in the closing minutes but it wasn't to be their day and Craughwell held on for a hard-earned victory. Star player for the home side was Isi Richards whose relentless drive and workrate encapsulated the spirit of the home sides second half fightback.
20/12/09
We were blessed with another fine sunny morning for the Invitational Tournament on Sunday 20 December. However the coaches were very disappointed with the poor turnout for the home club. Only 10 of the 24 players turned up for the Town and Rangers teams leaving us desperately short of players for the scheduled 9-aside matches. Matthew Kilgannon and James Cahalane from the Villa team turned up at short notice to bring our numbers to 12 but in order to make the minimum quota we had to call on U8 players Kevin Horgan and Ethan Connolly to help us out. Maree/Oranmore Town played an 8-aside match with Corrib Celtic Pier and proved much too strong for the visitors running out comfortable 4-1 winners. Luke Smyth scored a great hat-trick for the home side while Kevin Maguire, Sean Reddington and Damian Sharry also played a big part in this fine win. It was a very different story on Pitch 2 with Maree/Oranmore Rangers starting with just 6 players against Corrib Celtic United's 8. United were high on confidence after their opening day defeat of Craughwell Athletic and quickly showed that they are a fine footballing team. However the difference in numbers made it all too easy for them and they had notched up a 4-0 lead going into the break. Ethan Connolly brought our number up to 7 before half-time and Robbie Commins arrived for the second half to take up goalkeeping duties for the under-siege home defence. The Rangers did their best to stem the tide in the second half and Aaron Connolly was very unlucky not to get on the scoresheet on a couple of occasions. Unfortunately however the damage had already been done and the visitors ran out comfortable winners on a 7-0 scoreline. Matthew Barrett, Brendan Commins, Dara Folan and Mateusz Pawlowski gave their all for the home side while Oisin Stapleton had a great game and was the undoubted man of the match for the Rangers team. A special mention must go to the U8 players Ethan Connolly and Kevin Horgan, both of whom had outstanding games despite the massive step up from U8 to U10. With players like this coming through the future is certainly looking good for the club.
Last up for the host club were Maree/Oranmore Astros, who had been narrowly defeated in their opening two matches. They were not to be denied this time as they recorded an excellent 4-0 win over a strong Craughwell Harps side. The first half was fairly even but the Astros scored the all important goals with lightning-strike breaks out of the defence. Conor Ruane dealt with everything that came his way and was well-protected with Daniel Fitzmaurice and Cian Manning marshalling the defence. Declan Gill bossed the midfield and scored the goal of the game while Kevin Byrnes was busy as a bee up front and laid on a great goal with a deft back flick into the path of his strike partner. Craughwell Harps gave a good account of themselves and will feel a little hard done by the 4-0 scoreline but make no mistake this was a thoroughly-desrved victory for the Astros team.
Coaches View: We knew it was going to be difficult to get results when fielding an unprecedented FOUR teams in the Invitational Tournament. We tried to balance the teams as much as possible so each would be competitive. So despite suffering a couple of setbacks we are delighted that all four of our teams have recorded wins in the opening series of matches.
13/12/09
Astros and Rangers were first up for the host club in the second series of matches in this years Under 10 Invitational Tournament. Unfortunately both of our teams suffered narrow defeats in two keenly-contested matches with our near neighbours from Colga. The Astros side battled hard after conceding two early goals to a strong Colga Albion side and a splendid strike from Declan Gill put them right back in the match going into the half time break. The play continued to flow from end to end in the second half but Albion always seemed to have the edge in this game and their third goal duly arrived midway through the half. To their great credit the Astros managed to close the gap to a single goal once again but Colga tightened up after that and were well worth their victory in the end. Keeper Conor Ruane couldn't be faulted for any of the goals while David Wall, Daniel Fitzmaurice, Cian Manning and Daniel Costello offered him plently of protection in defence. Declan Gill, Tom Walker and Conor Mullins were strong in midfield but just couldn't get enough ball up the hard-working forward line of Kevin Byrnes, Dylan Gallagher and Tomas Carr
The Rangers team were certainly very unlucky not to come away with a point after they gave a great performance in an enthralling game with Colga Albion. The home side took the lead midway through the first half but Colga were soon level and that's the way it stayed going into the half-time break. Colga started the second half strongly and two goals seemed to put the tie beyond our lads. However we soon pulled one back and then pushed hard for the equaliser right up to the final whistle. Daniel O'Neill had another fine performance in goal for the Astros while Brendan Commins, Conor Fogarty and Oisin Stapleton were steady at the back. The midfield trio of Aaron Connolly, Sean Boyle and Dara Folan gave this side a good attacking edge and provided plenty of supply to Mateusz Pawlowski and Cathal Duffy up front. The match was notable for the numerous goal-scoring chances being created at either end but the strong defences and some excellent goalkeeping kept the scoring relatively low.
Last up for Maree/Oranmore were the Villa team, who were high on confidence after their comprehensive win over Colga Albion last week. The opposition this week came from tournament debutants Corrib Celtic Pier who had just seen their team-mates (Corrib Celtic United) record a narrow victory in the clubs first ever appearance in the Invitational Tournament. Villa however were in no mood to relinquish their unbeaten start and for the second week running this team put 7 goals past the opposition. Town players Dominic Curley and Eamon Flynn stepped in to replace James Cahalane and Adam Rooney, both of whom were unavailable for selection. Dominic and Eamon had great games and Villa will surely miss them next time out. Matthew Kilgannon, Sean Monaghan and Cian O'Toole were all on the scoresheet again while Alan Moran had a splendid game working between midfield and attack. Darren Hennigan, Stephen Coyne and Sean Higgins all did well at the back ensuring Robbie Commins had another quiet morning protecting the Villa goal.
6/12/09
The U10 Invitational Tournament finally kicked-off with a series of matches between Maree/Oranmore and Colga on a cold and windy, but thankfully dry, Sunday morning. In the first match on Pitch 1 Maree/Oranmore Villa proved much too strong for Colga Albion and recorded a comprehensive 7-0 victory. Matthew Kilgannon dictated much of the midfield play while Cian O'Toole gave an energetic performance on the left wing and provided much of the attacking impetus for the home side. The final scoreline was a little flattering for Villa as Colga Albion did pose frequent threats to the home goal and were unlucky not to get on the scoresheet. However the fact that Villa did manage to keep a clean sheet clearly indicates that the defence did their job and dealt capably with everything that was thrown at them.
It was a much tighter affair over on Pitch 2 where Maree/Oranmore Town and Colga Everton were engaged in a titanic struggle to secure the three points on offer. Town played with the aid of a strong wind in the first half and deservedly went in 3-1 up at the break. However Colga gained the upper hand after the restart and soon drew level as they pressed home the advantage of playing with the wind at their backs. Despite some fine defending from Eamon Flynn, Alan Costello and Sean Reddington there was to be huge disappointment for the home side when Colga scored the winner in the last minute.
The second match on Pitch 1 saw Maree/Oranmore Rangers record a 5-2 win over Colga Weir. Playing against a strong wind Rangers produced a great first half performance and led 2-0 at the break thanks to some fine football from Sean Boyle and man of the match Aaron Connolly. A third goal early in the second half seemed likely to set up a very comfortable win for the home side but this was not to be the case. Albion stepped up a gear and came back into the match scoring two fine goals either side of a well-taken strike from Matthew Barrett for the home side. Only some fine goalkeeping from Daniel O'Neill prevented Albion from reducing the margin to a single goal on a couple of occasions but Rangers had the final say with another spectacular goal from Aaron Connolly in the dying minutes of the match.
The second match on Pitch 2 saw Colga Everton notch up their second win of the day in an entertaining encounter with Maree/Oranmore Astro's. The astro's had the better of the first half and went in 2-1 up at the break thanks to some fine flowing football from Declan Gill, Tom Walker and Cian Manning. Colga Everton started brightly in the second half and raced into a 3-2 lead before the Astro's leveled somewhat against the run of play. However Colga remained in the ascendency and despite some fine goalkeeping from Conor Ruane the visiting side secured the points with two fine goals in the closing stages of the match.
A thoroughly entertaining Sunday morning's football ended with honours even as each club secured two hard-fought victories. Goals were very much the order of the day with 29 scored and all four matches producing seven goals or more.
Another exciting day on the OCDA grass pitch as the U10 Invitational Tournament enters the final stretch. It looks like we are in for a nail-biting finish as Maree/Oranmore and Cregmore/Claregalway are now locked together on 38 points and the outcome could well be decided on the final day of the season. Maree/Oranmores leading teams were involved in two titanic struggles with the in-form Craughwell teams with both clubs securing a win apiece on the day. Cregmore/Claregalway had just one team playing today with Rovers grabbing a late equaliser to deny Colga Albion a win. Maree/Oranmore Town went down 2-0 to Corrib Celtic United while Maree/Oranmore Astros shared the spoils in an exciting contest with Corrib Celtic Pier. Pier picked up three more points in their second outing of the day when they narrowly defeated Colga Weir by 2-1. That result moves Corrib Celtic into third place on 26 points just one point ahead of Craughwell (25) and three clear of Colga (23).
Tournament Update
With Cregmore/Claregalway Rovers slipping up against Corrib Celtic Pier Maree/Oranmore secured the two wins they needed to propel the club 3 points clear at the top of the table heading into the final series of matches on Sunday 14 March. The wins didn't come easy for Maree/Oranmore as Colga's recent resurgence continued and they pushed the host club all the way in the two epic encounters. Maree/Oranmore's determination to win this this tournament was just about enough to see them through with Villa and Rangers edging out Colga Albion and Weir by a single goal in both matches. Meanwhile Colga Everton thumped Maree/Oranmore Town 7-1 in what was undoubtedly Town's poorest display of the season. No excuses here as Town were at full strength but just weren't good enough on the day for a revitalised Everton side. Corrib Celtic Pier and Cregmore/Claregalway Rovers served up another cracker of a match on Pitch 1 with Pier earning a very hard-fought victory on a 2-0 scoreline. Over on Pitch 2 Corrib Celtic United were on the receiving end of a 6-2 defeat to Craughwell Harps as they continued the clubs recent run of excellent results. Craughwell Athletic couldn't keep the run going as they went down 4-1 to a powerful performance from Cregmore/Claregalway United, who were determined to ensure that their club didn't go away empty handed on the day and would remain in contention for the Maree/Oranmore Invitational Cup on the final day of the season.
It's all to play for next week with Maree/Oranmore leading the way on 44 points closely followed by Cregmore/Claregalway on 41 points. The battle for third place is also going down to the wire with just 3 points separating Corrib Celtic (29), Craughwell (28) and Colga (26). Lets hope for more of the same beautiful sunny weather on what promises to be a very special occasion next Sunday. Miss it at your peril!
1. Maree/Oranmore 20-44
2. Cregmore/Claregalway 20-41
3. Corrib Celtic 20-29
4. Craughwell 20-28
5. Colga 20-26
