Sep 9th Away v Swords M Won 4-3
Sept 16th Home v Swords C Won 2-1
Sept 23rd Home v Lusk Won 6-3
April 7th Away V Balbriggan Won 1-0 ( 1/4 Final)
April 24th Home v Droghda Won 2-0 (Semi -Final)
May 25th Ndsl v Huntstown/Hartstown Lost 4-0 ( Final)
League Games
Sept 30th Home v Kilbarrack Won 3-2
Oct 7th Away v WFTA Lost 6-4
Oct 14th Home v Corduff Won 5-2
Oct 21st Away v Balscadden Lost 4-1
Oct 28th Away v Clontarf Won 7-4
Nov 4th Home v Portmarnock Draw 0-0
Nov 11th Home v Rivermount Won 7-1
Dec 2nd Away v Portmarnock Won 3-1
Dec 29th Friendly v Balbriggan Won 2-1
Jan 13th Home v Grange woodbine Draw 3-3
Feb 17th Away v Grange Woodbine Lost 10-2
Mar 3rd Home v WFTA Draw 1-1
April 16th Home v Balscadden Lost 2-1
April 25th Away V Rivermount Won 5-1
May 12th Home v Clontarf Won 7-0
Match reports.
- Swords M(Cup)
- Swords C(Cup)
- Lusk(Cup)
- Kilbarrack
- WFTA
- Corduff
- Balscadden
- Clontarf
- Portmarnock
- Rivermount
- Portmarnock
- Balbriggan
- Grange W
- WFTA
- Balbriggan(cup 1/4)
- Balscadden
- Droghda (Cup semi)
- Rivermount
- Clontarf
- Huntstown/Hartstown (Cup Final)
Swords M (B) away, won 4-3
"Ita's hold on for cup win"
We were unlucky to lose Evun before the game as he was unwell but lucky that adham was good enough to get in goal for us. A very tough game today ,end to end , and we were delighted to come away with the win.
We started well but swords got the 1st goal of the game, Adham with no chance to save it. We responded well and were soon level when luke's quick throw-in released Scott who's lovely driving pass was turned in by Sean N.
Scott put us one up at the break after linking up with Niall and scoring with his left foot shot.
2nd half saw swords get a number of corners that we defended well. Swords hit the bar from one of these , while Richard cleared one off the line. Scott , Niall and Riley all had chances to score but Swords got the next goal after we failed to close down a long range shot.
Scoot got his 2nd goal from the peno spot , in off the post , after Conor did well before being upended in the box.
Luke set up Riley after a short corner and great by- line run and chip to the far post, Riley thumping home from 5 yards.
We made life hard for ourselves when we conceded again with 5 min left but seen out the remainder of the game for a good start to the season.
Coaches Notes.
We looked like Rag ball Rovers today in all different gear. We are working on getting new Jerseys for all but children need to wear their green shorts & socks to matches. Shinguards is a must as the ref wont let you play with out them.
Delighted with Richard, Mark,Chris, Conor who all played very well today.
Sean N got a great goal and got into good positions while I thought Greg had a great 1st game for us, passed the ball very well and will be a great addition to the squad.
Cian and Jordan were super at the back while Luke and Scott linked up well, David held his holding position very well in midfield.
Still plenty of work to do at training as some players still just running around the pitch with no idea of their position , early days I know but when we fix this we will be much better for it. Still learning .
Ivan.
Swords C (D) Home won 2-1
"Conor scores last min winner for Ita's"
A very even 1st half today. Not much between the teams and not many chances. When we did break through we were either caught off side or just took a little too long to get our shots off. Conor was unlucky not to convert after Luke chipped through to Scott ,who's lob beat the keeper but was cleared off the line. Adham ,Niall and Scott linked up well on the left while Sean F got forward well. 0-0 was fair at half time
We went behind in the 2nd half after a free kick was turned in to give Even no chance. We were up against it now and missed some great chances to draw level before Jordan found Luke , who slipped Scott in on goal. Scott Made no mistake with the finish. We pushed forward for the winner but had to wait till the very end for it. Scotts cross from the right was turned in by Conor to make it 2 wins from 2 cup games .
Coaches Notes:
Was happy with some of our play but disappointed with a lot as well. Training was not good on Wednesday. effort was lacking , not by all , but by enough to have me worried about this game and having to talk to them. I must say the effort was there today but we were not as sharp with our passes that we can and so did not create enough which I put down to poor training . I must give credit though as we never gave up and got the win in the end.
We did defend very well, Jordan,Cian,Fionn and Greg working well with Chris and Richard.
David and Luke covering well in front off them.
Mark again was excellent this week with his passing and is showing great improvement.
I trust our players to be able to beat any one on a 2v1 and that was why I was so disappointed with some of our corners. When we played short we caused more problems for Swords than a 50/50 ball into the box,I still want the ball into the box, just from closer and a more dangerous area.
I'm looking forward to training on Wednesday,as I think a good positive session will see us fix our small problems and see the goals come.
Ivan.
Lusk (E) Home Won 6-3
"Luke's four star performance"
With no ref turning up, we ended up with the best ref one could possibly have "ME". How else would luke get four goals? We started off quite slowly with Lusk scoring a nice goal to take the lead. The game was very even and although we created some chances, we never really looked like dominating the game. Our equalising goal came from a long kick out from Evun. Luke fought with the defenders and Scott to toe poke the ball past the keeper. Half-time score was 1-1.
Second half saw us dominate much more. Luke got his second goal after good work from Adham who had seen an earlier shot hit the post. Scott got the third goal with a lovely free kick that the keeper couldn't keep out. Fair play to Lusk, they pulled a goal back with a long range shot that caught Evun out. Luke completed his hatrick when he skipped past some defenders on the by line and slipped the ball past the keeper at the near post. Scott scored 30 seconds later after good work between Luke and Scott, his finish going in off the near post. Almost immediately, Lusk got another goal back with a free kick into the top corner, quite like Scott's earlier. To finish off, Luke scored a fourth goal after a 1-2 with Mark. Final score 6-3.
Coaches Notes:
I got to see the game from a different perspective as I was in the middle of all the action. You get to see how hard the players have to work on the pitch and how fast the game actually is. Went with Sean N in the middle with Luke and David in the middle because his performance at training last week was outstanding and he didn't let us down. His passing was faultless while he was also sharp in his tackles. Luke's four goals were obviously well taken and him and Scott are linking up very well which is a good sign for us this season. We have now completed our three cup games and have qualified for the quarter finals which is something we can look forward to in the new year. The league starts next week and we'll be looking for a good start like last year.
Ivan.
Kilbarrack Home Won 3-2
"Sean F & Niall to the rescue"
Not a great start to the game today as we found ourselves 2 down very early after sloppy defensive play. The response we had started with Cian making a defensive stop on the goal line and racing down the wing before crossing the ball into the box which unfortunately we couldn't get someone on the end of. We got Niall through on goal with the keeper to beat but the keeper made a good save. Luke got a goal back for us before the break after good work from Niall and Sean F set him clear to smash home across the keeper. Half time 2-1.
Second half we were much better and looked like we could get back into the game while at the back we looked very tight. Evun had to make a good save and a few moments later Sean F smashed home an equaliser to give us a great boost for the last 15 minutes. We were passing the ball around nicely at this stage and it was Niall who ran onto his own pass to shoot again across the keeper and into the far corner. We could have scored more, Scott having a great chance 1 on 1 at the end but could also have conceded late on and so were happy to hear the final whistle. Final score 3-2.
Coaches Notes:
We had such a poor first half that I just told the kids at half time that they could get us out of the hole that they had got into. To be fair to them, they responded really well in the second half. The ball was passed quicker and we looked like we could score a few goals. Although he didn't score today, I thought Scott had a great game and linked up well with Niall and Sean F. This was a very tough game today as all our league games should be this year.
Ivan.
WFTA Away Lost 6-4
"Scotts Hattrick , not enough for Ita's"
Unlike last week we had a great start to the game today. We were 2 up in 15 min,the 1st after Luke was upended by the keeper and Jordan slotted the resulting penalty in from 16 yards!!!!!!(refs). Scott got a 2nd with his 1st touch of the game which he slammed under the keeper. We then had a mimi meltdown and conceded 3 goals, 2 very well taking, to leave us behind at the break. Ht 3-2
The goals flowed in the second half as we traded 2 goals each. Scott scored 2 goals, both exactly the same when we broke the high free kick line. We were pushing on for the equaliser but unfortunately we gave away a sixth goal which ended the game as a contest late on. Final score 6-4.
Coaches Notes:
Let's just say, the ref had a absolute stinker. A penalty being taken from 16 yards instead of 12, throw in's when the ball was never out of play, off sides for both teams, bad decisions for both teams and absolutely NO INJURY TIME PLAYED when the ref told us he had it all under control (enough said).
I actually thought we played much better today than in some of the games we won. Niall was causing problems up front with his runs while Luke's running with the ball was superb and the fact that he had three players booked for tackles on him says it all. Conor had an excellent game as well while Scott's hatrick was stunning. Although Scott got three, man of the match was Jordan who was superb and I know that sounds funny considering he was part of the defence that conceded six goals but he was individually excellent as was Cian to be fair. Richard also had a great second half. A disappointing game to loose and it shows in this league that we need all our players playing at their best for us to be able to compete.
Ivan.
Corduff Home Won 5-2
"5 Star show by Saints"
A great start today with great passing and movement with Conor linking up well with Luke,Scott and Niall, who were in the middle of the park and controlled it all day long. They set up plenty of chances in the 1st half and we got 2 good goals. Scotts came after good work from Niall,set Luke away and he played in Scott, who made no mistake. Lukes goal came after he made a great run with a shot across the keeper. Corduff did score right on halftime from a corner, to make the scoreline closer than the game actually was. Ht 2-1
We dominated the second half. Sean F made some great runs,while Greg did great with Fionn,David and Chris at the back. Niall scored our 3 goal, a lovely pass found Niall racing through on goal and he finished with the ball rolling into the corner of the net. Luke got a 4th for us when he flew down the right wing,cut inside and smashed a shot in off the keeper. Corduff got a good goal back but we just stepped up another gear and Scotts cross was turned onto the crossbar by Sean N and Sean F was on hand to finish the game off. Ft 5-2
Coaches notes:
The best all-round game we play this year. Conor was man of the match because his work rate was super and he also had great skill to go with it. His best game ever for us. Greg did great playing both right and left back while Sean N held the ball up very well and was unlucky not to score today. David , Fionn and Chris where magnificent at the back with both Cian and Jordan out. Sean F and Riley did well on the wings, both worked very hard with Niall , Luke and Scott were just magic together in the middle. Everyone just played so well.
Ivan
Balscadden Away Lost 4-1
"Cian's Scores , but Ita's beaten"
We were under fierce pressure from the start today and found it very hard to get out of our half for long periods. Our goal lived a charmed life with Evun having to made too many saves and the crossbar coming to our recuse on occasion. We some how went in at half time 1 up . We made a good change and put Cian up front to try and use his speed. From a throw in, Luke found Scott,who played Cian in on goal and Cian finished like he was always a centre forward , smashing his shot in at the near post. He almost added a 2nd but was just blocked out. Ht 1-0
We were 3-1 down 10 min into the 2nd half. The 1st was a killer as it was a very soft goal from a corner ,a min in to the half. The balscadden player who scored all 3 goals was unplayable at this stage and looked like scoring at will. We battle on and could have scored ourselves with David now up front. Niall and Scott also had chances but Balscadden got a 4th, a stunning finish again from there best player. The final score 4-1
Coaches Notes;
We started with the same team that played Corduff as we had played so well in that game.The fact one player scored 4 against us says a lot about how good he was, as no one has every done that against us. To be fair I thought they were better than us in most parts of the game and have a number of very good players and you can only hold up your hands and say that we lost to a very good team who will take some stopping to win the league.
I thought we all tried very hard on a bad pitch(for both teams) but have to say that I look forward to the return game as we will see if we can improve to put up a better game of it. It's a game I hope the players look forward too as well because it will require our best to win.
Must just say that Cian did super with his goal. He is a great player for us where ever I put him.
Ivan
Clontarf Away Won 7-4
"Luke hattrick sees Ita's 7up"
It was a miserable wet day for our trip to Clontarf. It was a lovely pitch which helped us pass the ball around quickly. We created numerous chances in the first half and Luke got us the first goal after 10 minutes with a shot from outside the box into the far corner. Although we had plenty of chances, we couldn't quite get the second goal to calm us down and Clontarf equalised with a stunning finish from 30 yards over Evun. Our second goal came from a short corner with David and Sean F who found Luke and Luke's pass to Scott was thumped home. Half time 1-2.
In the first 10 minutes of the second half, Luke scored two more goals to increase our lead and complete his hatrick. Chris then got on the score sheet after a great move by David, Sean F, Luke and Scott and Chris fired high in off the underside of the crossbar. We made some changes to the team giving Luke and David a rest and this made the game a bit more even. We traded goals with Clontarf who scored 3 in the last 15 minutes while Scott got his second and Sean F scored a lovely shot across the keeper to finish the scoring off at 4-7.
Coaches Notes:
The referee was probably the best one we've had this season. He kept up very well and was very good in talking to the lads. We played well today in what was a game we really expected to win but you still have to take your goals and we got some really nice ones today.
Ivan
Portmarnock Home 0-0
"Boring, boring Ita's"
A very even game against Portmarnock. Two teams had a midfield battle all game. There was very few chances created in the whole game although when called on, Cian and Fionn were outstanding. There is very little to write about although in the last 10 minutes of the game, we looked like we were going to get a winner when Adham, Sean N, Riley all had chances to win it late on. The game ended in a draw and I have to say it was a fair result. No complaints.......see below.
Coaches Notes:
We often say that a referee was poor and we often disagree with referees but today's booking of Adham and Mark for coming on as substitutes when permission was sought was absolutely BONKERS. I have to praise the players and the parents on the sideline as it was extremely hard to watch his display and not react to it and we were very fortunate not to have someone sent off for something silly. I thought he was equally poor for both teams and I thought he ruined a very decent 0-0 draw as Portmarnock play the ball around very nicely like ourselves and it was a good footballing game.
Ivan
Rivermount Home 7-1
"Hatrick hero Sean N"
It took us 5 minutes to get the ball to Luke on the wing but when we did he raced down and squared a beautiful ball to Sean N to pass home. Our second goal came when Scott raced through and passed the ball to Adham was on hand to finish. We were 3 nil up soon after this when another break down the right found the cross headed home brilliantly from Sean N for his second goal. We were in total control of the game and could have added more.
Second half saw us add more goals with with Luke getting a goal that his overall play deserved. Scott scored a nice goal with his left foot while we brought on Sean N to complete his hatrick with a 20 yard free kick into the top corner. Rivermount to their credit kept trying to play and got a goal back. The final few minutes saw Fionn up front and although he had a goal disallowed for offside, he finally got on the scoresheet in the last minute to the delight of the sideline and we hope Bill payed up.
Coaches Notes:
We changed our system a little bit today and went very direct in the wings and this worked extremely well. The idea being that we got the ball into wide areas and got good delivery into the box that the attacking midfielders and wingers would get goals. Sean N proved this with a really stunning hatrick and I've being waiting for a while to get him to take the free kicks as he has such a good strike of the ball. Credit to Niall and Scott in the middle who I thought passed the ball really well today which was very important for our style of play.
Ivan.
Portmarnock Away won 3-1
"Niall shines in super Itas Performance"
We got to play on a super pitch today in Portmarnocks very impressive complex. Just as well we brought our super football as well . We had an outstanding 1st half. We scored after 3 min When Scott and luke combined well down the right and Lukes pull back was was placed in the far corner by Nialls cool finish. We created loads of chances with great work by Coner and Sean N while David was again outstanding. Our 2nd goal, and my favourite from this season so far started with Evun playing the ball to Adham . He moved it to Sean F , who set Luke free and his cross was smashed in by Scott. The ball never left the ground and 5 passes later was in the back of the net, a wonderful goal. A great 1st half by all saw us to the brick at 2-0.
2nd Half saw much of the same althought Portmarnock were reduced to ten players they still got a goal back when we failed to clear our lines. We could have scored many in the second half with Sean F excellent down the right wing while Riley and Chris worked great on the left. Niall was playing a blinder in the middle and scored a lovely chip to finish the game off at 3-1. Final score 3-1
Coaches Notes
Today was just a super day for us .We played so well and scored some tremendous goals that no-one on our sideline could have gone home disappointed. Player of the match for most would probably be Niall for his great goals and overall performance while David , Cian , Luke , Scott ,Conor, Adham and Sean F could all argue it was them but it was FIONN. We gave him a man to man job on their very good forward and he was so good at it. When needed he stepped up to midfield and was a joy to watch. All played great so I'm a very happy coach going into the Xmas break.
Balbriggan , Ndsl academy , Won 2-1
"Cian & David Strike to win it Late"
A friendly game under lights , on the all weather , against last year league winners was a great test for our improving team. We had a great night and dominated for most with out getting a lot of shots on target. We we 1 down for along time in the game but kept trying to pass it around and after making some changes in the 2nd half looked more like scoring. Both our gaols came from short corners whiched werre worked superbly to get the chance to score.
The 1st came when Adham played a lovely little chip pass to Cian ,who had moved forward, and after getting the ball out of his feet he then curled the ball into the top far corner,the keeper having no chance.
The 2nd came from the same side but this time, Adham found Luke, who rolled the ball for David to smash into the net off the underside of the crossbar.
We had a few chances to add to it . Luke shot over after great work by Adahm and Jordan while at the other end Fionn made a great block while Evun make a great save.
A great night, with good football played and its nice to keep the good results coming.
Final score 2-1.
Grange Woodbine , Home , Draw 3-3
"Luke's hat trick earns a point for Itas"
A great game today in Newbridge. We got an early lead when Niall found Luke and he beat a few players before going around the keeper and scoring at the near post. Scott and Corner could have added to our lead but last gasp defending stopped us. We then fell asleep and got caught out at the back for Grange to level while a mistake while we played out from the back put Grange on top 2-1.
Just before the break we were caught on the break and left with a mountain to climb at half time to win this game.
Some changes at the half, David and Cian at the back ,while Jordan and Luke now in midfield saw us have better balance . It was really important not to concede any more goals and some great defending and goalkeeping gave us a chance.
Late on we went with 4-2-4 to try and get the goal back, with Sean N going close but we finally got one back when Scott's pass put Luke away and he slide the ball past the keeper. Game on again now and we poured forward and it was Luke again who put the defender under pressure after good work from Jordan, Scott & Niall. Luke kept his cool to finish across the keeper into the far corner.
We almost got a winner but were pulled back twice for offside that looked really tight while Evun made a great save when one on one to finish the game off as a draw. Final score 3-3.
Coaches notes
Not at our best today. Gave Grange 2 poor goals but was very happy with the 2nd half fight back.
Luke got 3 great finishes today and we can not fault the effort from all. A draw keeps our good recent results intact . Evuns save at the end was great while we had some bad offsides against us today, the ref just went with the other sideline call all the time, one or two were but not all which was frustrating and stopped some great chances to score.
Any way both teams will think they could have won it while we will be the happier after being 2 down late on.
Grange Woodbine Away , Lost 10-2
" Thumped!!!!"
Goals in 2nd half by David and Sean N. Nothing else to say.
WFTA Home, Draw 1-1
"Jordan rescues Ita's with last min equaliser "
A great game today against the league leaders . We started very well with Evun not really troubled while Scott and Luke up from looked very dangerous . This was a midfield battle with Sean F doing a great job winning loads of headers and Jordan and Niall linking up well. Sean N was almost in on goal when Luke and Jordan linked up well while Luke had as hot from 20 yards that the keeper saved well. David was excellent at the back while Riley had a great game working extremely hard on the left wing. Half time 0-0.
Second Half was more of the same with plenty of hard work by both teams. WFTA took the lead when we failed to clear a corner and their striker finished well into the far corner. We pressed on really well now to get an equaliser with Scott going closest with a fantastic header that just missed the post. With time running out, Scott found Luke whose pass was finished by Jordan with a slight deflection in past the keeper. A great defensive block from the Itas wall in the last minute meant we were the first team to take points off WFTA this season and well deserved points they were. Final Score 1-1.
Coaches Notes:
After our last performance we were looking for a much improved one today. We got that by a slight change of our system to 4-4-2 but more importantly great work ethic. I was delighted with Riley today as he has been working really hard at training and put in a great effort today which helped drive the others on. Jordan was also fantastic today as was Sean F who I think won every header. He even asked to come off which is very rare as he was so tired.
Balbriggan (Cup) Away Won 0-1
"Luke strikes Ita's into the semi's"
A super performance from Ita's today. A game of few chances against the team in the division above us who won our league last year. We dominated the first half although Balbriggan defended really well. Both Luke and Scott had chances while Sean N also had a chance at the far post. At the other end, Balbriggan hit the post on one of their rare attacks while Jordan saw his shot fly wide the other end. We took the lead on just half time when a brilliant 1 2 move with Luke and Scott (who could have gone down for the penalty). Scott made it to the end line and crossed a great ball with his left foot for Luke to smash home at the near post. Half time 1-0
Second Half we once again played very well. Great work by Sean F and Adham on the right hand side while Richard and Chris also did very well on the full back areas and again the two centre halves Cian and David marshalled the Balbriggan forward line to perfection. Evun was rarely threatened in goal and although it was a bit nervous at the end, we well deserved our 1-0 win. FT 1-0.
Coaches Notes:
I'm absolutely delighted for all the players as they followed their instructions extremely well in the game. We looked very well positionally on the pitch and really dominated possession in good areas of the field. Some of our passing and movement was subperb and although it didn't lead to goals, it meant we kept Balbriggan on the back foot. Can't pick anyone out as man of the match because everyone played so well. And with about 50 teams in this cup competition, we have made it to the last four for the second time in two years. Let's just hope we can go one step further in the semi final.
Ivan.
Balscadden Home Lost 2-1
" Balscadden end league hopes"
A lovely evening for a game. We were put under a lot of pressure for the 1st 15mins or so although we did defend very well against a very good Balscadden team. We had more of the ball as the half went on and i must say were very unlucky with some offsides that looked very close . Fitzer hit the bar with our best chance from a free kick but some how we could not force the ball over the line from the rebound. Ht 0-0
We feel behind early in the 2nd half after a poor kick out when straight to their forfarw and although Evun made a great save their other forward was on hand to finish into an empty net. We fought back brilliantly and got what we deseverd when Niall found some room int he box to fire home. The game would be decided by 2 free kicks. Balscaddens went in after a hugh deflection off the wall while fitter again saw his cannon of the crossbar while Luke's follow up was inches wide. We poured forward but just didn't get the luck that we needed. Ft 1-2
Coaches notes:
After losing badly to them earlier in the season this was a great improvement. We worked so hard in the game and I was delighted with them all. I was so in grossed in the game that I actually missed getting Coner back till the last 5 min , in the 2nd half but will make it up to him in the following games.
It was a great work out for our Semi this Sunday.
Drogheda, Home Won 2-0
" Niall & Luke send Itas to FINAL!!!!!"
After Sundays mess with no ref we wet very happy to see the ref at the game nice and early.
We were super in the 1st half. We passed the ball around so well and looked like we could set up Niall for lots of chances. We controlled midfield really well with Jordan and Luke excellent . Scottt linked up well with Chris on the left wing while David and Cian looked to have all well marshalled at the back.
Our 1st goal came after Great play from Luke and Scott found Mark. Mark won the tackle and played in Scott whos 1st time pass split the Drogheda defence and Niall coolly chiped the ball past the keeper.
We were well on top now but coundn't add to the goal. Ht 0-0.
2nd half saw more of the same,Great team effort with Scott and Fitzer working their socks off. Drodheda pushed forward and we defended well and looked like we'd score every time we broke away.
Luke almost did that after winning a tough tackle on the half way line, another with the defender, and he was clear on goal. He raced through but the keeper stood big and his shot was saved and we wondered would we regret that chance.
Luke ,to be far just got more determined and its this determination that finally sealed the game. With the ball clear from the Drogheda goal, Luke pounched on the ball an fired in off the underside of the cross bar from 20 yards to cue wild celebrations.
We saw out the rest of the game very well , the only disappointing thing was the injury to David that rules him out of the final. Ft 2-0.
Coaches Notes:
So proud and happy for all the children and their families after we finally reached the final. It was such hard work and yet we played some great football under that pressure. I remember when alot of these players started their 1 st training session with us many years ago and I for one am so excited to see how they do on the big day in the NDSL. It's going to be special.
A note on David who while trying to get us to the final got injured with a really bad Knee injury and will rule him out of the final and for a while next season. As a top player for us, it's a great loss but we just want him to recover and come back stronger next year. He will be with us on the bench at the final, cheering on the lads , hoping he gets his hands on the cup.
Rivermount Away Won 5-1
"Fionn seals big win"
Confidence is high at the moment after our cup win. We showed that today with a 5 star show. Niall got us off to a flyer with a super finish from 20 yards into the top corner. We played really well and could and should have had it wrapped up by the break but only added a 2nd before it. Scott on hand to round the keeper. Ht 2-0
After the break we moved loads of players into different positions but this didn't really chande the flow of the game as we were well on top. Scott got our 3rd goal after a big long kick from Evun that he poked home. Luke added a 4th when his shot from outside the box flew into the far corner.
At the other end Evun saved a super penalty but soon after we conceded a soft goal. Fionn finished off the game with a fine goal while Richard could have made it 6 right at the end.Ft 1-5
Coaches notes
A very good performace today. Delighted that Scotts hard work in recent games paid off today with his 1st goal of the new year, just in time for the cup final coming up. Fitzer ,Niall and Luke looked good in the middle while Adham also played great in there. Greg had a very good game as well while i made it up to Coner today for missing him as sub v Balscadden by giving him a full game today.
All in all, rolling along nicely.
Clontarf Home Won 7-0
" Scott gets Hatrick to finish off league Season"
A great start to the game saw us on the front foot from the beginning and 3 min in and Fitzer finished off a flowing move down our left with his near post finish. We caused loads of problems from our corners with Adham and Fitzer doing very well, Scotts powerfull header being the best. Scott got in on the act with his 1st of the day after good work from Adham and Fionn. The 3rd goal was well finished by Fionn.Ht 3-0
Second half saw us score 4 more goals, Scott, Niall, Jordan and Scott again to complete his hat trick.
Ft 7-0
Coaches notes
Again we looked good in a game I expected us to win. Now we can turn our intentions to the cup final as we try to land some silverware for the 1st time, It's being a great season so far, one more win would make it Magical for the kids. Off to work we go.
Huntsown/Hartstown Lost 4-0
"Great cup run ends in final"
Real cup final weather today with the sun beaming down on us as we got ourselves ready for a very tough match against winners of the league above us. We were looking for a good start to the game but 2 min in we conceded a penalty which when scored really knocked the stuffing out of us. We never really played at all in the first half and made numerous mistakes all over the park and just couldn't put enough passes together to trouble H/H but it needed some last ditch defending and a bit of luck to keep the score at one-nil as we could have conceded a few in the half. We had a good 5 min before the break when Scott , Niall and Luke linked up down the left but we were just happy to get to the break one down and get a chance to talk to the lads. Ht 1-0
Second half in the cup final at 1-0 down we decided to have a real go at H/H.We played better and started to make good runs down the wings and get into better position on the pitch. Luke almost got us level when he raced down the wing,cut inside but saw his shot hit the side netting.
The game was very open now and the next goal was going to be very important. Even pulled off 2 great saves to keep us in the final and we then had a great chance to level the game when Luke put Sean F away down the right, who crossed to Scott but his powerful header just went over.
Unluckily for us 30 seconds later we were 2 down when a 30 yard cross flew over Evuns head into the top corner.
It was soon 3-0 when a twice taken(?) free kick beat Evun and put the game beyond us. In all fairness we could have then lost really badly as Evun and Some great defending by Fionn,Chris and Cian keeping the score down.
We almost got a goal right at the end when Adham found Jordan in the box but again we saw we could only hit the side netting. H/H got a 4 goal to finish off the game and hand H/H the cup.
Ft-4-0.
Coaches notes;
Hands up, best team won the cup. It was a great cup run for us with some brilliant performances along the way but today, don't know if it was nerves , but we just made some really bad passes that we never make.Think I counted 3 wayward passes right across our box that almost gave me a heart attack.
I was so looking forward to see us show off to all how good we were as I had seen H/H play and knew how good they were but felt we could cope with them and cause problems for them at the back. This never really got going and so was my biggest disappointment on the day. I would have loved for us to get a goal as I think of us as an attacking team.David was a massive lose for us as he is so important to the team especially when your playing a team thats going to play in the A league next year.Thought Evun was man of the match ,mainly because he got so much work to do and made great saves at important times.
Chris and Sean N also played well while I felt sorry for Niall who's had a great year but we just couldn't get the ball to him today.
Luke as captain gave his all and his 3 blocks in the last 5 min showed a great determination to put his body on the line for his team mates even though the result was gone and a great example to all.
All worked hard, can't fault any for effort and when I think back, A penalty, a cross that flew into the top corner, a twice taking free kick , and a goal at the death makes me still think , if only.
And thats football for ye, All dissevered there medals and it was nice to see all back at Keelings for some grub and a chat after the game. Hopefully it makes all want to get back next year and win it. I know thats how I feel.