http://www.a2zsoccer.com/ResultsandFixtures/NDSL11Aside/Under13Divisions/Under13C.aspx
Results
Cup
Sept 11 Home v Corduff won 8-1
Sept 18 Away v Swords C won 5-3
1/4 Final
Nov 14th Away v Ratoath Won 3-0
Semi Final
Feb 26th Away v Grange Woodbine Lost 2-1 after extra time
League
Oct 9 Home v Swords M won 4-3
Oct 16 Away v Marino won 4-3
Oct 23 Home v Rivermount won 6-4
Nov 6 Home v Ratoath won 3-1
Nov 20 Home v Corduff won 4-1
Nov 27 Home v Marino Lost 2-3
Dec 4 Away v Balbriggan Draw 0-0
Dec 11 Away v Ratoath Lost 3-2
Jan 15 Away v Swords M Won 3-0
Jan 22 Home v Rush Lost 5-2
Feb 19 Away v Rivermount Draw 2-2
March 4 Away v Castleknock Won 2-0
March 11 Home V Dunboyne Draw 1-1
March 25 Home v Balbriggan Lost 3-1
April 1 Away v Darndale Lost 3-1
April 15 Home v Castleknock Won 3-0
May 6 Home v Darndale Lost 2-1
May 17 Away V Rush Draw 3-3
May 20 Away v Dunboyne Lost 3-2
W/o v Kilbarrack and Corduff, won 2
W/o v Kilbarrack Lost
Match Reports for
- Corduff(Cup)
- Swords C(Cup)
- Swords M
- Marino (Away)
- Rivermount
- Ratoath
- Ratoath ( CUP 1/4)
- Corduff
- Marino
- Balbiggan (Away)
- Ratoath (Away)
- Swords M (Away)
- Rush
- Rivermount (Away)
- Grange Woodbine (Cup Semi Final)
- Castleknock (Away)
- Dunboyne (Home)
- Balbriggan (Home)
- Darndale ( Away)
- Castleknock (Home)
- Darndale (Home)
- Rush (Away)
- Dunboyne (Away)
- Kilbarrack (Away) W/O
- Corduff (Away)W/O
- Kilbarrack (Home)W/O
Corduff Home won 8-1
"Sean and Scott set Ita's up for big win"
We are back.Perfect conditions today for a rematch of last year's cup game. We started so well and scored after 2 min, with Sean F scoring with a free kick just outside the box,after Luke was taken down after a super run. Sean's shot went in off the cross bar to set us on our way. After this Coner scored , when he just beat Adham to Luke's cross to tap in at the far post. David got his goal when he followed up a shot at goal after good work from Niall and Adham. The 4th saw Scott, lay the ball off for Fionn to shoot and Scott was on hand to fire in the rebound. Evun made a great save ,one on one, to keep corduff out at the other end. Cian,Clodagh,Fionn and Chris all played great to not only keep Corduff out but also see a nice pass to set us on our way forward.Half time 4-0
Second half was much the same. Goals from Sean F , who raced clear to slot past the keeper, and Luke, who beat a few players with a mazey run before scoring and Scott with 2 made for the perfect day going forward. Scott's second was the best team goal, a beauty, Evun payed the ball short to feet and we worked the ball through midfield with Jordan and Luke to Niall, who slipped the ball to Jordan ,who found Scott to thump home.Really stunning. He got his hattrick with a nice finish into the far left hand corner..Adham just saw a shot go wide from a free kick while Sean N and Riley did well in attack also. Coner and Clodagh at right back were very good on the ball and along with Mark had great 2nd halfs. Corduff did get a goal to leave the final score 8-1
Coaches notes: Loved the way we passed the ball around today. We can always do better but for our 1st game since May, I thought we were magnificent. Goals were good and was delighted that Sean F free kick worked. It is something we have seen in training with Sean F, as he is a great striker of the ball. Also delighted that Scott got some goals as it was really our 1st time to see him and we liked what we saw.Strong, see's a pass and can finish. Still need to do some position work in our team with him as 433 can be hard to work out but that is for the trainning pitch. Clodagh was excellant, never looked in trouble and Evun looked as good in goal as any keeper we have seen. Niall and Adham and Niall linked up very well in midfield while Chris was super cool on the ball at left back.
For me , 3 players stood out, Cian, Fionn and David. In defence ,both Cian and Fionn worked great together. We might have score loads today but the 2 at the back were outstanding. Finally David ,gilded across the pitch in midfield and if he can add goals, like today, he will be unstopable. Bit unfair to pick out 3 as all were brilliant.
Ivan.
Match Reports
Swords Celtic Away won 5-3
"Ita's win 8 goal thriller"
With the start we had in today's game, we thought we might be in for a handy win as we were two goals up in the first 15 minutes. We dominated from the start with great work from the right wing with Sean N, Scott and Adham linking up to set up numerous chances. Adham got the first goal after Scott found him in the box who turned well to finish past the keeper. Niall was having a great game at right back pushing forward to create an extra player in midfield at times. Scott got our second goal when he beat two players in the box to smash home with his weaker foot into the bottom corner. Mark won some great tackles in defence while David played the pass of the match with a 30 yard pass with the outside of his right foot. Chris did well to keep Swords out at this stage when he cleared off the line. Swords got two goals against the run of play. Two long balls over the top caused us problems and we found ourselves 2-2. Luke returned after getting injured in the first minute (again) and scored a stunning third goal beating a couple of players before finishing high at the near post. Our fourth came when David lobbed a ball to the penalty spot for Fionn to superbly head over the keeper into the roof of the net. Half time 4-2.
Second half was a much more of a battle and Swords put us under loads of pressure. They scored to make it 4-3 and at this stage the game could have finished 4-4 or 5-3. Clodagh was having a great game at right back and along side David were holding Swords out and Riley made some fantastic saves to hold it at bay. We finally got the goal to finish off the game when Luke's run down the left and cut back from the byline was turned in by the unfortunate Swords defender with Richard, Conor and Scott ready to pounce. Cian and David held us together at the back to see us to our win and we top the group now in the Cup competition.
Coaches Notes: Some great performances today. Cian, David and Clodagh at the back were outstanding while Scott I felt had a better game this week than his three goals last week and of course scored a lovely goal with his weaker foot. Niall at right back in the first half showed that it doesn't matter where you play on the pitch but how you play that's important and was probably my man of the match just for that. Luke was a real captain today because although injured he came on to drive us onto those two late goals in the first half and again was magnificent. Special mention to Riley who got in goal for us today with Evun injured while a lot of other players didn't want to. We will give him a joint man of the match with Niall.
Thanks to all for the surprise party. Ivan
Swords Manor home won 4-3
"Captain Luke to the rescue in classic"
A late change to the match today (a surprise to me) with Swords our opposition.
A very even 1st half to the game with Niall, Jordan and Scott in a great battle in midfield while Cian,Mark,Chris and Clodagh had to work very hard to keep swords at bay . Evun saved us a couple of times when he raced from his line to clear swords attacks. Niall had a great run and cross that almost set up our 1st goal but that came after nice play by Evan and Cian ,who found Jordan free. Jordan played a great ball though for Scott who beat the defender and finished beautifully with his weaker foot. Scotts 2nd came also with his weaker foot after Luke's brilliant back heel straight through the defence for Scott to slot home.2-0 at Half time.
We saw 2nd half come back form Swords after we failed to score a 3rd goal at the start of the second half. 2 mistakes at the back let swords draw level and game on. This seemed to upset our captain ,who from the 2nd tip off,beat a few players before setting up Jordan to finish for a 3-2 lead. We had some great pressure at this stage but a secession of corners could not finish off the game and we got caught high up the field ,and a great run and finish by the Swords attacker saw the scores level with 5 min left. Niall almost got the winner when his super run and shot was saved late on and just when I was settled for a draw up popped Luke. He won the ball in midfield and beat the defenders to his right before thumping the ball into the back of the net and cue wild sideline celebrations. Final score 4-3.
Coaches Notes:
You all must have enjoyed that today.....in the end.Super game , by 2 even teams with a perfect finish for us. A new league for us and we saw that it's going to be much harder to finish off teams as the further you move up leagues,the better they are. I thought Cian and Clodagh both had great games and planed to sub both but just left them on as they were playing so well. Niall has been flying in training and continued that today.A great example to the us coaches that hard work on the training pitch works.
Scotts 2 finishes with his weaker foot today are worth 10 with his right in his long term development.
Great to see us battle hard for the win and never give up, Mark and Richard being a great example of this today.
We played some super football today on the ground , as its always music to my ears when the opposition go mad at us keeping the ball. ( That spell we kept it with David,Luke,Clodagh,Fionn and Jordan just fantastic for under 13's)(although the sideline were getting a bit nervous!!!)
Some days you just need someone to make a chance and take it to win in a tight game and for us Luke did just that. He set up Scotts 1st with his unbelievable vision, set up Jordan after his super close control and then had enough to score the winner.I was a proud Dad as well as a proud coach today.
Karl would have loved this but is too busy swimming with Dolphins in Florida.We will tell him on his return.
Ivan.
Marino away , won 4-3
" Scott's hattrick completes comeback "
A game of 2 halfs. 1st have we were slow to pass the ball and lost alot of 50-50 tackles while Marino must be given credit for the way they started. They raced clear of our defences after 3 min to go a goal up, and although we got a goal back from Scott's deflected free after lukes's run , they looked like they could score with each attack.Sean N had the best start for us creating 2 or 3 chances ,as did Cian and Chris who had tough battles at the back but we were still to be 2 down at the break.
A good chat at half time saw us start the 2nd half like we wanted to start the 1st. Scott was set clear by Luke and although his 1st effort was well saved he was hand to finish with his left to get us back in the game.
We were soon level when Evun's great throw out to Adham,was passed to Scott,who found Luke.Luke found David and a quick pass to Sean N set up Richard who finished well to level the scores. The big moment came next when Luke cleared from the goal line with a header and 30 seconds later played in Scott who completed his hat trick. Adham could have had 2 goals at this stage as we poured forward while Luke could have had 2 also, Riley was very unlucky not to score when his shot was well saved while Jordan won plenty of tackles in Defence. The final whistle brought relief and another 3 points.
Coaches Notes:
We were still in bed at half time. Not our normal self at all. A good 2nd half saved the day. In this league the individual mistakes are costing us and is some thing for us to work at in training.Today too many were just alittle asleep. I changed the team at half time than was planned because we needed I felt 3 goals maybe 4 or 5 to win this game with the way we defended in the 1st half, and I don't just mean the defence because we defend from the front. We made plenty of 2nd half chances and Scott got a great hattrick when we really needed it although I thought we missed some great chances to make the game safe. Well done to Jordan and Coner at the back in the 2nd half. Cian and David had very important jobs in the 2nd half which allowed Luke and Scott to attack. Delighted for Richard that his hard work in training has got him goal. Job done....Just again.... in the end. Now to do that for the whole game.
Ivan.
Rivermount at Home , won 6-4
"6 of the best in the rain puts Ita's top"
A terrible day to play football with all the rain and not the best day to stand and watch either. So just as well the standard of football on show was very good. A great move and finish by Rivermount saw us 1 down after 1 minute. We then got a very soft penalty which Scott scored to level. Back came Rivermount to score when they raced though our defence. Great work by Niall,David,Luke set Scott up for a few goals. Luke slipping the ball though for Scott to score twice , the second a beauty,finished high into the net at the near post ,while Sean F, Sean N and Jordan were all involved in helping Scott score his 4th. We played some great football at this stage and were unlucky to have a goal disallowed after Richard won the ball and found David, who found Luke and he released Scott, who squared the ball perfectly for Sean F to bury home. 4-2 at HT.
2nd half continued as the 1st left off with Sean F doing well on the left and Jordan in the attacking position. Sean N got our next goal after a cross come shot from Scott was finished from a tight angle by Sean N. Jordan completed our scoring after a super ball( through the gate) by Sean F,which Jordan thumped home high into the net. Clodagh, as always was having a great game at right back with Chris and Adham on the other side holding Rivermount out while Coner and Riley played well to set up chances at the other end, Davids the best of these with his shot deflected wide(Girly screams from John had the sideline laughing). 2 late goals by Rivermount gave the game a closer looking score line,the 1st a penalty, and a final score of 6-4.
Coaches Notes:
All did really well considering the weather today and we really opened Rivermount up at plenty of times in the game. David and Luke worked superbly together, while I played Scott right up front today and just asked the players to slip the ball between the defenders for Scott to have chances,which of coures he took brilliantly. Richard did really well in defence while it was good to see Sean F back and playing so well. Delighted Sean N got a goal that his good play in recent weeks deserved. Mark and Fionn worked well at the back but my Player of the match this week has to be Cian( an easy pick would be Scott with his 4 goals ). He was everywhere and I believe he could play anywhere on the pitch and do a great job. He was driving us forward and his covering tackle on the left in the 2nd half was just super to watch. Really enjoyed that today.
Ivan.
Ratoath Home won 3-1
"Ita's continue 100% league form"
Sun was out today for the visit of Ratoath. An excellant 1st half today saw us very good at the back,Clodagh,Fionn and Cian were very good on the ball while Evun worked great with Adham to start many of the attacks. Luke and David were dominating in Midfield while Scott ,Sean F, Riley and Jordan had plenty of the ball going forward. We created loads of chances with Luke,Scott,Mark and Sean F all unlucky not to get the opening goal. It finally came after a good early throw by Evun. Cian made a great run and found Mark who's 1st time ball to Luke ,set him free of the defence on our right hand wing. Luke rolled the ball across the 18 yard line for Scott to controll past the keeper and roll into an empty net. Our 2nd came after good work from Richard and Niall,again on the right wing. with Luke passing to Niall who was stopped by good defending before winning the ball back ,making a stunning turn, then jinking in and out of the ratoath defenders and slot home at the near post. 2-0 at ht.
The 2nd half was more a battle but we still made plenty of chances to finish this game off early but found Ratoaths keeper in great form.Ratoath caused us more problems in the second half and got a goal back with a lovely finish high into the net. Adham and David were at their best in the second half holding us all together and with Luke off the pitch David lead like the captain of the team. We got a penalty at the end of the game that Scott earned and scored to give us the final score of 3-1.
Coaches Notes: 1st half we played as well as any half all season. Passing was good, running off the ball excellant and we didn't concede that early goal we have in other games.If we scored some more of our chances we would have had a much easier 2nd half. We battled when we needed , and it keeps our good run going. Evun had his best game for us as we want him to start our attacks quickly and he got that just right today. We scored 2 stunning goals today, the team goal for Scotts was as good as any we will score while Niall indivulal skill was super while his finish was well taking after all that good work. David gets my award today as he was all over the park ,making tackles while he had 2 good shots saved at the other end and he was just excellant. All of course played great or we could not win games like this. This League is very even and we have made a super start. Roll on next week.
Ratoath Away (Cup 1/4 final) won 3-0
"Scott B(r)ooks Saints place in Semi"
A lovely morning in Ratoath was the scene for our 1/4 final game. Karl got a good warm up done( not just him,the whole team) and we were ready to go. The 1st 15 mins was a very even battle with the best chance falling to Ratoath but we were lucky to see their shot rebound off the cross bar while at the other end ,Luke Scott and David went close with shots. The next 15 mins seen us get more on top in the game . Sean F and Scott linked up well for one chance while Conor also had a shot blocked.Jordan was unlucky a few times when he was clearly on side but was stopped by the ref. Just as half time arrived so did our 1st goal. Great work by Niall set Scott away and his cross caused panic in the Ratoath box and Richard was on hand to force the ball brilliantly over the line(See the photos, he did super). Ht 1-0
2nd half saw us play superbly but we needed a great late tackle by Clodagh to protect our lead. Chris and David ( now in defence) linked up well to set Scott away on the left but he was well blocked out. Our 2nd goal came after a great run by Niall and super pass through the Defence(gate) for Scott to finish beautifully off the post( see photos). Niall had a shot well saved when straight through,while Jordan's shot was just over from outside the box. We got our 3rd when good work by Sean F found the ball at Scott's feet and he curled the ball into the top corner to finish off the game. There was still time to see David run the length of the pitch (twice) before being blocked out. The final score 3-0 and we are off to the semis.
Coaches Notes:
We looked like a real football TEAM today. Watching Adham tackling hard,winning the ball and finding passes and then supporting the pass, was just brill ,while Luke tackles on the big no14 were awesome. I thought Chris looked nice and controlled at the back along with Clodagh( that tackle clodagh made was worth just as much as our 3 goals). Cian was Cian. Just perfect alongside his sidekick Fionn. Both seem to know just when to attack the ball and when to sit off.
Bad news for our league is that David is getting better and better which each game. I don't know how to describe his performances he was that good while Scott will score 50 goals in this team as we know we can find him,and that he can finish.
Richard's goal was my favourite moment because he wanted to score so badly( see photos) and just made it his goal. From Conor too the 2 Seans, Riley and Jordan, all played their part in a big win for the team.
It's hard to pick one player out when we play so well, but I will.( I know Scott scored 2, David was brill etc etc)
Niall was my pick this week because he was not well before the game but played in defence ,midfield and up front for us,setting up Scott's 2nd with a delightful push pass,through the gate as we say,and almost scored himself. Well done all,Now back to the little matter of trying to win our league.
Ivan.
Corduff Home , won 4-1
"Riley's header finishes off Corduff"
We started well today with Luke almost scoring after a good run and shot. Richard did very well on the right and linked up well with Niall and Adham too almost put us clear on goal.Corduff came more into the game as the half went on and scored a good goal to shock us a little bit. Riley had a goal disallowed for offside after a great run and pass by Scott.We finally got the scores level when Jordan won the ball brillantly and set David away. David found Niall with his pass and Niall moved the ball out wide to Scott ,who beat 3 players before setting Niall up for a cool finish to the left of the keeper.HT 1-1
Second half was very even. Corduff put us under great pressure form a number of corners that they had which Evun did really well to keep out. Riley had a shot well saved when he raced clear but it was Richard who gave us the lead. He ran through after good work by Luke and Scott to slide the ball past the keeper. Riley got our 3rd when Scott's shot was tipped in the air by the keeper and he was on hand to get his head to the ball. Scott finished off the game when Sean N's great cross was headed home.
Coaches notes: Not at our best today passing ,we probably held on too the ball a little too much but this is the age when the children will learn when to pass and when hold on to it.We did very well in defence with Adham very good in attack from the back while the rest kept corduff's players under close guard. Was delighted with Fionn again today,very cool under pressure, while Riley worked very hard and and and got his goal. My pick this week has to be Richard. He showed brilliant work rate and and was very neat in his passing and just looked like he wanted to win every ball. Great to see.
I'm looking forward to training, we have missed 2 weeks now, as I can't wait to sort out that offside that refs keep pulling us up on. A slightly quicker pass through the gates and a slightly later run will fix that . We will score alot when this is worked on. 5 league game's in C division and 5 hard fought wins.It's a great battle every week.
Ivan.
Marino Home Lost 2-3
"Great home record is lost to Marino"
We have not lost a home game at 11 aside football until today. A good start to the game seen us press Marino back and we had a number of chances to open the scoring. Scott had the best of these but some great defending was all that stopped him. It was a great battle all over the pitch but we were unfortunate with some off side decisions that went against us. We finally took the lead while good work on the right hand side from Scott and David ended with Riley's tame shot being blocked followed by his fierce drive into the top corner. A few minutes before the break, Marino scored a goal against the run of play to leave the half time score 1-1.
Second half was much like the first although we didn't create as many clear cut chances. Midfield was very condensed but to be fair we defended very well and Marino didn't have many chances themselves. We finally took the lead when great work on the left hand side by Sean N and David released Scott who made no mistake from 12 yards out. To Marino's credit, they piled forward and equalised when we were caught out at the back. It looked like the game was going to finish a draw when Marino got the winner from what looked from our point of view a clearly offside goal but this decision went against us today. Final score 2-3.
Coaches Notes: Our first home defeat at 11 a side football, almost a year and a half, 17th home game. This is quite an amazing record especially when you see how tight all of these games are at this division. We worked extremely hard on the offside rule at training on Wednesday but this will take 2 or 3 weeks of training to iron out. It didn't help us today that the Referee seemed to favour the defence in most of the offsides (except for their late goal) but we were also at times 5-10 yards off and so we will continue to work on this. Every player gave their all and my pick this week is Riley who worked really hard for the team and scored a stunning goal today. Ivan
Balbriggan Away, Draw 0-0
"Top 2 share the points "
Match reports and photos up on wed.
A very cold day in Balbriggan but we had a great close game to keep us all warm. Top 2 in our league at the moment and the 1st half was very even and a real midfield battle. Balbriggan had the 1st chance but their forward clould not find the target. We passed well up front and Scott linked up well with Sean F while Riley and Mark played their part up front to help us get on top. We had a few close efforts but our best chance came when Evun played the ball from the back. We worked the ball well through midfield with Luke and Niall and found Scott who's shot flew past the keeper but crashed off the crossbar. Evun also made a super driving save to tip a shot around the post. Ht 0-0
Second half was very tight again and the ball spent most of its time in midfield. We attacked well down our right side and had a couple of scrambles in the box. Scott had a freekick saved and then dropped, but the ball just dropped the wrong side for Luke to finish. Balbriggan had chances as well but Fionn and Cian held them out with Evun very safe behind them.In the end we could have won this game but also lost it so the final score of 0-0 was probably fair to both teams.
Coaches Notes: Fair result today between 2 very even teams. We didn't create as much as we would have liked but we were on top and kept the ball in the Balbriggan half for a good 20 min at the end of the 1st half and a goal then might have seen us go on and win.On the plus side we defended very well although Balbriggan were creating more chances in the 2nd half than us. My pick this week is Evun . He kept his clean sheet with 3 super saves while he set us up well in attack.
Ratoath away Lost 3-2
" Late come back not enough for Ita's"
Our squad was at stretching point for this game with 6 players injured and 3 leading up to the game. We lost our keeper Evun just before the game also, so fair play to Adham (1st half) and Riley (2nd ) for getting in goal.We found ourselves behind early but created 5 really good chances in the 1st Half. Sean F linked up on the right with Scott who's shot was well saved while David and Luke both shot wide after great passing moves. We defended well with Jordan and Niall but Ratoath got the very important 2nd goal to leave us an uphill battle.Ht 2-0
We couldn't really change much at ht as Mark also got injured so it was up to the 11 players to do the biz. How we didn't score before going 3 down which is quite amazing. We missed chance after chance with Ratoath's Keeper making a number of one on one saves with Scott. We really needed that 1st goal to get back but it was Ratoath who scored their 3rd goal next to what seemed to finish us off. We pushed Luke further forward and his runs created more chances but we still couldn't score. Adham linked up great with Luke (adham was great all 2nd half) but his shot was tipped wide while Adham and Luke set Scott away again but the goal just wouldn't arrive. We finally scored in the last 2 mins when Lukes great run was stopped by their keeper but Scott was on hand get us on the score sheet. 2 mins later and David smashed home a shot from outside the box. With no time left we just couldn't save this match but I'm still scratching my head how it took so long to score . Final score 3-2.
Coaches Notes: The loss of 6 players today was a blow but we still should have won this game. So many chances to score and if we could have scored early in the 2nd half, I believe we could have won this game. Sure another few mins at the end might have done that.On the plus side we created loads today,enough to win 3 games. Much prefer when we got Luke futher forward as he is playing very deep of late. I'm looking to get him forward more to link with Scott in the box.
I thought Jordan was great at the back, very controlled and although he might not prefer this position it was his best performance of the season. Adham too was great in attack on the left while Sean F also had a great 1st half but tired a little in the second half.
I was surprised how many players asked to come off today and it shows that we need the big squad as running around at full pace for a hour is very hard. Don't believe me,try it yourself.
So a disappointing few results to finish off before Christmas but we will be back in the new year, fit and ready to go, today was 1 game too much for us.
Swords M (Away) Won 3-0
"Niall scores 1st goal of new year in great win"
A very good 1st half set us up well for a super away win today. Chris ,in the midfield role alongside Adham and Niall , passed the ball really well to set Sean F and Scott away down the wings , while Clodagh and Riley both linked up well with the 2 wingers. We looked very sharp at the back, Cian and Fionn with Jordan leading the way with great challenges but with super safe passes at the the end to make it easier for the attackers. Niall had the best run of the 1st half when he did some great skill before beating 3 players but was just stopped at the end by a last ditch tackle.Evun in goal made a great stop to dive at the attacker's feet to stop a goal while the lads at the back helped him clear the danger. We took the lead on 15min when good work by Scott ,who found Clodagh in the box and although her shot was well saved, Niall was on hand to coolly finish.
We created some good chances to finish of the half and looked like we would score from Lukes great corners but could not add to our goal while we had some luck at the other end when the Swords attacker headed wide when it looked a certain goal. Ht 1-0.
We had another great half after the break with David doing a great job in defence. ( cian had come off injured at ht). Luke, Scott and Adham made some great passing moves to set up chances for Clodagh and Riley. We got our 2nd goal when Scott was set free on the right and with his shot across goal saved by the keeper , Riley was on hand to force the ball over the line before the defenders could clear. Our 3rd goal came when Luke and Conor combined with Niall, who's excellent cross was finished by Scott at the far post. Sean N and Mark were linking up well to make chances and again at the back we were super in this half .Fionn was outstanding alongside David , while Evun raced off his line to protect our lead and his handling was perfect.Jordan finishing off the game with a run up the field, some marvelous skill( Zidane), a super shot that was well saved but Conor saw his rebound just go the wrong side of the post. Final score 3-0
Made some changes again today and luckily for me all worked out. ( they won't every week). Chris was outstanding in the holding midfield role alongside Adham( both great passers of the ball) so much so that we didn't miss David and Luke in the early 1st half and when they did come on their power in midfield pushed us on to press home our advantage. Every one played their part . I thought Mark did really well up front, as did Clodagh , who had the hardest job today ,switching from defence to attack but almost got that 1st goal today ( it's coming). Scotts movement was great while he also linked up well with Sean F and Conor. Conor is one of the most skillful players on the team (We practiced some skills on Friday and he is one of the best at it) and he showed that today with great footwork although we wont mention that MISS.Loved Luke's long throws,corners and long range shots today as we need to do a little more of this( 3 goals today in the 6 yard box again, I'm not complaining). We were unluckily pulled back 2 times today when we took quick free kicks that would have meant 2 excellent chances to score, again its great to see the kids do this and its something we work on in training.
If the last game ( v Ratoath) was Jordan's best ,today he was just amazing. Controlled on the ball,won every tackle and loved the battle with their good attackers. David and Fionn were outstanding , as was Evun( clean sheet is a goal for evun). To pick one over the rest is so unfair but who said I was ever fair. I though Niall just pips Jordan today as he drove Swords sideline mad every time he picked up the ball and ran at them.Now that's just music to my ears. Skill level was very high today . Lets try keep that up.
Ivan.
Rush Home Lost 5-2.
"Scott and Sean N score in defeat"
We started today's game in a bit of a mess when two players hadn't arrived at the start of the kickoff. Luke was good enough to get in goal for us but was unfortunate for Rush's first goal. Evun arrvived and Luke came out and we had a little bit more balance but conceded a second and we then had an uphill battle to get back into the game. Scott got us back into the game when his free kick flew into the top corner. Luke had a great run and was unlucky not to win a corner from a good block while another foul on Luke went unpunished, Rush broke away and their striker buried the ball into the top corner. Half time 1-3.
We had a good response in the second half, had numerous attacks but just couldn't get that second goal. Rush got a really soft fourth goal from the corner after a mix up at the near post. Adham lifted the team with three great tackles and helped drive us forward. We finally got our second goal when Adham's cross was knocked back and Luke followed up and his shot was turned in by Sean N. We had good pressure at this stage but we couldn't pull it back to one goal to make a game of it. Rush got another very soft goal from a throw in which put their striker straight through on goal. We kept battling but the result was lost at this stage and it's our first heavy defeat of the season. Final score 2-5.
Coaches Notes:
My plans were messed up today with the late arrival of players, over thirty minutes late for our meeting time. I know we have to be able to make changes quickly as coaches but this is just fustrating considering all the time, effort ,and planing that I do during the week to be ready for the game. Against some of the weaker teams, we might have got away with it today but Rush are a top team in our league. Having said that, we gifted 4 of the 5 goals today with some individual mistakes that will happen at this age level. Man of the match today without doubt was Fionn. He was superb, must also mention Adham whose hard tackling in the second half seemed to give the team a bit of fight and drive when we needed it most. Well done to him. Jordan and Scott worked the free kick really well which is something we talk about in training, while I was also delighted for Sean N to get a goal. I thought Rush deserved their win while the score was a bit harsh on us. I look forward to playing them again and who knows we could meet them in the cup final if both teams progress through their semi finals.
Ivan.
Rivermount Away Draw 2-2
"Evun's penalty save saves Ita's"
A funny start to the game today when Rivermount went to start the game with 12 players. It's just as well I count before every game because the ref is supposed to do that job. We started the game very well and had an excellent first half and spent most of the time in attack. Fionn, Cian and Jordan had an excellent first half while the midfield trio of David, Luke and Niall linked up well with Adham on the left. Our first goal came when Adham found David who beat the defender to the ball, rounded the goalkeeper and finished cooly to give us the deserved lead. We got a second soon after when Luke blocked a clearance down, controlled the ball well in the box and slid the ball square to Mark. Mark took a good first touch before hammering the ball high into the net. Luke had another shot over the bar and David went close from a corner as we finished the half 2 goals up.
Second half saw Rivermount bring on some new players who made a big difference to the game. Their striker was excellent and although we dealt with him really well, he scored a lovely first goal and also scored from a free kick which was very harshly given against Evun. In between their two goals, Riley had a great shot hit the inside of the post while Adham and Chris also had chances to clinch the game for us. In the end Evun came to the rescue after Niall caught the ball in the box. Evun kept his cool though and made a super save to earn us at least a point which is the least that we deserved. We pressed at the end to try and get a winner but the final whistle went and a 2-2 draw.
Coaches Notes:
Felt a little bit hard done by at the end of the game. The oppostion also agreed that we had some tough decisions against us today and their manager also was saying that we was lucky to be able to bring a player from their premier team down to play in the game. I didn't think they were allowed to do this but we just have to get on with it. Think its harder for their kids who are left out for the new players.
Thought the team played very well at times on a sticky pitch. Was a little bit disappointed that we couldn't get the ball to the forwards who didn't get much of a touch today. It was defintely two points dropped today with the top two in our league playing each other but we battle on.
Ivan.
"Grange Woodbine Away Lost 2-1
"Extra time goal ends Ita's run"
A beautiful sunny day for a semi final. The first half was an extremely even game. Grange had the first chance of the game which Evun did well to block while at the other end Scott and Sean F linked up well but we just couldn't get our shot on target. David and Cian had an excellent first half in the heart of the defence while Adham was always a great outlet at left back. Unfortunately Luke picked up a knock early in the first half but soldiered on and we played some really nice passing moves with him and Niall, Scott and Sean F linking up with Adham who was now getting further forward. Still we couldn't get a clean chance at goal. Sean F had a free kick on the edge of the box that was saved and we went in at half time with the score level.
If the first half was tight, the second half started extremely open. We moved Luke further forward and Scott, Niall and Sean F were now in the middle and they linked up really well with Luke. At the same time, we were relying in Clodagh, Cian and David to keep Grange out. We thought we should have had a penalty at this stage when Luke seemed to be upended in the box. It was Grange that took the intial lead when they broke from one of our corners for their striker to round Evun and slot home. We fought back fantastically from this and 4 minutes later were level when a scramble in the box from Conor and Sean N found the ball fall to Chris' left foot for him to slide home. Cue wild celebrations not only from the players but the supporters on the sideline. We really went at them now to try and get a winner with Conor and Scott having chances to win the game. But it just wasn't to be and the full-time whistle meant extra time.
Extra time was nerve wrecking with the next goal going to be really important and although both teams tried really hard, it wasn't till the second period that Grange scored with a great finish after we failed to clear our lines. We tore forward after this with Niall having probably the best chance but his shot went over the bar. An excellent final free kick into the box from Adham just couldn't get us an equaliser that we felt we deserved and the final whistle went to the sadness of us all.
Coaches Notes:
We started this cup run in division E while Grange started in C. Somehow along the way, we've passed them out. Today there was nothing between the two teams. Both created chances and either team could have won it. We have done extremely well to get to the last four out of over 40 teams in this cup. We often say after big games when we lose that everyone has done well but today everyone was superb. It is impossible to pick a player out when you look at how good David and Cian were at the back, how good Adham was with Scott and Luke and Niall in attack. Sean F had his best performance of the season. I can't really remember a bigger roar from a goal that we have scored than Chris' today. Evun was also magnificient in goal and had no chance with the two goals. Although we were all sad to lose the game, we played so well that as coaches we feel that the development of the team is rising each year and in the long run all our players will have chances in the future to play in cup finals if not this year.
Ivan.
Castleknock away won 2-0
"Ita's back to winning ways"
A cold but sunny day today for our trip to Castleknock. We didn't really start that well today and just held on to the ball a little too long at times. Luke had our 1st chance when he raced clear after good work by Sean F and Scott but after rounding the keeper he was blocked out by good defending. Scott then had a chance himself but again his shot was well blocked. At the other end Evun made good saves while Cian and Niall helped Chris and Mark out in a lively game. Luke was pulled down on the edge of the box and Adham just saw his shot go wide.Mark had a shot from the edge of the box with his weaker foot and did very well in center midfield and Cian make a super run the full lenght of the pitch. Adham was outstanding playing midfield,left back and Center back while still getting forward to help with the attacks and his crossing was superb. Luke finally scored after finding space and finished with a shot into the left bottom corner. Scott got our second when he won the ball and fired a lovely drive high into the net( all that Friday night cross bar challenge worked out). Ht 2-0
The 2nd half was end to end and while we could not get a 3rd to finish of the game we needed to keep it tight at the back. Scott some how had a shot blocked after our best move of the game down the left.Clodagh who was brilliant 2nd half stared the move and Sean F set up Luke who's cross found Scott who was so unlucky not to add to his 1st half goal. Riley had a chance after good work by Sean N while Niall broke free but only to be stopped by good defending. Castleknock had chances as well but Evun was always there but he got great help from Clodagh who made 2 stops when it looked like Castlknock would score. FT 2-0
Coaches notes: Without 3 of our big players ( for the way we want the team to play)Fionn, David and Jordan , I was delighted with the players we had in their place. Mark did great in the middle while Sean F continued to improve in that position also. Adham was everywhere, truly everywhere. He is lovely football player to watch and his touch on the ball was brilliant today,one of the best performances of the season. Clodagh was just as important in the second half with her tackles.
Luke up front looks good for us and he makes great runs for the midfield to find. I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do when all are back and hope we can really play with strong midfield, defence and a fast mobile forward line. While I wait for that its great for us to see players in different playing positions. Sean F looks good in center midfield and that gives us great options to play Scott and Luke together up front which I would like to try when all our back. Anyway its good to see a smile on the children's faces again after this win today.
Ivan.
Dunboye Home Draw 1-1
"Dunboyne and Ita's share the points"
An excellent game today in Newbridge House. The first half we created plenty of chances with Niall, Scott, Luke and Riley all going close. Scott had a shot from outside the box while Luke raced through only for the keeper to pull off good saves. The keeper also made a good save from Riley while at the back Evun had to be sharp making a save low to his right to keep the score level. We finally got our breakthrough when Luke was fouled in the penalty box and Scott's penalty rebounded off the post and then off the goalkeeper to give us the lead. It wasn't all one way though as Dunboyne created plenty of chances with their nice passing movements and got their equaliser although I thought he was offside. Half time 1-1.
The second half was very like the first. We had chances for Scott whose shot was blocked and Sean F who did well first of all to battle for the ball but the shot could only find the side netting. Dunboyne created plenty of chances themselves and it really was end to end at this stage and it felt like next goal was the winner. David was next up to try his luck when his hard shot was saved by the keepers legs. In the last five minutes, both teams found the net only for both goals to be disallowed correctly by the ref for offside. We almost got the winner in the last minute when we were unlucky with Luke straight through on goal to be pulled back by the ref who gave us a free kick. Scott's free kick was well saved by the keeper as Luke tried to head it in and so the points were shared.
Coaches Notes: I was disappointed with the amount of foul throws today considering we worked at it at both sessions this week. However, one or two were missing so we hope we'll have an improvement next week. I was delighted with the amount of chances we created and some of the passing and movement was really good and we looked to getting back to our old ways.
Fourteen of our seventeen players have now all scored this season and in the remaining games our goal is to get the other three on the score sheet. We would like for all to have scored a goal by the end of the season.
Ivan.
Balbriggan Home Lost 3-1
"Leaders too strong for Ita's"
A lovely day for a game. We got off to a good start but the ref pulled us back when Niall set Luke clear with only the keeper to beat.A bad decision that was make worst when Jordan was caught on the ball and the balbriggan player found their forward to slot home. We were 2 down soon after when again we were caught out at the back . We some how failed to receive a penalty when Luke was upended in the box but finally got back in the game when good work by David saw a mix up in the balbriggan defence and Luke was on hand to fire the ball into the net. It was end to end at this stage but balbriggan got a 3ed before the half was out . Ht 3-1
2nd half was all balbriggan as we found it harder and harder to pass out of defence and we only had two chances,Luke shot was saved with a great diving save while Sean N was unlucky not to score at the back post. In the end Balbriggan deserved their win Final score 3-1
Coaches notes: Felt we had some really poor ref decisions against us today that if we had got early on would have made a different and maybe different result. We can say that Balbriggan are the best team we have played in the league as all their players are of a good standard which is why our 1st half performance was very encouraging. We did struggle to get going in the 2nd but I put that down to good pressing by balbriggan
Ivan
Darndale away Lost 3-1
"Scott gets his 25 goal of season in Darndale defeat"
We had a very poor 1st half at Darndale. We didn't really look up for the game from the start and seemed to shy away from receiving the ball, not like us at all. We were 2 down after 15min, 2 really poor goals from our point of view and there was very little to get excited about, Cian had the best of our chances when he battled well to win the ball deep in the Darndale half but was blocked out . Ht 2-0
2nd half was better as we put up more of a fight. David and Cian at the back were much more solid while we created more with Clodagh and Luke linking up well. Scott got his 25 goal of the season when he beat 2 players before firing home to get us back in the game. Niall almost put luke though on goal and Sean N set up Niall ,who was just blocked out after a great mazey run. Darndale always looked dangerous as we pushed forward and finished off the game with along range shot high over Riley in goal. Final score 3-1
Coaches Notes: I made some changes to the team that did not work today but the team just had a poor game as well. We have to battle to win the ball before we can start are passing play but we lost most 50/50s today which was very disappointing for us. Well done to Riley for getting in goal at short notice , he did the team a favour today. Not much to say about today but we do hope to see more at training in the coming weeks as numbers have been very low of late which does not help us solve these problems. Anyway enjoy the Easter Hols, we will still train both wed of the Hols.
Ivan
Castleknock Home Won 3-0
"Luke and Sean F see off Celtic"
A cold but sunny day in Newbridge for the visit of Castleknock. We started the game very well with some great passing in midfield , Adham,Niall and David linking up well to set Luke clear on the wings. Niall had a great chance when he beat a couple of players before just seeing his shot roll wide. Cian almost scored a header from a cross by Luke while at the other end Fionn, Jordan,Clodagh and Cian helped Evun out when needed. Our 1st goal came when Cloadghs long clearance was collected by Sean N, who found Niall. Niall's pass too Luke was perfect and Luke raced clear and chiped the keeper.Luke was unlucky not to get a penalty a minute later when pulled down in the box and we went in 1 up at the break.
2 min from the restart of the 2nd half and we doubled our lead. David found luke who worked a lovely 1-2 with Sean F. Sean's pass sent Luke clear again and Luke slotted the ball past the keeper and into the net. David had a great run that was only stoped by a good save by their keeper. Sean F had a lovely looping shot that the keeper again did brilliantly to keep out. Sean F finally got his goal when a quick corner found Jordan , who did some wonderful skill ( zidane) before crossing and Sean F smashed it home. Clodagh had a great run and shot that just went wide while Niall hit a post late on and Clodagh almost headed a goal for herself. Ft 3-0
Coaches Notes:
We played very well today. Passing was sharp and more 1 or 2 touch which helped us attack fast. I thought Sean F was super at this and he linked up well with midfield and Luke up front. We got 3 great goals and could have score more if we maybe hit the target a bit more but to be fair when we did their keeper did very well. 6 more games to go and we are now looking to finish off the season well.
Ivan
Darndale at home,Lost 2-1
" Evan gets his Goal!!!! "
Excellent game today. We were very disappointed when we played Darndale 2 games ago but we had a great start today . Football was very good from the back , while we battled so well for the ball and looked very dangerous in attack. Luke was super holding up the ball and releasing the midfield runners and we almost got our lead when he found Riley in the box. Conor and Niall won plenty of tackles and linked up well to find Scott. He played a nice 1-2 with Luke which ended in a penalty for us when Scott was upended. We promised Evun the chance to score this year and we followed true with our word and let him take it. Not his best penalty( he is great in training) but he was on hand to fire in the rebound. In a end to end half Darndale got a good goal to leave the scores level at the break.
2nd half we failed to score but not from the want of trying. Luke had a shot saved on to the post, Davids shot was well saved, Sean N and Sean F were set up by Luke but the goal just would not come. It wasn't all one way as Darndale hit the post 2 times as well and finally they got the lead from the penalty spot. We poured forward and Scott had the final chance but his effort clipped the corner of bar and post. A great match.Final score 1-2
Coaches Notes
Went home delighted with the way we played. Mark and Coner won loads of 50/50 tackles which really pleased me.Luke was super holding up the ball,very impressive while I loved watching Fionns battle with the very fast No 7 form Darndale( very even) .The midfield lads all worked so hard and passed so well. Jordan and Cian were outstanding, Jordan player of the match. I thought all did so well, and if we had scored our goals we would have gone home happy with thre result also.
The "Team" as a whole can be very proud after Evun got his goal. Not 1 player moaned about the decision to allow him to try and score. 15 of 17 players have now scored, we are so close to getting all that magic moment that you feel when your shot hits the back of the net this season,just like last year. 5 games left ,2 to score.
Ivan
Rush away, Draw 3-3
"Cian scores!!!! to stop title chasing Rush"
A very fast start to the game .We played some lovely football in the middle of the park with Niall,Chris & Scott linking up well with David, who played left back to set our attack's up while Luke was a great outlet for us and we looked very dangerous going forward . David had a super 1st half while Jordan and Cian were both very strong in the tackles but also played us out of defence with great composure. We got a deserved lead when Luke's great run in the box was ended when he was brought down for a penalty. Cian gave their keeper no chance ,very cool and just rolled the ball right in the corner of the net.Rush had a number of corners that didn't cause any problems for Evun but it was Ita's that scored again just before the break. Luke was set free,beat two defenders,one of them twice, before rounding the keeper and slotting home. No more than we deserved at the break.
2nd half was more of the same and with Rush needing to win they poured forward. We had a lot of chances to finish off the game but our final though ball was just a little off for us to finish. Rush got a goal back after a scramble in our box and leveled the game after we never received a free for a poor foul on David and as often happens the fouling team score. We were very disappointed on the side line about this but are children just raised the game again. Niall and Adham linking well ,with Niall beating a couple of players brilliantly before passing to Sean N, who set Scott up. Scott smacked the ball into the net off the underside of the bar. We had our lead back. Again we could have score on runs by Luke and Coner but it was Rush who got the equalizer after a dive by the Rush player( he laugh about it after the game) and the ref gave the spot kick. The final whistle went after a super block by David to leave us wondering how we didn't take all 3 points . Final score 3-3
Coaches Notes:
Before the game the Rush players were laughing at how they "thumped us" in the 1st game. At the end of the game I reminded them that it was not to wise to laugh at us just before you play us. I told my players to use what they said to give us that added drive in the game. We didn't need it though as we were super.
The football we played was brilliant on a very poor surface. They couldn't cope with Luke up front while we played David ( we won't see a better man to man marking job anywhere in football at any level, To watch Rush move their player from left wing to right and David follow him ,BEFORE THE START OF THE 2ND HALF!!!! is the best complement that David can have. Their best player just didn't fancy playing against him),at left back to mark their 1 very quick player. David not only did this but when he raced forward we found that their best player didn't track back and so this helped us get an extra player forward at times.
As a coach we have to learn from past games and I took my free weekend last week to go watch Rush play and then set up our tactical plan for this game. Lets just say on this occasion the coaches got it right. I really believe with a little luck and a least some fair refereeing ( we were very unlucky with lots of decisions ,not only the penalty late on) that we would have won this game and maybe just have "Thumped " them while still playing all players for 30min at least.
Final note, while this was a big game for the league in general and a very important result for both Rush and Balbriggan , we still played our part and carried on with our desire to have all players score this season.
This is why we let Cian take and score our penalty. That's 16 of the 17 in the squad to score. Great team work. 4 games left , 1 to score. Lets do this.
Ivan
Dunboyne away,Lost 3-2
"Jordan on the double"
A fast start to the game with Luke and Scott linking up really well to get us a penalty in the 1st min. Captain Cloadagh hit the spot kick really well but it flew just over the bar. 3 min later we were a goal behind after poor defending. We were quite poor 1st half and Dunboyne got a deserved 2nd and a lovely finish it was too. More pressure lead to a 3rd goal for dunboyne while Clodagh had a great run , beating a couple of players before shooting. Jordan scored just on the half time whistle with a stunning free kick into the top corner from 25 yards. ht 3-1
Second half we were much better. We had a number of chances created by Fionn and Adham who both had great 2nd halfs. Jordan again got a goal from a free kick from far out with Scott doing well to put the keeper off. Scott almost got the equalizer our 2nd half deserved when Luke passed him straight though one on one with the keeper but his shot just agonisingly ran the wrong side of the post. We finish the game with 10 players as we had no subs . final score 3-2
Coaches notes; We were looking for more of a performance like we had against Rush than we had away to Darndale. We never really got going 1st half again but have in the bigger games and is something I will look at fixing for next year. Fionn had a super 2nd half when he moved into a more midfield position and again its something we might look at next year. 2 different goals for us today which were well hit by Jordan. It was hard on some today playing a full game and it shows the importance of having subs to bring on.
Ivan.