Season Review.
Pre season started way back in July with new players joining up with our own players and some from Ciara's team.We worked the children very hard until the start of season on ball work which really means plenty of running with the ball. We trained rather than played matches as we felt we could control how much time each child had of the ball while it is some what out of our hands in the matches.We played one game against the under 12's which although we were well beaten,we kept the ball much better than them and were very excited for the start of the season.
The 1st game was a sign of things to come. We had a very even 1st half, passed the ball well, worked very hard but didn't score enough. 2nd half saw us dominate and the goals then flowed. The way we kept the ball at the end was a dream to watch. Most teams we played worked very hard until we finally moved a goal or 2 ahead but then they found it very hard against us.
Highlights in the 1st few games were Laurens goals in the 1st game, Nialls headed goal ( our only one of the season) ,Cians 2 goals ,Chris at left back was super while David bossed the midfield and was the stand out player in the early games.We were very happy with all the new players, Adham, Fionn, Niall, Mark, Ciaran, Conor and Chris( Richard and Zara joined up a bit later) who mixed well and all seemed to enjoy each others company and playing football together.
Our 1st real test came in our away game to Swords. I got the team set up wrong in this game( but was a good lesson for me) and we never played in the 1st half,our poorest of the season. We did sort all that out at half time and we were fantastic in the 2nd half with Luke and Adham the main players in this with Adham getting the last gasp leveler that his performance deserved.
Our next game was in the cup to Corduff and this was our best performance of the season. We started so well and could have had the game out of sight early on before we found ourselfs behind by 2 goals late in the 2nd half. We fought so well and were so unlucky to lose. It was very interesting to see the fighting effort shown when other teams we had played would have folded.
Our final game before the xmas break saw Conor score 2 goals early for a dominant show against Castleknock while this now gave Fionn and Sean F time to heal from their injuries before we started back in Jan.
Malahide were 1st up in the new year and we had 2 very tough games. We won the 1st 3-0 but needed a last min winner at home by Luke to keep our good run going.The tough games continued with a great game in Maynooth with Jordan,Luke and David super ( Jordan with 2 goals) while Cian and Mark at the back,after a hard 1st half, were outstanding to keep Maynooth out.Chris rounded off our win with 2 goals, the last one my favourite of the season, Riley played the ball short to Luke who ran the full length of the pitch in the last min and somehow found Chris , who slotted home.
Next game saw Richard, Fionn and Mark get their 1st goals which was a major thing for me this year. We wanted all to Captain the team and to get all a goal.We managed to do this because all wanted to help each other to score. Its one I doubt that many teams will have managed to do this.
Skerries away was another hard game with David and Niall adding to Adham's 1st half goal to see us win.
Our next home game against Glebe saw us start well but fall behind early and it took us 40 min to equalise which showed us how good a team Glebe were. Luke with a cracker of a goal and Conor with the late leveler while Niall almost won it at the end.
The next 6 games we won easy with Sean N, Sean F and Lauren playing some great stuff while Katie was back to her best now that she was comfortable with the left back position. The team tried very hard to give Riley a goal in this period and he finally got it against Dunshaughlin.
Our final 2 games saw us smash Swords for 7 after the early season draw in the 1st while the league decider for us away was a frustrating one with Luke,Niall and Cian all getting injured and we just couldn't get our good passing game on to hold out a good Glebe team who won 3-0.
So a season of unbelievable football, played with passing and movement, over 22 games saw us lose only twice. Next year all the players are coming back and we will try go one step further and bring home the trophy while still doing things right on and off the pitch.
I would just like to thank my dad (Ron) for all the photos throughout the season, Mike and Tom who helped out with training, Danny who did a great job with the children through his program, Tina who has to listen to me all week before games and then on Sunday after them, all the parents who let us coaches get on with our job( and stay behind the cones) while also bringing the children to the games.
Special thanks to Karl who kept me in line with his coaching know how. He has his coaching badges up to uefa B and my 1st call too about football and the team. He is very important to the team and me and I could do the job without him but it would not be as good or as much fun.
Last the most important ones,The players. Thanks to all for their time, effort, and magical skill and performances over the last year. It was a joy to coach , but also a joy to watch.
Enjoy the Summer
Ivan.
Results
Ratoath(A)WON 5-1,
Maynooth(H) WON 5-2,
Castleknock(A)WON 3-1,
Willows(H) WON 6-0,
Lusk(A) WON 6-0,
Swords Celtic(A)Draw 1-1,
Corduff (CUP)(A) Lost 5-4,
Castleknock(H) WON 4-0,
Malahide(A)WON 3-0,
Malahide(H)WON 1-0,
Maynooth(A)WON 4-1,
Ratoath(H)WON 7-1,
Skerries(A)WON 3-1,
Glebe(H)Draw 2-2,
Lusk(H)WON 5-0,
Willows(A)WON 6-2,
Balbriggan(A)WON 6-0,
Balbriggan(H)WON 7-1,
Dunshaughlin(A)WON 8-2
Skerries(H)WON 7-0
Swords(H)WON 6-1
Glebe(A)LOST 3-0
Dunshaughlin(H)
Match reports are below( Last match is 1st)
Dunshaughlin Home
May 15th Home
Captain for today David
"Walk over"
Dunshaughlin told us saturday that they would travel so at 7 the next moring I marked the pitch and put up the nets. At 9.45 ( 45 min before game) we got the call to say it was off. I can't repeat what i said but it's just as well there were no children about. As we will be given a 2 nil win for this game, Karl and I will claim the goals.My goal was a run from my own goal line, beating all 10 outfield players ( twice) before chiping the keeper, the ball clipping the bar and i followed up with a diving header into the top corner. Karl's was a shot by me that he tried to get out of the way of, and hit the back of his head and found the net.
Coaches notes Karl was rubbish.
Glebe Away
May 13th 2011
Captain for today Luke
"Ita's just miss out on top spot"
Top of the table clash in Balbriggan.A great start saw us press glebe back and good work from Sean N, David and Luke ended with Jordan with a 1 on 1, that their keeper did really well to stop while Niall was so unluckily with the rebound. We lost Niall to injury in the 1st 5 min( more was to follow))A very even, fast and passionate 1st half passed with only a few chances as this was more a midfield battle on a very short pitch. Riley had to be alert and off his line a few times to save us from going behind while Fionn, Cian, and Ciaran battled really well. Katie had a great match up with the Glebe winger who never got away from her once. Lauren did brilliant to block down a goal kick and almost gave us the lead but her shot just went wide of the upright.While David almost connected with a header to Jordans corner.Glebe finally got the opening goal after a cross from the left found their forward,who's shot was squeezed in at the near post right on halftime.
We lost Cian. We had another good start to the second with Adham and Niall combining well , only to be blocked out in the box.Luke and David had us on top at this part of the match but we could just not find the space to work the chance to equalize.The game was stopped for a long time while we looked after Luke who had a worrying head injury( Big thanks to Austin for looking after him). After this Chris had a chance that just went wide while Fionn did everything possible to keep Glebe out. Glebe got a 2nd to realy put us in trouble but we kept going and Jordan had two free kicks that some how stayed out of the net. It just wasn't to be our day or night and Glebe finished of the scoring from a long punt forward.Final score 3-0
Coaches notes: I think I will look back on this evening as a very important night in our development. We had a massive game, the 1st for many of the children in their young football lives. It is interesting to see when we were under pressure at times that we didn't trust the things we are good at to do,like shielding the ball, playing from the back, passing and moving quickly. This is a very normal thing to do, all teams do it,but if you have not worked that much on longer ball play,it's hard to change mid game.We suffered because of this.Injures didn't help, Niall was a big loss so early on , while Cian and Luke's injury changed the way I wanted to set up tactically.I must say i thought Fionn, Adham and Katie were super and never stopped running but I'm being unfair to all,as everyone tried so hard.So a great season ends with a medal in the pocket and as karl asked at the final team talk" Have we all become better players this year?" . Yes we have while playing great attacking football.
Ivan
Swords Home
May 8 2011
Captain for today Luke
" Katie nets double in super win"
Cracking day today for a game. Our excellent start saw us rewarded with a stunning goal after Luke skipped down the left wing and rolled the ball across the box for conor to back heel the ball into the net for our 1st.Our 2nd came when luke ran down the right end line after good work from Jordan and passed to David who's shot fell to Luke to round the keeper and finish into the empty net. Swords got back in the game when the got a goal against the run of play but we soon had our 2 goal lead back when Jordan thumped the ball home after good work from Katie.Sean N had a super 1st half and created plenty of problems down swords left while David controlled the Midfield. We lost Luke to injury for the rest of the game but still dominated the ball. Half time 3-1.
Adham had a storming second half along side Katie and it was from his great run and perfect pass that saw Katie race clear and finish with a shot across the Keeper. Katie's 2nd was nearly a copy of the 1st and again her finish was superb. Chris got the final Goal when he showed great pace to have a one on one and coolly side the ball under the keeper. Lauren had a great game and was so unlucky not to score after working so hard to get the ball from the swords defenders while Sean F saw a late great shot hit the side netting.
Final score 6-1
Coaches notes This was my favourite league game of the season. We drew with Swords early in the season but fixed that today. We had learned from the past game and solved all our problems. Ciaran was man of the match as he had a special job to mark their fastest player and only outlet. Ciaran was outstanding . Of course we needed to pass well and take our chances. Luke and Jordan dominated from the start and even tough we lost luke, Katie and Adham provided the creative play so that we did not miss him.(lucky for swords as Luke had eyes on another hattrick).Chris got in goal for me on Friday so i played him up front to say thanks and he goes and scores a great goal so we were delighted for him. We were delighted with all the children, everyone played their part and we look forward to our final two games next week.
Ivan
Skerries Home
May 6 2011
Captain for today Luke
"Luke's a Hattrick Hero"
A super performance tonight saw us win this game. We started so well in the 1st half that Adham in goal never touched the ball all 1st half. David had a great 1st half and with Luke and Jordan drove us forward and helped set Luke up for his Hat trick. His 1st was a lovely finish with his weaker foot after good play saw Luke one on one with the keeper.We then had 2 goals ruled out for off side before Fionn scooped a lovely finish at the near post over the keepers head for a 2-0 half time score.
2nd half was beautiful to watch. Katie now in Midfield and Fionn out wide caused loads a problems for Skerries while Adham had a great second half with Niall and Coner starting loads of attacks.We scored 2 more quickly at the start of the second half with Luke getting his second from close range while Sean N finished well after another flowing move. David and Niall scored a goal each , both buried their chances while Luke rounded off the scoring to complete his hattrick when put through by Jordan.
Final score 7-0.
Coaches Notes; We had a very tough game against this team away from home when we didn't move the ball quickly enough to cause them problems although we created chances. Tonight I was delighted with the performance. Pressure from us was , all over the pitch was just fantastic to see. Passing was sharp and we finished our chances really well tonight. Katie looks stronger and stronger with each game while I thought Richard and Lauren work so hard against the tall centre back.Big thanks to Adham and Chris for getting in goal. A final note on Luke who finally got his hat trick . He has had 2 goals in games before and I have moved him or replaced him to let others get goals but I felt that for his tired less work for the team over the season I would give him the extra few mins to get his 3rd.He did , but i did think it would never come. Big game this Sunday v Swords.
Dunshaughlin Away
1 May 2011
Captain for today Luke
RILEY SCORES!!!"
We had a long wait before the game as the referee's car ran out of petrol on O'Connell Street. A bizarre start to the game saw parents on our sideline celebrating a Dunshaughlin goal thinking that we had scored. (you know who you are, Mary). Luckily for us, Conor had all our sideline cheering including Mary after Luke made a brilliant run from the tip off and found Conor who had the simplest of tap in's which had us level 30 seconds later. One of our best first half performances saw Conor get almost an identical second for himself while Richard got two goals after following in shots from the goalkeeper. Luke got a lovely goal after good work from Jordan saw Luke swivel and shoot into the net while Sean F was finding loads of space on the right hand side and had a beautiful finish after lovely play from Jordan and David. The half time score 6-1.
The second half was much more even as we played attackers in defence and defenders up front. We dominated the second half again, created numerous chances, Cian unlucky not to score while Fionn hit the crossbar. We got two goals in the second half, Katie scored a cracker with her left foot after good work by Fionn while the biggest cheer of the day came for Riley who finally got the goal with a left foot shot past the keeper that the whole team have been waiting for. Dunshaughlin got a late goal. The final score was 8-2.
Coaches Notes: Only disappointment today was falling behind so quickly in the game. After the first minute of football was a joy to watch from the passing and movement to the pressure we applied to Dunshaughlin. The performance was as good as we will get all season. It was great to see Richard get two more goals while Conor also has a knack of being in the right place at the right time to finish off some good moves. Jordan and Luke's passing today in midfield was outstanding while it was brilliant to have Niall back after his hols. It was nice to hear the opposition, the referee plus other teams watching us comment on how good our football was. We must be doing something right. The next three games for us will decide our league and it's great that we have three such games to finish off our season.
Balbriggan Home
17 April 2011
Captain for today Jordan
"Ciaran scores to keep Ita's top"
A second game in two games against Balbriggan saw us start really well with David opening the scoring after racing clear and driving his finish past the goalkeeper. We played a lot of good football in the first half but got a shock when Balbriggan equalised against the run of play. From the tip off, Luke and Jordan combined to set Luke free to immediately get us back in front. David did really well on the left hand side and was brought down in the box and the ref pointed to the spot. Up stepped Riley whose well taken penalty clipped the top of the post to deny him his goal that all have been wanting to see. Half time score 2-1.
Second half we scored the goals that our first half game deserved. Lauren got her goal after a beautiful chipped ball from Luke. She raced through to thump the ball into the net. Luke got a second after good work from Sean F while Jordan also scored with a shot from the edge of the box. Sean F got in on the act when he broke through to finish one on one with the goalkeeper. The final goal of the game was Ciaran's first for the team this year after a scramble in the box, he struck the ball really well and celebrated by doing a somersault. (check the photos to see what he did). The final score was 7-1.
Coaches Notes: Not much to add this week, team played really well, passed the ball well, plenty of pressure. Balbriggan's goal actually helped us concentrate as the game was quite easy at that stage but we took our goals really well in the second half. We were all delighted for Ciaran to get his goal and all our outfield players have now scored a goal this season. We will try and get Riley a goal before the season is out to complete the whole squad scoring goals. Five games to go. Ivan
Balbriggan Away
15 April 2011
Captain for today Chris
"6 of the best for ITA'S"
A great 1st half performance from us saw us 3 up in 10 min. Sean F finished with a sweet shot after a pass from Luke for the 1st. Further goals from Luke , straight through with the keeper to beat , Sean F with a 2nd after good work from David ,Sean N with a stunning shot high into the net on the half volley after good work from Jordan , Fionn with an equally stunning lob and Mark with a super fake shot/ turn in the box to drive his finish home.6-0 at ht.
2nd half we had loads of chances and all did great to try an get Riley and Ciaran their goals while both Chris and Lauren kept Balbriggan out while in goal.
Coaches Notes; A super start to the game had it over in 10 min . Adham, Fionn, David , Luke, Jordan and Sean F were passing the ball so well in this period that the opposition just couldn't get close.Riley was very good up front and so unlucky not to get a goal. Big thanks to Chris and Lauren for getting in goal. With Chris captaining the team that now means that all players have captained the team this season so another of my targets is now complete.
Ivan.
Willows Away
10 April 2011
Captain For today Mark
"Sean F& N join Chris on score sheet"
Beautiful day for our game. A great start again to this game saw us hit the post in the first 10 minutes, Luke twice and David with a long range effort which canoned off the inside of the post. Jordan's good passing was releasing Luke on the right and Adham on the left and Willows were struggling to keep us out. Sean F had a shot well saved when straight through but it was Chris who started us scoring when Luke's cross passed Sean F and into the box arrived Chris to bury the ball in the back of the net. We finished the half with two more goals, Sean N's came after great work from Katie who won the ball and played a beautiful pass (through the gate) for Sean to slide the ball into the corner of the net while Luke's was a cracking finish high into the far corner. Half time score 3-0.
Second half was Sean F with two goals from the right wing. His first after a great run and a stunning shot into the near top corner giving the keeper no chance. His second was a lofted cross come shot that the keeper and defender struggled to keep out. Fionn was controlling the midfield now in what was his best game for us so far and he finished it in style with a great goal after a great run and a smashing finish. Mark was a great captain today winning plenty of headers along with Cian in the game and then doing well on the right wing in the second half while Lauren's hard work with Sean N kept us well on top. Riley got a run out at the end (thanks to Adham for getting in goal) and the players did their very best to try and get him a goal. He played very well. Willows finished the game getting two nice goals and we all went home happy. Final socre 6-2.
Coaches Notes: We used the two games Friday and Sunday to give the players as much time as possible. We were quite fortunate that some were missing which meant that others got a longer run out. It was interesting to see how some tired a little with their extra time and two games over a short period of time. Karl and myself watched the players closely to see who tired and we made plenty of changes during both games. Seven goal scorers in the two games shows we have shared the goals around the players and we are not a one man team.
Ivan
Lusk Home
8th April 2011
Captain for today Richard
"Adham & Luke double's beat Lusk
Strange start to the game this evening as we had no ref and Lusk's team decided that they would kindly ref the game for us. We started very well, created numerous chances and it was Luke who got us our first goal with a shot from the edge of the box. Good play by Cian set up our second when his pass released Sean N who found Adham who took the ball home from close range. At the back Fionn was super alongside Mark at the back to keep our lead intact and we got a beautiful third goal when David did well on the left wing before crossing with his weaker left foot for Luke to open his body up and put a short high over the keepers head into the net. Jordan rounded off the first half scoring when he finished nicely. Sean F at right back was up and down the wing all half while Katie on the left also attacked well from the full back position. The half time score was 4-0.
Second half we made some changes to have a look at some in different positions and we seen some great skill from Sean N, Sean F, Conor and Richard. Adham was to get our final goal of the game when he won a kick out and raced through to slot home his second goal. Riley didn't have too much to do but did see a penalty from Lusk blaze over his bar to keep a clean sheet. Pass of the match was Lauren's first time ball through to Katie who was unlucky not to get a goal. Final score 5-0.
Coaches Notes: Atmosphere was strange before the game with no referee turning up. Everyone on and off the pitch was very quiet. We settled after a while in this game and it was one we expected to win and was the reason why we had planned to play players in different positions and give the likes of David, Jordan and Luke some time off. Must mention Adham, David, Jordan, Luke, Sean N and Fionn all using their weaker foot superbly in the last few weeks. All the players have done really well but these have been very noticeable. We plan more positionable changes for this Sunday in the game against Willows.
Ivan
Glebe Home
3rd April 2011
Captain for today Luke
"Top 2 draw 2-2.
Great game today with the visit of Glebe. We started really well but were caught with their very 1st attack to find us behind so early in this game. We played well in the 1st half and were just a final pass away from breaking through , while we had to be at our best at the back . Adham did really well setting up attacks while David and Luke had to battle hard to get attacking.Sean F and Conor was dangerous on the wing. A very even 1st half ended with the score 1 nil .
2nd half we passed better with Katie doing great at left back and Ciaran saved us a number of times with his pace. Luke and Jordan did well to set up conor and Sean F but the equalizer finally came when luke was brave too block their punt forward and then ran from his own half to slip the ball passed the keeper.After the great celebrations we dominated with out really carving out clear cut chances but once more Glebe took the lead with a great shot over Riley. Riley then make a stunning save when faced with a 1 on 1 to keep us in it. We pushed on and Coner then leveled with his finish taking forever to roll into the net. We were now looking like we would win it with David so unlucky after a great run while Niall looked to have won it but his shot just went wide.A great game from 2 different but even teams. Final score 2-2.
Coaches Notes;
Loved the game today. 2 teams fully out to win. The result means it all still to play for when we meet again. Thought Katie,Fionn and Adham were super today against good attackers while the wingers worked very hard. The 3 in the middle were shattered after the game they did so much running. Tough for Lauren, Richard ,Niall and Chris up front as it was so hard to find time and space in this very fast game.This is the kind of game we can expect next year when both these teams will move from this league. Both teams remain unbeaten but we both could have lost that today. It still very exciting chase for the league.
Ivan.
Skerries Away
20 March 2011
Captain for today Conor.
"Adham,Niall & David rescue ITA'S"
A tough game today in Skerries. We started slowly and soon found ourselves a goal down after a great finish high into the net which Riley had no chance to save.We poured forward and some how managed only to score 1 goal before half time. David,Cian ,Jordan , Luke , Adham , Niall and Sean N all going close but it was not until Jordan returned a 1,2 with Luke, who's mazey run saw him beat a couple of defenders and get fouled by the Keeper but Adham was on hand to finish his shot into the net. 1-1 at Half time.
2nd half was very even and could have gone any way but Niall steadied the nerves with a lovely Mazy run and a beautiful Finish. We had chances, Niall, Conor , David and Luke all went close but we also had to be good at the back and Katie,Chris, Fionn and Cian, along with Riley helped to keep our lead. The killer goal came from David when he finished a scramble in the box with a powerful shot from the edge of the area.A important result and a fighting 3-1 win.
Coaches Notes;
A difficult game today and one that I take as a great one to learn from. We never stopped fighting to get the result today even though we didn't pass the ball quickly enough to move skerries around and find space. I tried and played some in different positions and it just didn't work out as planned. Some change of positions did and Cian looked good up front and Sean N looks a better player on the wing. Luke and David while good up front are missed when not in the middle of the park at the centre of our build up. Lauren found it hard at left back but we didn't take any time to explain that position to her so i take the blame for that.( Lesson learned) . When we are not passing at our best we could still rely on some individual magic for the goals. Luke and Niall's runs and close control were stunning while David and Adham's finishes were both great, David's strike and Adham attacking the box for the follow up.I think this game will help me focus on getting the best from the team as we enter the final push for the league as I have changed the player positions alot in the last few weeks. With 4 Training sessions before we play again it's back to basics on the training ground.
Ivan.
Ratoath Home
13 March 2011
Captain for today Sean N.
"Fionn,Richard & Mark see off Ratoath"
A cold day today for our game with Ratoath and some quick changes to the team needed just before kick off as some players were late arriving with Luke now starting in goal and Richard on the left wing. We started well with Fionn and Sean N linking with Jordan to set up our 1st few chances.Richard and Adham combined well on the left to create a chance for Fionn who's shot was well saved . Fionn was to get our 1st goal ( and his for the season) when great work from Sean N saw his shot saved with Fionn on hand to tap in the rebound. Katie was just wide after good wing play from Sean F this time and soon after Niall scored to double our lead with a neat finish. Luke, now out from goal( and a 12th man at one stage,opps , blame the coach) beat the keeper at the near post after breaking through on the left. Ratoath scored a lovely goal next after a break on the left and a great finish. 3-1 at halftime.
2nd half was all one way with Lauren adding the 4 goal with a close range finish. Next to score was Richard,who ran through on goal to slot his shot passed the keeper( his 1st of the season). Coner,Mark and Sean F were causing Ratoath problems now and it was from one such attack that Sean finished at the far post from Marks good skill in the box. Sean then won a penalty at the end of the game which Mark finished high tinto the net( his 1st this season) to complete the win. Final score 7-1
Coaches Notes: Big plus today was the 3 lads getting their 1st goal. Congrats to Fionn, Richard and Mark. We also got to see Sean N on the wing and in central mid as well as Cian, Ciaran and chris in the middle also. David and Luke played at the back while Fionn and Mark got a chance upfront. Only 2 players left to score in the team( as i promised all) so thats almost done and dusted, with us only half the way through the league program. I also would like to mention how well katie played today and after a few weeks at left back she was flying forward and great in the tackles also. Bigger games to come but at the half way stage we have won 10 of our 11 games and 1 draw. Fantastic start.
Maynooth Away
6 Mar 2011
Captain for today Sean F
"Chris Shocks Maynooth with Double"
A fast start to the game today from both teams with chances at each end . Maynooth took the lead after their forward raced through to slot his shot passed Riley. After the shock of conceding we have a number of chances with Niall lobbing their keeper before seeing the ball just roll wide, while David won the ball on the half way line and raced clear but saw his shot pass by the outside of the post. Lauren almost scored with her left foot shot while Luke and Jordan had shots blocked. It was not all one way though with Riley coming out to make plenty of saves and Cian,Mark and Ciaran had to be at their best to keep the score down. Just before have time Jordan had 2 great corners . The 1st one some how stayed out but the 2nd found a way into the net at the near post off the keeper. We still had time for Sean F and Katie to have 1 on1s but their Keeper did Great. 1-1 at half time.
The 2nd half was dramatic. We had lots of the ball but just could not get that second goal until Jordan scored a cracker from outside the box high into the net after a scramble in the box from a corner. Maynooth came right back at us and got a penalty. The penalty was well hit but also hit the post and luckily for us Luke followed the shot on goal and was there to clear. This gave us a a great lift and we made Maynooth pay when Sean F took a quick throw in( I was looking for us to take our time, show's what i know) to Jordan who drove into the box and squared to Chris who finished brilliantly for his 1st goal for us. The whole team celebrated with him and was the highlight of the day. Just to put the icing on the cake, Riley found Luke with a short kick out and Luke ran the whole length of the pitch before his shot was blocked on the line and Chris , who was not finished scoring , jumped on the lose ball to finish in the corner of the net and the game in style. Final score, Maynooth 1 v St Ita's 4.
Coaches Note; Super game today , a real test. Thought Cian and Mark were marvelous today against the fastest player we have come up against. Once they sat a little deeper and limited the space behind , they were in much more control of the player. We were not too worried as we had asked all to put pressure ,quickly on the ball but this needed to change for Mark and Cian and we did that nice and early and they deserve get credit for that and its a major reason for the positive result. Also Adham was moved to right back in the 2nd half and he is great here as he wants to get forward all the time while he has a great knack of being in the right place at the right time. We see Adham in this position as an attacking option rather than defencive and he does this better than anyone as his range of passing is nice and he is comfortable on the ball . Jordan was all over the park and deserved his 2 goals and Luke was again amazing in the middle and the good news is he is getting better , for longer periods in the game ( his last min run was stunning) and is at times( with David) unplayable for the opposition. Finally , we were over the moon for Chris. He works as hard in training as anyone and we love the way he plays football and got his chance up front today and took it . (We still hope to give all a chance to play up front and get all a goal before the season is finished). His 1st two goals for us were great and the great celebration , when he scored, show how much the other children like him. I'm told the photos are great.
Ivan.
Malahide Home
30 Jan 2011
Captain for today Lauren
"Luke see's off United with last gasp winner"
Great game today for the 2nd game in a row with Malahide. We started well and could have had a few goals early on with Niall having the best of them after good play from Jordan and Luke. Luke sent Niall away but his shot was well saved while Jordan's great run ended with Niall through on goal but his shot just went wide. Sean N was inches away from scoring while David, Luke and Jordan set up Lauren and Richard who were just blocked out. Cain ,at the back with Mark were outstanding with Cian making many attacks down the wings and finished them off with great crosses that we some how failed to convert. Adham on the left and Chris both had great games with Adham setting up great attacks with his driving runs while Chris won all tackles and always had a pass. In goal Fionn was excellent with his hands and his distribution of the ball was super to set us up well in midfield. Half time was a very tight 0-0
Katie after she recovered from a small injury in the 1st half started very well in the 2nd and linked up well with Luke and Niall which made 2 chances for Lauren. Sean N was very unlucky when ruled offside as we pushed on for a goal and Luke saw his shot well saved and another just over the bar after a short corner. Adham ,Jordan, Niall and Conor all had efforts but the game was now so open that it was end 2 end. With 10 min Left we had a massive scare when Malahide broke down our right and the forwards shot hit the inside of the post and the rebound was some how blocked wide by Davids last gasp tackle.Then just as the time on the watch was up Adham found space on the edge of the box and with his shot deflected into the air and over all the defenders, Luke arrived just in time to finish with a lovely touch,before being mobbed by his teammates and send the sideline wild . There was no time left for Malahide and we had recorded 2 great wins in a week against our local and league rivals.
Coaches Notes;
No need for hair gel or makeup today as my Dad was on the beach in Tenerife celebrating his birthday and so we have no photos from this game.But we were celebrating a great last min winner. Big thanks to Fionn who was back and in goal. He did great and not many can say they have kept a clean sheet while in goal. Very hard game for us and i think we just about deserved our winner because of all the chances we had. Luke played much deeper today, not by chose but just with how the game went but we changed it with 10 to go and got our rewards with his Goal. If anyone had thought that this league was easy, they will have changed their minds as all but 2 games so far have been hard work till late on in games when i believe our good passing finally finds the gaps in the tired defences. With Sword and Glebe meeting today this was a massive 3 points in our race for the league. A final mention to Richard who did great with no training from us which just shows that the game itself is the best to learn from although we do look forward to working on some things in training with him.
Ivan.
Malahide Away
23 Jan 2011
Captain for today Katie
"ITA'S Win at the Castle"
Great to be back out in the park again to see some football. Malahide have been in good form this season and this was always going to be a close game. We settled in the flow of the game well with Cian and Mark making timely tackles and the Midfield 3 of Jordan,Adham and Niall passing the ball around well. Sean F and Katie did well but it was more a battle for the ball the 1st 15 min than chances made. Luke and David then joined Lauren,Coner and Richard and we started to find some space. We scored our 1st goal in this spell when Cian won the ball and found Coner who set Luke away down the wing. Luke Beat the defender and drove to the end line and flashed the ball across the 6 yard box that was turned in by the Malahide defender with Lauren and Richard waiting just in case he miss it. David set Coner and Lauren away but good defending stoped us getting a 2nd. 1-0 at half time.
We started the 2nd half like we finished the 1st, on top. We made plenty of chances with Sean F and katie going close while Sean N could have had a hat trick with great movement up front. Riley made a great save to keep our lead after good play from Malahide and Ciaran cleared one off the line.Jordan and Adham worked well on the left and is was from the left that Adham crossed a perfect ball for Coner who put us all at ease with a nice finish.Luke went close with a shot across goal with David and Jordan both could have scored before Lauren was on hand to finish off the scramble in the box and blast home.Niall,Adham,Cian and Ciaran stood strong in the last 10min to see us pick up this very important win.Final score 3-0 to the hoops.
Coaches Notes;
I have been very surprised by how well all have played in training after a long break like we have had. Yes we were a little rusty at times today with our finishing and some of our positional play but that's expected. The work rated was as good as ever while the passing was great and the tackles were strong. Niall, Adham and Jordan got to hold the midfield from the start with out David and Luke in an important game and showed that we have 6 ( Katie plays there as well for us) players that can fight to play in the engine room of our team without it been weakened. I did think that Luke and David lifted us when they came on as both drive us forward and I have yet to see 2 better in that position at under11.Another congrats to the defence who kept another clean sheet with Cian, chris and co stopping all in front of them. Also Get well soon to Fionn who hasn't been well of late. We all look forward to seeing you back soon.
Ivan.
Castleknock Home
14 Nov 2010
Captain for today David.
"Coner early double sets ITA'S on the way"
It was cold,cold,cold today. So we were looking for a nice fast start after Karl had got the warm up out of the way and we were 2 up in 5. Conor got both , the 1st after a beautiful slide rule pass from Luke between the center back and full back and Coner slotted his shot home from the edge of the box,while the 2nd was lovely passing move down the left which saw David deliver a stunning cross ( with his weaker foot folks) that was begging to be smashed home and again Coner was on hand to thump it into the net. We created plenty of chances with Jordan,Sean N and F, lauren ,David ( another weaker foot shot from 25 yards) and Adham all going so close ,while the football was very good to watch. Coner almost got his Hatrick when Luke lifted the ball over the defence but this time the Keeper saved to deny Coner. Castleknock never really got out of their half but one such time saw Katie make a super tackle to win the ball cleanly and set Cian on the attack.2 nil at half time.
2nd half was much like the 1st as we were always on attack and we got two nicely finished goals, the 1st from Jordan into the far right hand corner of the net while luke used Richards great run to turn and finish the game off with the 4th.. Katie, Jordan, Sean N ,Lauren ( again with a lovely long range effort) and Sean F all went close and we finished the game with Riley coming out of goal to play his part in the win. Final score 4-0.
Coaches Notes:
We were a little worried how we would start, with us not playing in a month but we as coaches could have gone home after 5 min as we seen the 2 goals come from the training ground we have been working on the last 3 weeks. Luke,David and Adhams vision in the 1st half was amazing , as was the runs from Conor,Jordan and Sean F to get on the end of the through balls and the width we got is all down to the hard work they all put in at training. We are making great strides forward this season and I'm not talking about results but they way the team plays. A special mention again to Coner who I asked a few weeks ago to try start the games fast and his start on Sunday means he is learning very quickly as well as the great ball skills he showed in the game. Finally the 4 defenders. Cian( our leader at the back) Mark,Chris and Ciaran who didn't have much to do but did it all perfectly when called on. A clean sheet is like a goal form them in my eyes so all deserved great credit. We still have plenty to work on but i could not be happier with the way its going at the moment. Get well soon to Fionn from all of us,we look forward to see you return like Sean F did today. It was like he was never away.
Corduff (cup) Away
17 Oct 2010
Captain for today Jordan.
"Great fightback, Just falls short"
A cracker of a game today in the cup. We were looking for a fast start and got it after 2 min when Adham found space in the box and fired into the far corner after great closing down by Sean N.We poured forward and could have had more but as the half went on Corduff came into the game and soon had the scores level. Football was still good and this was a very even game, end to end as they say. Niall had a great chance when he broke through only to see his shot saved well by the keeper.In the 5 min of extra time the ref played in the first half we failed to clear our lines and conceded a corner which Corduff made the most of to lead 2-1 at the break.
Could we start the second half like the 1st? You bet we could. After great pressure by Lauren and Sean N, Niall set up Luke in the box and he took the shot on with his weaker foot and saw the ball finish in the back of the net. Corduff then against the run of play found themselves 2 up , one with a great slice of luck and one unstoppable finish. Back we came again ,this time Niall raced through to smash the ball in to the far left hand corner with 10 min to go ( 4-3). We threw everything at their goal with Nialls header from Adham's free kick just over the bar and Luke's over head shot so close to leveling the game. Corduff again caught us on the break to extend their lead but Luke reduced it with 2 min to go when he jumped on a back pass to blast past the keeper. No extra time this half by the ref and the bizarre ending by the ref left us just short of the extra 20 min we felt we deserved. A fantastic game, 9 goals, great football and so close to a great cup shock. Well done all.
Coaches notes:
Another super performance from the team today.I spoke to the Children about starting the game well today and I was most pleased with this. A goal at the start of each half was perfect and if we can carry that on to our league games all should be great.Again I played some in new positions just to see how we could do and most worked out well. Mark played left back, Adham in the center(2nd half) and Katie up front.The hardest position on the pitch is the forward one ( center) as movement to the ball is always hard. You have to work very hard and not always see the ball and its much easier to get goals from the wide players and the midfield 3 as they are running on to the ball at pace. Thought we got no luck today and some bad ref decisions against us ( the kids had to explain the rules to him at some stages) but this again is all part of the learning phase that we are in. A special mention to Coner who I asked to try start the game fast. He did great and his close control always was good but today he did all this nice and fast and then had a pass at the end of it all. Also Zara who worked hard in training all week and did well today in a very hard game. I must say, all were excellent in training this week and the performance today is due to all their hard work.
Ivan.
Swords Celtic Away
10 Oct 2010
Captain for today Fionn
"Adham Sticks SWORD in, with last min leveler"
A visit to Swords Celtic for a top of the table clash was always going to be a tough game. We were boosted by the support of Sean F who is out for a few weeks. 1st half saw Swords put us under plenty of pressure and this week we needed Ciaran,Chris,Mark and captain Fionn to keep us the game. David, Niall and katie had a hard job in the middle but worked hard while the attacking players didn't see much of the ball. Swords had plenty of attacks down their right wing and these crosses were causing us problems but Riley and the defenders always got a Hand (Riley) or foot to the ball while our best chance in the half came from a great run by David and Cian found Jordan whose cross was nearly finished by Coner.0-0 at Half time.
2nd half was much better from us. We attacked all half and how we didn't score from an early mad scramble which Lauren started and Jordan had his shot saved before Luke smashed his shot on to the post. A goal was surely coming now as we pour forward but it came at the wrong end for us. We got caught in attack and swords broke to get a 1 on 1 with Riley to score. We kept pushing on with Niall and Richard doing well and David and Luke in Midfield always looking like they could set up a chance. On one occasion we though we had won a penalty after luke looked to be upended in the box but the ref just waved play on. Time was running out, last min, when we finally got a well deserved equalizer.Luke chased down the defender and sent a looping shot over the keeper only to see it canon off the post and into the air, Sean N saw his follow up shot well saved before Adham ,who had a smashing 2nd half from Left back, be in the right place at the right time , to blast home and boy did we celebrate. The Final whistle went and we had saved a great point.
Coaches Notes:
Some times when your not at your best a late goal can seem like a win. That was us today but i thought we got no luck today from the ref as i thought we should have had 2 stick on penalty's. We were very disappointed with our 1st half as we felt we never really passed the ball well enough and some lost their positions a little to much for us to be able to mount good attacks.But hey 6 games into the league and we have our 1st poor half is really very good and I'm not blameless as some of the changes i made today just didn't work out as planed. 2nd half we were much better, Dominated most of the play before getting caught on the break. Thought it was going to be one of those days after Luke hit the post and we were denied the late penalty but never gave up and what a finish to the game.A special mention today to Chris who was up against a very fast winger but never game up and who's passing is one of the best on the team. Also Adham who turned their defence , inside out in the 2nd half . We learned more today than in the last 5 wins put together. Still undefeated, Just about.
Ivan.
Lusk Away
3rd Oct 2010
Captain for today Ciaran
"Cian on score sheet in big win"
Another lovely day for football and we arrived nice and early to get our warm up completed . Children looked great in their new club jackets before the game and were really up for this game before hand. First 10 min were very even with chances for us and Lusk but we soon took control of the game. Zara, Sean N and Lauren worked well in attack while Jordan,Niall and David won all in midfield.We had great chances to score the best was probably Lukes after a great passing move that started at right back with Ciaran,.was worked over to the left were Katie found luke who's shot curled passed the post. David finally got the goal we needed when he picked up the ball and finished with a right foot shot that found the corner of the net. Katie got the second which see smashed into the net with her left foot after good work from Jordan. 2-0 at half time.
2nd half was excellent to watch with great overall play from all. Fionn and Mark setting us on our way seting up Lauren on the wing who found Niall in an attacking position.His pass fell for luke who got straight through to slide it low into the net. David got his second when he ran through midfield before finishing high into the top left and corner. With 4 goals up we changed the team with Conor,Chris and Fionn in the middle and Mark and Cian in attack and its from these players that we would see the chances made for Cian to get his 1st ever goal after he broke through and with the keeper to beat he buried the ball into the back of the net. Sean N and Richard were now on and working well and this lead to Cian getting his second which he blasted passed the poor keeper who had no chance for his second. The final whishle went and that's 5 wins from 5.
Coaches Notes. Karl worked a great training season on Monday after we noticed that we turned off at kick outs in the last game and worked on pressure and cover in training. Although Karl was missing today I was delighted to tell him how well it worked all over the pitch.We just were first to every ball and covered each other really well and then of course we passed it great after that. Sean N was one of the best examples of this today and without that work we might not have had our 6 goals. So although he didn't get a goal this week I think he had his best game of the 5 so far. But all did this and I was very impressed with Zara and Richard, who are a few weeks behind the rest,training and match wise, who i think worked really hard and looked like they enjoyed themselves which is the big thing. Last but not least a special mention to Cian (who we have tried to move up field on other occasions but he has been reluctant to do this), after his 2 goals today. He is a great example to the rest that it does not matter were you play but how you play. He has played more time on the pitch than all in the last few years because none would play defence. This has made him a great all round player who can play anywhere we hope these goals give him the confidence to do more of this.Well done Cian.
Ivan.
Willows Home
26th Sept 2010Captain for today Adham.
"Big win for ITA'S"
More sunshine today for the visit of Willows. We started very well today with plenty of early chances that the Willows keeper did well to keep out. Passing was very good ,all working very hard. Sean N had a great chance that just went over the bar and one goal disallowed,we thought very harshly after great play from David. Niall , Luke and David controlled the Midfield all half and Katie and Adham were great outlets on the wing. Our 4 defenders,Ciaran,Fionn,Cian and Chris spent most of the 1st half on the halfway line due to our dominance of the ball. We only gave up one chance right before half time which Riley did great to save and then set Ciaran away on attack.The only thing missing from the 1st half was the goals although we did manage 1 goal just on the half time whistle when Niall got on the end of good play from Jordan and Adham to send a looping shot into the back of the next for a well deserved lead.
2nd half started with Lauren showing once again how much she has improved with great closing down of the defenders and was always involved in the attacks and was unlucky not to get our 2nd goal after a great block from the Willow defender. Niall however had better luck after his mazey run saw his shot saved by the keeper but Niall follow up with the finish which Luke did well to leave to him for fear of the ref giving offside.We were now in total control and Luke got the 3rd with a super finish high into the net from 12 yards after great wing play from Captain Adham. We got 3 more goals to finish with ,Jordan beating a few defenders before slipping the ball past the keeper, Sean N with great control and beat the keeper one on one after Niall had played him though and Adham scored from the peno spot after Ciaran's super run saw him upended in the box. Loads of great play from all in 2nd half and we still had time to make chances for Katie and Chris, while Sean N saw his great finish come back off the post after another super passing move. 6 goals, 5 different goal scorers and 3 points means we had a great day today.
Coaches Notes;
Great to hear people say that the football we play is nice to watch. This comes from the early years of freedom giving to the children to express them selves. They all look comfortable on the ball, get their head up and look for a pass. Over the years we lost plenty of games but always encourage the children to try and play. I think we can see the advantages of this now. We are in lower league but only one team can win this lower league from 12 and this now gives the children a chance to have the pressure of performing at a high level ever week if they are to come out on top.We will win,lose and draw games but we will play good football in all the 22 games and this is our mane goal for the season.To finish off i would just like to say thank you to the children today for a really super performance with a special mention today for David who i thought was great with Luke and Niall in the Middle and then mopped up all at the back in the 2nd half,he will play anywhere for us and always is outstanding. Final thanks to the Parents who stayed behind the cones to give us plenty of room to get up and down the line.
Ivan.
Castleknock Away
19th Sept 2010
Captain for today Cian.
"Luke's hits 2 in tight win"
An early start today for our trip to Castleknock while it was also wet,wet,wet. Some arrived late so we changed the team around with Luke now starting in goal. 1st half saw us dominated the play with chances falling to Jordan, Adham,Sean F and Sean N which either just went wide,over or were well saved by their keeper. Jordan almost scored after a quick corner, that he took with his weaker foot while Sean F run down the right wing saw his cross knocked over the bar by Sean N.
Adham ,Niall, Conor and Ciaran came on with all playing their part. Niall and Adham working well together to set Adham up with his chance that was well blocked.Our defence were on top with Luke only having one save to make before we replaced him with Riley. Luke went up front now and he soon had us one up. After his shot had gone wide,he won the goal kick before beating the defender and curling his shot into the right hand corner of the net. 1-0 at half time.
2nd Half we were up against it with Castleknock pushing on and they leveled the scores after good work down the right saw their shot go in off the post. Now was the time to lift the game and we did this very well with Fionn,Mark and Katie winning plenty of tackles and setting up our attacks while all our attacking players lifted their work rate to close down their players. All this hard work saw Lauran get the vital 2nd goal. After nice play from both Seans saw Lauren in a race with the defender to the ball which she won( She beat all in the Sprint race in training on wed to shock some of the boys) then held off the defender before powering her shot into the back of the net. Niall Chris and Sean F were dominating now and we also saw nice wing play from Coner who linked up well with Jordan and Cian in midfield which won us a free kick. Adham's shot was dropped by the keeper and Luke was on hand to finishes from close range to make it 3-1. We saw out the rest of the game while Jordan had a goal ruled out for Handball. The good form continues.
Coaches Notes;
Changed some things around today to see how we would do. Katie did great at Left back,David in the 2nd Half played Center back while Cian and Ciaran looked comfortable in Midfield. While last year we had to play Luke in the midfield we have great options in there now which meant we could use his close control of the ball further up field which saw him get the 1st goal. At this moment its great as i could not pick the best 11 players for a game as all have been magic. Who ever has got a chance has taking it and the work rate is amazing.Selection at the moment is just based on team balance, all getting at least 30 min per game. Next week see's Zara and Richard join up so some will only get 20 min next week but we will rotate this from game to game to suit while always trying to keep the team balance even. 2 last points, I love it when the weather does not affect the way the team plays and the children ignore the rain,so credit to all for that and I forgot to mention Sean N and how happy we were to see him, who is a whole year younger than the next youngest on our team, show all that it doesn't matter what age you are, Only how good you are.And boy is he good.
Ivan.
Maynooth Home
12 sept 2010
Captain for today Niall
"Niall heads ITA'S to 5 star win"
1st home game of the season and the sun was out to watch a great game today. With nets up, pitch marked and warm up complete we were all ready, except for the ref. He finally arrived which saved all from watching me struggle to keep up with the kids, if I had to ref.A very even start to the game saw end to end play with Lauren going closest to scoring for us after great work from David and Adham.At the back Fionn,Chris,Cian and Mark won plenty of tackles while also setting up Luke and Niall for the attacks.But it was Maynooth who took the lead after some good pressure saw them score with a shot across Riley. We make some changes half way through the 1st half with Sean F,Sean N,Ciaran and Jordan coming on and we were soon level after David found Luke,whos great cross was controlled brilliantly by Sean N before he slotted the ball passed the keeper. Katie replaced Luke now in midfield and linked up well with Sean N and Niall to set up Sean F with a chance which he made look easy to put us 2-1 up. We finished the half well with Jordan's corner finding Katie unmarked in the box and a 3-1 half time lead.
I forgot to give the children the oranges at half time with all the excitement although they didn't seem to miss them as we had a great 2nd half. Luke and Niall were always attacking, Conor and Adham put in great wing play which kept Maynooth on the back foot ,David Fionn,Ciaran and Mark won all tackles and Chris was always a great outlet for Riley who's quick thinking set us on our way down the left on a few occasions. Katie and Jordan set up Sean F who's shot hit the side netting while the 4th goal finally came after great work from Fionn, set us up with Sean N finishing with a right foot shot from close range. David and Adham linked up well with Niall to set up Sean F and Lauren with half chances while Niall got his 1st goal with a great header that found the bottom corner after Davids thunderous shot had been blocked. Credit to Maynooth they kept playing and finished the game with a nice goal to leave the final score 5-2.
Coaches notes
A small note today on our formation. We are playing a 433 to try and give us plenty of options in attack. This means we get nice width in our play which all teams find hard to deal with. Our 3 in midfield are really important and how they pass the ball will decide how many attacks our wingers can set up for the forwards. David, Niall ,Katie and Luke between them did this great today while also helping out the lads at the back. We allow all to express them selves anywhere on the pitch,including the defence when they have the ball and Fionn and Cian showed us great tricks today in defence to then break and set up attacks. We don't want them to just kick the ball away ,but to try and find a team member with the ball. Sometimes they will get caught but this is still a learning faze for them and they will learn when is a good time to try a trick.A mention to Niall,Adham and Fionn who used their left foot(weaker) today after we asked them after watching them last week.So much today that i had to check with Fionn's dad that he wasn't left footed.All will know its something of great importance to me to have the children be comfortable with both feet so this for me was as good as the 5 goals today. All the heading we did in training last wed also paid off with Nialls great headed goal. A very positive start to the season .
Ivan
Ratoath Harps away.
5 sept 2010
Captain for today Riley
"Lauren starts the goals getting in 1st win"
Football is back but before we could start, we had an extended Sunday morning drive which we thank Niall's dad for leading the convoy and getting us there safely. We then had trouble trying to find the pitch but we were pleasantly surprised to see when we found it that it was a beautiful surface to play good football on with a nice barrier to keep all the animals out!!!!! Due to our late arrival, we didn't get a great warm-up done but we did manage to get our team photo. We started the game well and tried to pass the ball around on the ground with Chris at the back doing really well linking up with Lauren and on the other side Ciaran and Sean F. We lost Luke early in the first half with a slight injury but Niall came on and had a great start. Adham replaced Lauren and Fionn replaced Chris as we pushed on to try and get our first goal. We had two or three mad scrambles in the box with Sean F,Jordan ,Lauren and Sean N all inches away but just couldn't beat their goalkeeper who played very well. Adham was always dangerous on the left wing and Conor who replaced the hardworking Sean N went close to scoring a goal. The half-time whistle went with a very level 0-0.
Riley was very brave at the start of the second half when he dived at the feet of the attacking Ratoath player. David, Luke and Niall were now controlling the midfield and we felt a goal was coming. Lauren ended up with her first goal after good work in midfield seeing her break through to finish with a great strike past the keeper. Queue great celebrations from the sideline and pitch. Fair play to Ratoath, they bounced back immediately from a corner with a lovely finish into the far goal. Game was very even at this stage and could have gone either way and the next goal was going to be really important and luckily for us, Conor got it from the penalty spot after Luke's shot was handled in the box. This gave us great confidence and we poured forward with plenty of attacks with Sean N finishing into the corner of the net after Niall had beaten three players and had his shot saved. Lauren picked up her second goal when she followed in a shot the keeper had saved to finish into an empty net and Adham picked up the final goal after good work from the left.
Overall a great start to the season and we should all be rearing to go at training on Monday.
Coaches Notes:
Karl and I were absolutely delighted first of all with the effort of all the children today. You can't play good football without working really hard to win the right to play and the big red faces at the end of the game said it all. Cian, Mark and Fionn were excellent at the back and looked very safe and solid. Riley used the ball really well in goal which is really important for the way we want to play. We scored 5 goals today and we could have scored more if it wasn't for the great performance from the Ratoath keeper. The children passed the ball around and kept it really well and this was one of the most pleasing part of today's game. We've been trying to play football from the back on the ground for a few years and the big space on the pitch today seemed to help us with that. Special mention to the three new players, Adham, Niall and Fionn who added some energy and skill to our all ready good squad. They looked like they enjoyed their football today. Finally, Lauren, we've been saying for a long time that a goal was coming after her hitting the bar in previous games once or twice and we weren't surprised but were delighted that she got off the mark today and deserved her round of applause.Plenty of work for us coaches to do on team structure but i don't think we could have asked for more on our 1st day out. Hope all enjoyed it Roll on next week.
Ivan
