1st Division

Youghal United 2 – 0 College Corinthians

After last weeks disappointing 3 – 0 away loss to Tramore Athletic, Youghal United had to regroup and refocus this week for the league leaders College Corinthians. As it was last week Youghal had a few out with injury and guys who couldn’t be there because of work commitments. We were down to the bare minimum again but credit to the lads they got stuck in there from the off. We wanted to make Ardrath Park a difficult place for away teams this season and I think we sent out that message after sending the top side home empty handed.

Corinthians started the better finding plenty of space and passing the ball freely. It wasn’t until they arrived at the Youghal United penalty box that the home side dealt with them and took the ball off them. Slowly the midfield got to grips with the pace of the game at which College exerted on them. We started putting passes together and stretching them a little. Mossie Clohesy and Paul Hennessy were a torn in the defence side throughout the game giving their back four no time on the ball. All that pressure paid off when Mossie was put through on goal took one touch and drove the ball pass the outrushing keeper into the far corner. This exercise was practiced in training the night before and it was good to see it come off on the pitch.

The lads sat back a little and let College play again until they came around the box where challenges were put in and a good defensive unit of Diarmuid Shuel, Anthony Kelly, John Brennan and Conor O’ Sullivan dealt with everything thrown at them. The away side resorted to long range efforts and over hit through balls. Half time 1-0.

We went in at half time and spoke of the fact we were giving too much possession away and if we could hold onto the ball a bit more it would relief some pressure on our back four. We knew our opponents would start the second half bright and we were up to the challenge. Youghal grew in confidence and had a couple of decent efforts on goal. At the other end David Kearns kept Youghal’s lead in tact with some fine keeping, shot stopping and under high balls. This was a battle to the death and Youghal’s energy and persistence paid off when Mossie got on the score sheet again with minutes left. He went at the College defence and was taken down by the keeper but no whistle from the referee as we were all looking for penalty claims but to Mossie’s credit he got straight back up and tapped in for a two nil win. The boys saw out the remainder of the half to record their first victory of the season against a very good side. Things were so tight and close we couldn’t make any changes, Barry and David understood and to their credit were behind the boys all the way. This will send out a message to the league that away teams will get nothing easy when they come to Youghal United.

Team: D. Kearns, D. Sheul, A. Kelly, J. Brennan, C. O’Sullivan, D. Savage, D. Hennessy, S. Kenneally, A. Hennessy, P. Hennessy, M. Clohesy. Subs not used: D. O’Keeffe, B. Smith.

Report: Anthony Horgan

Premier Division

Youghal Utd 1 – 2 Ballinhassig

11/10/09

Ballinhassig travelled to Youghal as favourites to take the points in this game. However it was the Youghal girls that started the better, and following a ball sent in to the Ballinhassig area it was Ann McCarthy who got her head to the ball and found the net to give Youghal the lead with 13 minutes left in the first half. Both defences had to work hard as this game was going from end to end, Katie Manning in the Youghal defence, on her first game at under 16 level, played a fine first half. Youghal continued to hold on to their slender lead and went in at half time one up.

Ballinhassig came out in the second half and were determined to push Youghal to the limit, and brought a fine save out of the Youghal keeper, Sarah Louise Flaherty, with a shot that had goal written all over it.

With four minutes left it looked like the Youghal girls had done enough to hold on for their first win, however Ballinhassig kept playing football and were rewarded when Ciara O’Leary picked up a great pass on the edge of the Youghal area and rode a strong challenge to get into the Youghal box where she weaved passed the Youghal defence to set herself up and shoot into the far corner and level the game.

Following the kickoff the Youghal girls to their credit pushed forward to try to get the lead back but two minutes later when the Ballinhassig girls won the ball inside their own half they played the ball quickly through the midfield with some lovely passing and Aisling O’Brien made no mistake and finished with a strong shot to the Youghal net to snatch a win with one minute left in the game.

Excellent for Ballinhassig were Miriam O’Riordan,  Emma O’Donovan, Claire Christopher and Jane O’Leary, While excellent for Youghal were Kirsty Mason, Biane Roche, Katie Manning and in goal Sarah Louise Flaherty. A very entertaining game and a credit to both teams.

Division 2

Youghal Utd 0 – 1 St Mary’s

10/10/09

St. Mary’s travelled to Youghal for this fixture that had been scheduled to be played at St. Mary’s Park, Kilcully but by mutual agreement the fixture was reversed and played in Youghal in Youghal.

The game kicked off at 11.30 in bright sunshine on a perfect day for football. From the start this game was a tough tight affair, with the St. Mary’s defence proving too strong for the Youghal girls and limiting Youghal’s top scorer Holly Twomey to very few chances on goal. St.Mary’s scored what was to prove the winning goal when Orláith O’Leary got on to the ball just inside the Youghal box and picked her spot and finished with a beautiful strike to take the lead and win the game for St. Mary’s.

The players that stood out for St. Mary’s were Emma Price, Niamh Ryan and Aisling McKenzie while for Youghal were Holly Twomey, Sarah Roche and Lizzie Perry.

1st Division

Youghal United 1-1 Cobh Wanderers

The lads put in another good performance here on the back of a great win last week against College Corinthians. College and Cobh would be two of the fancied sides in the division so it was good to get four points out of the two games. Youghal started this game with a good attitude and the effort put in was good to see. We try to start each game at a high tempo and get into the faces of the opposition from the off.

We found ourselves one up after 15mins and it was that man again Mossie Clohessy who came up trumps. A long range effort which should not have troubled the keeper saw the ball rebound out to the ever present Mossie who never gave up and like a goal poacher got his reward. The boys are growing in confidence with every game remembering we had no league cup campaign and started a lot later than everyone else so these results are very pleasing for us. We could have been two up with ten minutes left in the half when a cross was met with a header by Paul Hennessy only to find it rebound back off the upright. Half time 1-0.

The second half was only minutes old and we didn’t seem to start as good as the first half. We were being over run in midfield and it seemed like the away side had extra players on the pitch. Cobh used the ball very well and stretched us in every area of the pitch. They got an equaliser after ten minutes of the restart and it looked like we were going to loose the match. However, in saying that the lads dug deep and never threw in the towel – always trying to turn the game around in their favour. Slowly but surely we got back in the game after Michael Sheehan and Daniel Savage were introduced to freshen things up. We seemed a bit more balanced and pressed to try and score the winner. We passed the ball better and created a few chances but we could not get the winner. In hindsight a draw was a fair result as neither side deserved to loose. We have accumulated 4 points from three games and we hope to extend this on Saturday next where we travel to Castleview. This will be our toughest test yet as they are tipped to go straight back into the premier division next season. A draw would be a very welcome result here.

Team:

D. Kearns, D. Shuel, A. Kelly, J. Brennan, C. O’Sullivan, P. Kelly, P. Hennessy, S. Kenneally, D. Hennessy, M. Clohessy, B. O’Sullivan

Subs:

M. Sheehan, D. Savage, B. Smith, S. Ryan, A. Hennessy

Premier Division

Youghal Utd 5 – 2 Douglas Hall

4/10/09

Youghal went in to this game looking for their first win in the premier division. They started off in determined form and battled hard and pushed Douglas Hall in to their own area. They were rewarded when following a corner Aisling Coleman was on hand to give Youghal the lead when she finished coolly from a group of players.

Youghal continued to play good football and when Kate Sheehan passed a diagonal ball to the left wing  Lisa O’Sullivan picked it up and looked like she was going to be closed down but somehow made room for her shot from outside the box and the ball finished in the top corner of the Douglas Hall net. Douglas Hall however did not lie down and just before half time made it 2 – 1 at the break. Carol Keniry had done some great running on the right wing and was by far the superior in her battle with the Douglas Hall full back.

The second half started with Sarah Goggin going close however the Youghal girls didn’t have to wait long for their next goal. Following a through ball by Kate Sheehan, Gemma Lyons was first to get a touch and was behind the Hall defence and finished from the edge of the box to make it 3 – 1. Lisa O’Sullivan was next on the score sheet  for her second and Youghal’s fourth. Kirsty Mason had to come off the Youghal defence with a leg injury and was replaced by Elaine Meade who had some good play putting pressure on the Hall defence. Douglas Hall were still pushing for a goal and were rewarded when a ball over the top was chased down by the number 8 who finished to the Youghal net to make it 4 – 2.

Shortly after this the Douglas Hall girl again found her way clear on goal only to have Biane Roche make the tackle of the day to save Youghal girls conceding another goal. The Youghal girls kept pushing the Hall girls all the way to the end and were rewarded when Gemma Lyons who saved the best for last finished the game off when she carried the ball into the Douglas hall area and beat three defenders to blast the ball to the back of the net.

Best for Youghal were Gemma Lyons, Lisa O’Sullivan, Kate Sheehan and making her debut in goal Evelyn O’Brien.

Munster Senior League

1st Division

Tramore Athletic 3 – Youghal Utd 0

Youghal travelled to Cork on Sunday morning last to play Tramore Athletic in the 1st division of the senior league and came away empty handed after a 3-0 defeat. This was Youghal’s first league game of the campaign. Youghal travelled with a much depleted squad on the day due to injuries and suffered as a result. It could have been so different on the day if Youghal had converted some of the chances that they did have.

Youghal started the brighter and should have been in front after two minutes when a defender got back to clear a Brendan O’Sullivan shot off the line when it looked a certain goal, after Brendan had managed to get around the keeper and shooting from a tight angle. Youghal went close again twice within the first fiftheen minutes but couldn’t find the net. As the game went on Tramore came into it more and punished Youghal on 28 minutes with a shot from the edge of the box, after they failed to clear from a free. Tramore made it two on 37 minutes with a shot again from the same area that saw Youghal keeper David Kearns unsighted through a crowded area.

Youghal who had only one fit sub on the day battled hard throughout the game and into the second half were playing the better football, as Tramore played long ball after long ball. Again some chances came and went as Youghal failed to find the target. Having the one sub showed the lack of strength in depth on the day. It showed as Youghal had to make an enforced change ten minutes into the second half with David ‘O Keefe coming on for the injured Shane Ryan. That meant Youghal couldn’t freshen things up any more for the remainder of the game and tactically options were thin on the ground.

In fairness to the Youghal lads they kept the pressure on Tramore and had two one on ones with the keeper but again failed to hit the target. A long ball over the top with four minutes remaining saw Youghal’s keeper challenge and clear the ball but somehow the referee decided to blow for a free. He then pointed to the spot, with virtually everyone seeing it was outside the box. Very harsh on Youghal on the day, as Tramore made it 3-0. The lads did well on the day, but hopefully in the coming week some of the injuries will clear up as Youghal host College Corinthians on Friday night in Youghal.

The fact that Youghal have moved up a division and with so many new players added to the squad it will be a tough season. If everyone can stick together and put in the work required the lads will have every chance of holding their status this season.

Team:

David Kerans, Dairmuid Shuel, Brendan O’Sullivan, Anthony Kelly, Paul Kelly, Alan Hennessey, Conor  O’Sullivan, Paul Hennessey, Shane Ryan, Sean Kenneally, Daniel Savage, David O’Keefe