Registration
All players need to register with the club. Registration is through https://www.myclubfinances.com/memberships_cart_m.asp?LL_ID=845&intMF_ID=2925#Anchor
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Match Reports
Girls U16s 2nd Round FAI Cup
Aisling Annacotty 1-1 Kilmallock AET, 4-2 on penalties
Our U16 girls reached the 3rd round of the National Cup Bank holiday Monday, on penalties, after a pulsating match in Annacotty. Things looked bad when, after only 5 minutes, Clodagh Doherty of Kilmallock was put through 1 v 1, and calmly slotted to the net. Indeed, the first 20 minutes were a struggle, as we took some time to get to grips with Kilmallock’s lively front three, including Munster’s Emma Barrett. Gradually though we got ourselves up to the pace of the game, and could have been level when a sweet through ball by Emma Costelloe found Laoise Ní Aodha, but their keeper reacted well to snuff out the chance. Moving into the second half the game was turning into a battle of wills, and bit by bit the Annacotty girls were getting on top. By the mid-point we had created several good chances, with Emma Costelloe oozing class every time she was on the ball, and Sarah Hall seemingly everywhere in a highly intelligent performance. At the back, Sarah Cleary was awesome, throwing herself into challenges and blocks, while Alicia O’Callaghan was calm and composed, and Karen Byrnes and Anna Carr had the “No Entry” signs out with hugely impressive performances in the full-back positions. Ally Reeves and Emer Ryan put in solid stints to keep the momentum rolling, and Nessa Kelly looked lively when she came on up front. Finally, the breakthrough came, when a shot on goal was deflected high into the air, and as it dropped, the last thing anyone was expecting was a van Basten-like volley to the corner of the net, but that’s exactly what we got from Susan O’Shea! The rest of the game, including 20 minutes of extra time was a ding-dong affair, and thankfully Amy Costelloe and Aisling Doran played their best football when coming on after a rest, as the rest of the team was seriously running out of steam. And so it went to penalties. O’Callaghan put it as far into the corner as it is possible to do. 1-0. Abby McCarthy doing her Grobbelaar/Dudek knobby knees act (and several other Broadway routines) on the line, stopped one down the middle and another near the corner in a fine save. In between we missed one. The next four penalties were scored, Emma Costello’s squirming under the keeper, and Hall’s shot leaving the keeper no chance. 3-2 after four penalties each. McCarthy then made the short journey to the spot and buried it in the corner. Cue the celebrations!
Girls U16s Premier League
Ballylanders 3-3 Aisling Annacotty
Our U16 girls picked up a point yesterday in an exciting league match in Ballylanders. As seems to be the norm, we started slowly and were punished by a quick and skillful Ballylanders forward line after just 10 minutes. By 25 minutes we were lucky to be still only one down, as Abby McCarthy had to pull off several good saves. Gradually though we found our feet, and when Amy Costelloe, who was proving a handful up front, chased down a seemingly lost cause, and managed to win the ball back, Emer Ryan went on a great run down the right, and just when we expected her to cross it, elected to lob the keeper instead: 1-1. The goal lifted us, and we began to put together some nice passing moves with Aoibhin Hayes, Aisling Doran, and Emma Costelloe combining well on the left. Ally Reeves won a lot of ball before going off with a hip injury, and we started to get on top. We were rewarded when a fine move down the right, again involving the increasingly confident Ryan, led to a cross which Laoise Ní Aodha finished to the net with a fine right-foot strike. Up 2-1 at half-time the mood was good, but frustratingly, we went back into our shell after the break, and it was all Ballylanders again. We held out for 20 minutes, but from a free-kick 20 yards out McCarthy finger-tipped the ball onto the crossbar, and the defence stood and watched as a Ballylander forward waltzed in and tapped in the rebound. Two minutes later we allowed the right winger in behind us, and the resulting cross ricocheted off a knee into the net. In fairness to the girls, they could have given up at that point, but urged on by Sarah Cleary, Alicia O’Callaghan, and Sarah Hall in particular, we poured forward in search of an equaliser. Some good work down the right from Anna Carr and Nessa Kelly, led to a chance or two for Susan O’Shea, but some tough offside calls frustrated our efforts and it was looking like it wasn’t our day. However, we got the break our effort deserved when a Ballylanders goal-kick contrived to hit the referee in the region between his back and upper thighs, and Ní Aodha pounced, dribbled 10 yards and smashed it past the keeper, this time with her left.
Aisling Annacotty Under 14A
Corbally United 3, Aisling Annacotty 4.
Aisling Annacotty visited Athlunkard last Saturday to take on Corbally who have been in fine form recently. Without first choice goalkeepers Stephen Kiely and Eugene Hurley, Oisin O'Connor bravely put his hand up to be goalkeeper for Aisling and gave a fine display of goalkeeping. Early Aisling Annacotty pressure on the home side was paying dividends with the home side reverting to putting the ball out of play in defence. From one of these corners after 8 minutes Corbally failed to clear and when the ball landed on the deck Darren Nwankwo drove it to the back of the net. Unfortunately, almost immediately we conceded a penalty and Corbally were back in the game at 1-1. On 15 minutes from another corner that Corbally failed to deal with Darragh Murray drove the ball home to restore our lead. On 30 minutes a poor Corbally kickout landed at the feet of Donacha O'Leary and from 30 metres out no one was going to beat him in the race to the Corbally goals and he drove the ball to the back of the net to give us a 3-1 half time lead.
10 minutes into the second half Darragh Murray scored his second goal to give us a 4-1 lead. At this stage in the game it looked like Aisling would see the game out with ease but following some changes and whilst we were reorganizing Corbally scored a second goal. This gave Corbally the lift they needed and they showed great heart to chase the game and they quickly set about getting a third which came on 56 minutes. From 4-1 to 4-3 in five minutes Aisling looked vulnerable but the lads settled and with Ben Hayes in top form in defence they wrestled the momentum back from Corbally and saw out the last 15 minutes for a memorable 4-3 win. Mark Murphy and Ryan Beni Djupang were strong in midfield and great to see Conal O'Duinn back from injury on the right wing.
UNDER 15
Our U15A squad progressed to the 4th Round of the National Cup following a walk over against Ballingarry.
On the pitch Jack O'Connor, Ronan O'Dwyer, Conor Arthur and Eoghan Burke featured for the LDSL in their 2-0 victory over the Desmond league maintaining their 100% start in the Interleague competition.
Infobar Results
13ABridge Celtic 1 Aisling Annacotty 3. Aisling progress to the next round of the SFAI National Cup.
18AAisling Annacotty 7 Shelbourne 0. FAI Youth Cup. Scorers Ben Kennedy (3), Killian Maloney (2), Adam Belazi and James White.
Goalkeeper Coaching
Goalkeeper training with Eamonn Doyle every Monday.
5 – 6 pm for U14 age groups and
6 – 7 pm for U15 and older
Coffee Shop
Our coffee shop is open every Saturday from 10am to 1pm. We would ask that you frequent the coffee shop as all funds generated support the club. Thanks, as always, to the volunteers.
