20 Sep Match Reports – 16/09/23
CYFC u12’s Youth 5 – 0 Lurgan Celtic
The Cookstown boys made the short trip up the road to Castlecaufield 3g for a game against Lugan Celtic. This pitch has been kind to the boys having scored 18 in the last 2 visits here. 4 minutes in and the boys where at it again, an absolute screamer from Cillian Conway from about 25 yards out gave the keeper no chance, 1 nil. Cameron Donnelly picked up where he left off last week with some quick feet to double the lead, 2 nil. Celtic where attacking deep in our half when Keegan Kelly won the ball in the box, got the head up and played a great pass to Zack Nellins who ran from deep in his own half and kept his composure to make it 3 nil, first half.
Lurgan came out the 2nd half and threatened a few times to get 1 back, but some great goalkeeping from Riley Donnell kept the 3 goal lead. Cillian got his 2nd of the day with a break up the left hand side and smashed home from close range. Then the game was put to bed when Zack got his 7th goal of the season to make it 5 nil. Another super performance from the Tyrone boys, and first clean sheet of the season sees the boys sitting top of the league.
Squad: Riley Donnell, Cathal Devlin, Keegan Kelly, Liam Montgomery, Caiden O hagan, Joshua Donnelly, Cameron Donnelly, Cillian Conway, Danny Kelly, Zack Nellins, Jamie Loughran, Noah Young
Man of the match: Cillian Conway
CYFC u17’s 3-1 Armagh City
Cookstown started off the game well playing great football out from the back and hitting the wings early with Quinn and Burns continually beating their markers with ease. Good work down the right between Burns and Ferson forced a corner. Pinpoint delivery from Donnelly onto Burtons head gave Cookstown the lead after only 10 mins. 3 mins later Cookstown doubled their lead when good play through the middle of the pitch allowed Talbot too set up Gibson who made no mistake from the edge of the box. Cookstown continued to dominate and Quinn ratted the crossbar but moments later Armagh showed that they weren’t going away without a fight and rattled the crossbar themselves. The Cookstown lads continued to dominate up too the half and went in 2 up at the break.
The 2nd half was a a flip of the 1st with Armagh dominating most of the game but the Cookstown lads looked dangerous on the break. Armagh’s pressure finally paid off as a mix-up on the edge of the box allowed Armagh too half the deceit to 2-1. For the next 5 mins Cookstown panicked a bit with Armagh going close again but without massively troubling Debut man Murray in goals. This seemed to kick the lads back into gear and they went back to playing the football that had worked so well for them in the 1st half. A good press down the right from Burns, Donnelly and Russo allowed Donnelly to win the ball back and drive into the box before being upended and awarded a penalty, which was calmly dispatched by Quinn to ease any growing pressure.
Overall this was another good performance and 3 points from a new look side who week on week continue to improve. On a day with many great performances it was Burns who stood out the most. Who time on time beat his man with ease and provided quality crosses into the box.
Squad: Murray, Ferson, McKenzie, Loughran, Grimes, Burns, Donnelly, Burton, Quinn, Talbot, Gibson, Russo, Mota, Cichero, Price