02 Oct Match Reports – 30/09/23
CYFC u12’s Youth 4 v 1 Portadown Youth
After not a great game the week before the boys had to up their game against new team to the league, Portadown. The Boys started well and created a few chances but against the run of play Portadown took the lead through a dodgy penalty. 1 nil Portadown. The lads didn’t let the heads go down and got stuck in and Zack Nellins started a move down the left by playing in Danny who passed through to Noah Young 1 each. The boys kicked on and added a 2nd just before the break through Cameron Donnelly, great strike from outside the box. 2 1 Cookstown.
Few tactical changes at half time seen the boys come flying out in the second half creating chance after chance but some good saves from the Portadown goalkeeper kept the score still 2 1, until some great play from Jamie, Cameron and Danny Kelly set up Cillian to make it 3-1. The young Cookstown boys weren’t finished yet, some great link up play again down the right seen Jamie Loughran get on the score sheet and make it 4. Game over, 3 points and up the road. Man of the match was skipper Keegan Kelly, but could have been nearly any of the lads, they all stepped up today. Next up is Moira in the first round of the Cup.
Squad: Riley Donnell, Liam Montgomery, Keegan Kelly, Caiden Ohagan, Zack Nellins, Cameron Donnelly, Jamie Loughran, Noah Young, Danny Kelly, Cillian Conway, Joshua Donnelly
CYFC u15’s NL 2-1 Annagh United
On Friday night CYFC travelled to Annagh for the 2nd time in a month. The lads started the game well but a stunning free kick from the Annagh player gave the hosts a 1-0 lead. Cookstown continued to play their football, dominating the game and finally got their deserved opening goal with a low driven effort from Gibson which found the bottom corner to make it 1-1. It then quickly became 2-1 when Levsins got turned outside the box and finished well from distance to send CYFC in at half time with the lead.
The second half followed the same pattern with Cookstown continuing to play their possession based football and keep control of the game. The lads pushed for a third goal to seal the 3 points which they couldn’t find despite creating numerous chances but the game was never in doubt and finished 2-1 to CYFC.
Squad: Doherty, Crooks, McMullan, Ferson, Donnelly, Gibson, Levsins, Neeson, Orzel, Ward, Gabrysiak, Smyth, Harkness, McKenzie
CYFC u18’s 2 – 1 Hillsborough Boys
Last Friday the young Whites travelled to Crumlin Leisure Centre 3G to face league leaders Hillsborough Boys in the NIBFA National League. With several players unavailable from last week’s home draw with Dundela, manager Nigel Donnelly was forced to shuffle the pack with Keturakis switching to centre back, Kudrenko to full back and Donnelly debuting in centre midfield.
Cookstown started the game brightly against a technicality expansive side who liked to shift the ball quickly in possession. Captain McLean forced home the opening goal on 20 minutes after good interplay with Murphy and McKnight and a powerful solo run at the Lisburn defence. Five minutes later striker Murphy was the right man in the right place as he capitalised on a horrendous error between the home keeper and defender to double Cookstown’s lead from 15 yards. Hillsborough retaliated immediately forcing two good saves from keeper Gordon and a scrambled clearance from Keturakis just before halftime.
Cookstown continued to control the early part of the second half with De Campos and McKnight stretching play on the wings and Whitten, Donnelly and McLean breaking up Hillsborough’s passing game in the centre. A bad tackle on defender Burton forced a change with McLean dropping into defence and Devlin and Og Shields entering the fray. Good work between full back Martin and Og Shields brought a good save from the Lisburn keeper on the hour mark. But Hillsborough began to rank up the pressure and chances before getting a goal back with a fine strike from the edge of the box. Cookstown rode their luck a little in the dying minutes against a free kick and a succession of corners but saw out their deserved first victory in the National League.
A fantastic team effort against the unbeaten league leaders and rising to 13th in the league after this fine away win.
Squad: E. Gordon, L. Martin, D. De Campos, J. Murphy, A. Whitten, A. Kudrenko, J. McKnight, B. Keturakis, P. McLean (c), J. Donnelly, J. Burton, S. Og Shields, C. Devlin