11 Mar Match Reports – 08/03/25
CYFC u13’s 1-0 Banbridge
This weeks game was a night under the lights, the eagerly awaited quarter final against Banbridge. We’d played them a few weeks ago and won but we didn’t want to head into the game over confident, we needed to do our talking on the pitch.
Both teams showed the usual early nerves but Cookstown settled quicker and started to get the passes together. The pitch was huge and we were making use of it well, spreading the ball about, however both teams were struggling in the final third. The boys at the back, Liam, Riley, Keegan and Reece were there usual solid selves. Keegs was threading some neat passes through to Noah on the wing who was making the most of his pace. The ball seemed to have struck a Banbridge player on the hand in the box but the ref waved play on! All square at the break.
It was becoming clear that a goal might be enough to win this game as both teams were cancelling each other out at both ends. That was until the 36th minute when Noah slipped a nice pass up till Kyle who used his pace to go by the defence, he composed himself, took another touch in, it looked like he had gone to wide but still managed to squeeze it in to the far corner, to make it 1 nil to the Town Lads.
All credit to Banbridge though, they dug in and threw everything at us for what seemed a lifetime for us on the sidelines but our boys hung together and defended like a unit, which they have done so many times now.
So we march onto the semi finals where we will play Armagh on the 29th March.
Next up though is TTBS next week where we hope to continue our great run. By the next time we play we will be over 100 days since our last defeat, amazing stat for the Lads. Another clean sheet for Daniel makes it 5 from 7 games.
No man of the match this week, they were all fantastic and couldn’t pick just 1.
Squad. D. Pavel R. Hughes. R. Donnell K. Kelly L. Montgomery C. Ohagan C. Donnelly Z. Nellins N. Young J. Loughran K. Kilgore D. Kelly J. Donnelly
CYFC u18’s 0-2 Limavady
Last Friday evening Nigel Donnelly’s men made the long trip to Scroggy Road 3G to face old nemesis Limavady in the Premier Section of the NL.
The team was buoyed by a fantastic win against Oliver Plunketts the previous week. But Donnelly’s boys faced a tricky away fixture on a massive pitch made more difficult due to illness, injury and suspension.
Limavady as expected started on the front foot exerting a high press on the back three of Loughran, McKenzie and Ferson. On ten minutes a cross from Cookstown’s right fell at the feet of the Limavady striker whose effort from 12 yards sailed over goalkeeper Ferson’s crossbar. Cookstown found it difficult to play out and a quick counterattack down their right ended with a thunderous shot past Ferson on 20 minutes.
Cookstown’s midfield of Donnelly, Colvin, Levsins, Talbot and Burns were working extremely hard to get back into the game with Talbot on the left creating a couple of half chances for attackers McGurk and Edwards-Schwieso. Limavady continued to monopolise possession up to halftime.
Mota and Wilson replaced Donnelly and Levsins as Limavady pounced on an error at the back to double their lead on the hour mark. Cookstown went close from a couple of set pieces but couldn’t find the net against a well drilled Limavady side. Home to Maiden City at Meadowbank next week in another tough fixture – hopefully with a few players returning.
The team was buoyed by a fantastic win against Oliver Plunketts the previous week. But Donnelly’s boys faced a tricky away fixture on a massive pitch made more difficult due to illness, injury and suspension.
Limavady as expected started on the front foot exerting a high press on the back three of Loughran, McKenzie and Ferson. On ten minutes a cross from Cookstown’s right fell at the feet of the Limavady striker whose effort from 12 yards sailed over goalkeeper Ferson’s crossbar. Cookstown found it difficult to play out and a quick counterattack down their right ended with a thunderous shot past Ferson on 20 minutes.
Cookstown’s midfield of Donnelly, Colvin, Levsins, Talbot and Burns were working extremely hard to get back into the game with Talbot on the left creating a couple of half chances for attackers McGurk and Edwards-Schwieso. Limavady continued to monopolise possession up to halftime.
Mota and Wilson replaced Donnelly and Levsins as Limavady pounced on an error at the back to double their lead on the hour mark. Cookstown went close from a couple of set pieces but couldn’t find the net against a well drilled Limavady side. Home to Maiden City at Meadowbank next week in another tough fixture – hopefully with a few players returning.
TEAM:- N. Ferson, C. Loughran, H. McKenzie (c), J. Ferson, R. Burns, C. Talbot, J. Donnelly, J. Colvin, D. Levsins, E. McGurk, W. Edwards-Schwieso, D. Mota, J. Wilson.