CCFL Review

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By Gary Culbert

Killavilla United were made to work hard for a 2-1 win in their debut CCFL game by Kinnegad Juniors on Sunday.

Having travelled to Westmeath for this curtain-raiser in the first division, Villa saw just how much more difficult the opposition will be this season; the home side finished runners-up in the Second Division last season but only lost to the reigning NT&DL Premier Division champions by the smallest of margins.

There had been rumblings of discontent leaking out of the Villa dressing room this summer, particularly surrounding some of the changes that the new management team were introducing.

However, in recent years, there have often been similar noises coming out of the

Roscrea club, and every year they quickly become a distant memory when the positive results inevitably arrive; this Villa team does its talking on the pitch.

There was one significant change at the dawn of the Brian Brooks era; the trademark three-at-the-back formation, which is synonymous with Killavilla United ‘A’, has been replaced with a back four.

Team: Aaron Mulready; Tom Ahern, Ian Treacy, Micky Ryan, Eddie Simmons; Darren Coleman, Josh Wynne, Kevin Fitzgerald; Ruari Murphy, Johnny Corboy, Miko Pasalic. Subs: Dylan Carey for Corboy; Ben Lynch for Wynne; Jamie Ryan for Murphy.

Next up for Villa is one of the shorter trips they will experience in the CCFL, to Tullamore, for a Friday night in the first-round of the O’Neill’s Leinster Junior Cup at the top-class facilities at Leah Victoria Park.

Kick-off is at 8.00m, and with a very tight game expected, extra time and penalties may be required to separate these two top sides.

Killavilla United ‘B’ advanced to the next round of the Leinster Junior Shield on Sunday after receiving a walkover from Wexford’s Rosbercon FC. Next up for Adrian Elbert’s charges is their division 3 league debut, which sees St. Michaels Athletic travel to Villa Park for a 2.00pm kick-off on Sunday.

Lastly, the Killavilla United under-19s will begin their division 1 South campaign on Saturday with a trip to Banagher United for a 2.30pm kick-off.

LADIES

By John Delaney

Ballymackey made a solid start to their Combined Counties Football League campaign when they drew 2-2 with Mountmellick United in the Premier Division season opener in Ballinree on Sunday.

It is always a tight, competitive game between the two sides and this was no different.

For the first half hour Ballymackey certainly looked like a team having their first outing of the season, with their play very disjointed. Mountmellick scored the only goal of the first period on thirty minutes when an in-swinging corner found its way straight to the net.

Ballymackey were starting to find their rhythm before the break and despite been behind they started the second half in confidence.

They equalised with a great individual effort from Christine O’Keefe who was found wide left with a great pass and with the support slow to arrive she had to improvise and take on the Mountmellick rearguard, beating two players and giving the keeper no chance from a wide angle.

Ballymackey pushed hard for a winner going close on a couple of occasions, Kate Kavanagh saw an audacious attempt to lob the goalkeeper from distance cannon back off the woodwork and the Mountmellick keeper produced a couple of great saves.

Ballymackey were caught out with eight minutes left, a mix up with a back pass allowed Mountmellick to take a late lead.

Ballymackey reacted superbly, the Mountmellick netminder produced the save of the game to tip a great strike over the bar and Amber DeLewis headed just over.

Ballymackey made their late pressure count when Christine O’Keefe grabbed her second goal at the death, forcing the ball home in the scramble from the last of a sequence of corners.

A late equaliser made a draw a satisfactory result against a good Mountmellick side.

Some great milestones in the game with Norah Larkin making her senior debut and Isabella Meehan also turning in a great display on her senior debut, just a day after making her underage debut.

Aoibhín Delaney was outstanding in midfield, dealing with a lot of bruising attention from Mountmellick and Christine O’Keefe was player of the match, displaying a huge work-rate and coming up with two big goals when her team needed them.