Author: Jonathan Purvis

by Jonathan Purvis

Under 13 Match Report 12th November 2016

U13 Premier Johnstown 1 – 2 Kells Blackwater

Top of the table clash last Saturday morning in the MDL attracted a decent size crowd to see the leagues two form teams battle it out. Adam Murphy continued his impressive scoring run with a strong run and powerful finish to put JFC 1 up , the game was contested mostly in midfield with very little to choose between the two sides.  JFC looked to be going in at half time with the lead when a Kells free kick took an unlucky deflection off a JFC player past the excellent Oisin in goal, 1-1 at half time.

 

The second half continued in the same vein a close tense game and looked to be heading for what possibly would of been a fair drawn result. Five minutes to play and Kells took the lead somewhat against the run of play as JFC pushed forward to get the winner that would of taken them top of the table.   A great effort on Saturday and every member of the squad can be proud of their efforts in the game.  Some nice words of encouragement from opposition manager to our lads at the end. The lads left the pitch disappointed  but certainly going in the right direction in terms of their football week in week out now.

by Jonathan Purvis

Johnstown Academy

Our Academy for Under 7s and younger is back this Sunday from 11am till Midday in the MDL Grounds.  All welcome to this fun and safe way to start learning all about the beautiful game.

  • Shin Guards Must be worn
  • No Glasses
  • Runners or Astor Runners only (No Steel studs)
  • Dress Warm
  • Mammy and Daddy must stay whilst The Academy is on
  • Subs are three Euro per session.

This is the time to start your young player on their soccer journey!

by Jonathan Purvis

Well done Shelbourne and Amanda!

Well done to Amanda McQuillian and Shelbourne on winning the FAI Continental Tyres Women’s Senior Cup today in the Aviva.  Amanda kept a clean sheet in goals today that helped insure Shelbournes 0-5 win today.

Match Report below

Shelbourne Ladies lifted the Continental Tyres Women’s Senior Cup after a devastating display to claim a 5-0 win over Wexford Youths. 

Leanne Kiernan notched an excellent hat-trick and goals from Noelle Murray and an own goal from Wexford keeper Sophie Lenehan saw Shels avenge last year’s Cup final defeat.

Shels were dominant throughout the game and should have gone ahead from the penalty spot just 13 minutes into the game. Kiernan was taken down inside the area by Wexford captain Nicola Sinnott but keeper Lenehan guessed right and saved a poor penalty, low to the keeper’s left.

Mark Leavy’s side continued to press forward and went ahead on the half-hour. Lenehan failed to collect a right-sided corner and the ball fell for the excellent Noelle Murray to scoop the ball home.

Four minutes later, Shels doubled their lead. Gloria Douglas was able to round her defender on the half-way line and picked out the run of Kiernan to race through on goal and round the keeper to score.

Three minutes before the break, Wexford almost found a way back into the game as Emma Hansberry got past Niamh Walsh and curled the ball towards the bottom corner but Amanda McQuillan saved brilliantly.

Just before half-time, Shels made it three. Murray found an excellent through-ball to put Kiernan in on goal who once again, rounded the keeper and slotted home.

Three minutes after the break, Wexford were denied again as Aoibhin Webb had a close range effort brilliantly saved as Shels went on to stretch their lead in the second half.

Gloria Douglas’ header hit the bar but the ball looped over keeper McQuillan and the Wexford keeper was able to prevent the ball from going in to make it 4-0.

Kiernan claimed an excellent hat-trick from the penalty spot 12 minutes from time after Jess Gleeson fouled Kiernan in the area. Kiernan stepped up and found the top corner with an excellent penalty to round off a great Cup final for the Republic of Ireland U19 international. 

Shelbourne Ladies manager Mark Leavy said: “It was a fantastic display and the team thoroughly deserve this moment.

“The players have worked so hard throughout the course of the season and they really showed what they can do today. We’ve worked on a lot of things this season and looked to improve and the players have responded brilliantly to it.

“We want to keep it going now. We’ve got a number of difficult games coming up in the league and we need to use this victory as momentum to go in the league.”

by Jonathan Purvis

13s SFAI Cup Match Report 29th October 2016

SFAI CUP U13 Laytown Utd 3 – 4 Johnstown Fc

the Old adage a game of TWO halves was alive and well out at the coast on Sunday Morning, in possibly Phil & Joe’s team best first half ever, ‘’ footballing wise’’ JFC stormed to a 4 – 0 lead by half time.

 

Recent weeks sluggish starts were put to bed right from the start with some slick passing and quick forward movement.  Ironic so that JFC took the lead when Cormac Walsh lobbed the keeper Beckham Style from the halfway line, a stunning goal.  But we didn’t have to wait long for possibly that goal to be topped by Abraham who took on the full back and cut in to the edge of the box and unleashed an unstoppable shot into the top corner , so hard it bounced back out of the net !

Soon after Abraham added a 3rd and Adam Murphy continued his scoring streak to make it 4 – 0.  Finn Malone skilfully controlling some neat midfield play and Kian Merrigan’s engine had us well in control at half time.

All the right talk was made at halftime to keep the lads focused , but a change in in style of play in the second half with some long balls over the top to there Tall physical centre forward soon reaped rewards.  To their credit the same play had Laytown not once , twice but three times back in the game 4- 3 in what seemed a blink of an eye.  Pressure on and momentum with the home side  it was time for some players to step up to the plate and they didn’t fail to deliver.  Lee Fitzgerald and Jamie Byrne having been caught out with the change of attack against them , gained their composure and adapted their play to combat the attacks.

Patrick Warren and Jo Jo Hanningan also adding to the back four trying to regain a foothold in the game.  Despite the switch of dominance in the early part of the second half we still had chances to put the game to bed and as the last 10 Minutue’s of the game ebbed and flowed back and forth in a game worthy of knock out cup football.  The JFC Goal Keeper Oisin coming to the rescue with a stunning save at the feet of the on rushing Laytown centre forwards feet in virtually the last kick of the game.  Never has a touch line been so relieved to hear the full time whistle , great game , credit to both side’s efforts and now on to the regional Semi Finals for Johnstown after a thoroughly entertaining morning out near the sea.

by Jonathan Purvis

Under 14s Match Report 29th October

Johnstown 4 Summerhill Parkceltic  4
Johnstown started this game in determined fashion  somehow knowing a battle was brewing. For the first 20 minutes we left this robust Parkceltic side chasing shadows.
Some very slick passing down the left flank from Mikey Leddy  and Adam Quinn who put Ronan Maxwell through on goal didn’t need a second invitation to put his first past the keeper 1-0. Ronan went on to score a second to take advantage of our dominance in that first half 2-0.
Half time talk was centered on keeping things tight and moving the ball fast. Our back four came in for some heavy artillery bombardment from the Parkceltic midfield particularly Jacko and Adam Boylan doing their best to repel the attacks alas two goals were conceded  in quick concession 2-2.
With 20 minutes to go Parkcetic where buoyed by their two quick goals.  hey pushed on, but it was a very foolish  thing to leave the deadly trio of Adam Quinn, Mikey Leddy and Ronan Maxwell to roam their defensive lines.  They took full advantage of the space behind them and it was Mikey who  dispatched not one but two goals in quick time 4-2.
But Parkceltic responded with a quick attack down the left 4-3 and then they got a fourth with 9 mins to go.
Special mention to Ciaran Vaughan and Riley Symonds who carried the water in midfield to free up our attacking players .
Well done also to Alex our 2nd goalkeeper who did well as last minute replacement.  Another granite like game for the candy stripes who are enjoying the battles in this tough premier league.
by Jonathan Purvis

Match Report Under 16s 22nd October 2016

U16s Newtown 1-5 Johnstown

Johnstown were on the road again for a third week running and came away with all 3 points.

The conditions were ideal and the away side made the most of a very good Newtown pitch.

David O’Gorman got the away sides first of the day with 15 mins on the clock. Noel Donnelly collected a long pass from Gaffney and he played in O’Gorman who made no mistake with a shot from just inside the box. Johnstown made it 2-0 when Joshua cut out a Newtown attack and he found O’Gorman who crossed for Donnelly to convert.

Ciaran McCann made it 3-0 shortly with a good finish from inside the the box. The last goal of the half came at the boot of Reaney. The impressive Adam O’Connor found Reaney with a defence splitting pass, the latter made no mistake with a good run into the box and finished past the keeper.

HT 4-0

Johnstown took the foot off the gas in the 2nd half. Although there were chances missed to increase the lead our normal passing game wasn’t there. The home side had a few chances themselves and Paddy Gaffney was called upon and saved well.

The away side made it 5-0 when Conor Davies converted a penalty after O’Connor was tripped in the box. Newtown got a consolation goal late on with a good finish from the Newtown striker.

This was a good performance with some stand out performers. Best for Johnstown O’Connor, O’Gorman, Barry, Gaffney and MOTM Kevin Joshua

Team: Paddy Gaffney, Glenn Sheeran, Darren Finnegan, Kevin Joshua, Josh Flood, Anthony Barry, Adam O’Connor, Ciaran McCann, David O’Gorman, Noel Donnelly, Danny Reaney.

Subs: Charles Okri, Japhet Ogu, Breen McCullagh, Christopher Matthews, Lorcan McKeever & Conor Davies

by Jonathan Purvis

EXPERIENCE TEACHES MCQUILLAN TO REMAIN FOCUSED

Two trips to UEFA European Championship tournaments can either spoil a player or make them motivated to reach a third. Amanda McQuillan subscribes to the latter.

Now entering her fourth qualifying campaign with the Republic of Ireland Women’s Under 19s, the Meath native is taking all of the preparation in her stride ahead of Tuesday’s game against Macedonia.

Dave Connell’s squad travelled to Southern Europe with the intention of returning home clutching a place in the Elite Round, but overcoming their hosts in the first of three Qualifying Round games is where it all starts.

McQuillan, one of the senior players in a youthful squad, knows exactly what is at stake and how to go about achieving their goal.

“It’s very important to get off to a good start in qualifying because we have such a short amount of time to pick up results and every game matters,” said McQuillan.

“We are only looking at Macedonia right now because they are the first team up. If we can beat them then we will go into the other games high on confidence, but we have to win the game first.”

It sounds quite simple: win your games and qualify for the next stage. Except McQuillan knows all about the potential pitfalls as well as finding the route to the finals – she was part of the ‘History Girls’ U19 squad in 2014 and the ‘Ice Queens’ U17 squad in 2015.

The agile goalkeeper, who plays her club football with Shelbourne Ladies, believes in her team-mates and when she expresses that level of trust it feels genuine as she glows about individual talent, collective unity, and competition for places.

“This is a really good squad and it’s kind of silly the amount of talented players that we have. The good thing is that we all get along and that’s key because it helps you click on the pitch,” said McQuillan.

“Dave (Connell) is going to have a difficult time picking 11 players for each game and it’s up to us to make it a tough job for him. We also have to perform in the games and make sure that we get results – starting with Macedonia.”

 

Fixtures
Tuesday, October 18: Republic of Ireland v Macedonia, FFM Training Centre, Skopje, KO 13:30
Thursday, October 20: Republic of Ireland v Wales, Boris Trajkovski, Skopje, KO 13:30
Sunday, October 23: Republic of Ireland v Italy, Boris Trajkovski, Skopje, KO 13:30

 

Republic of Ireland Women’s Under 19s
Goalkeepers: Amanda McQuillan (Shelbourne Ladies), Naoisha McAloon (Peamount United)
Defenders: Lucy McCartan (Peamount United), Fiona Donnelly, Lynn Craven (Shelbourne Ladies), Chloe Moloney (Galway WFC), Jamie Finn (Florida Gulf Coast University), Niamh Prior (UCD Waves)
Midfielders: Evelyn Daly, Saoirse Noonan (Cork City WFC), Alex Kavanagh, Sophie Watters (Shelbourne Ladies), Roma McLaughlin, Niamh Farrelly (Peamount United), Jessica Nolan (Galway WFC)
Forwards: Eleanor Ryan-Doyle, Dearbhabile Beirne (UCD Waves), Leanne Kiernan (Shelbourne Ladies)

Third Team 2015-2106
by Jonathan Purvis

Third Team Match Report 16th October 2016

Johnstown 3 Athboy 2

Despite taking an early lead with a well taken goal from Daragh Hughes and hitting the woodwork twice Johnstown went in level at the break.  After being reduced to ten men early in the second half Johnstown went 2-1 up with a scrambled goal from Shane Kelly.

A missed penalty midway through the second half didn’t help but Johnstown dug deep and following some persistent pressure went 3-1 up with another good finish from Hughes.  Late pressure from Athboy reduced our lead to 3-2 but we held on for a well deserved 3 points.  A solid team performance where every player gave 100%.

by Jonathan Purvis

U16 Match Report 15th October 2016

U16s Borora 2-7 Johnstown

Johnstown made the trip to Borora on a very wet Saturday morning. The conditions weren’t ideal but Johnstown started the game at a fast pace and began to play some slick football. The away side found themselves 2 to the good inside 10 minutes with goals from Ciaran McCann. Johnstown increased their lead with goals from Noel Donnelly and David O’Gorman. Borora to their credit never gave up and scored 2 goals of their own to leave the tie 4-2 at the break.

Johnstown got the next goal of the game 5 minutes after the restart when O’Gorman was put through on goal and he finished from inside the box. The away side continued to dominate and O’Gorman got his 3rd of the day with an unstoppable strike from 12 yards. The scoring wasn’t finished yet and Lorcan McKeever got his first goal of the season   with a neat finish from close range. This was a brilliant performance from the entire squad. Best for Johnstown, Ciaran McCann, Noel Donnelly, Adam O’Connor and David O’Gorman.

Team; Paddy Gaffney, Glenn Sheeran, Darren Finnegan, Kevin Joshua, Josh Flood, Anthony Barry, Adam O’Connor, Ciaran McCann, Japhet Ogu, Noel Donnelly, David O’Gorman.

Subs; Danny Reaney, Conor Davies, Darren Clarke, Lorcan McKeever, Chris Matthews & Breen McCullagh

by Jonathan Purvis

UEFA European Championship

Yet again Amanda McQuillan will represent Ireland this week in the UEFA European Championship qualifying campaign.  Amanda has been chosen by head coach Dave Connell to be part of this squad in what looks to be an exciting yet tricky group.  Best of Luck from us all Amanda in the Games

Full Interview with Amanda’s coach below

Dave Connell is excited to get started in a new UEFA European Championship qualifying campaign with his Republic of Ireland Women’s Under 19 squad.

In Macedonia for three Qualifying Round games, Ireland are aiming to do enough to march on to the Elite Round before hopefully booking a place at next summer’s finals tournament in Northern Ireland.

First things first, Connell is keeping his players focused on their opening game. Taking on the hosts, Macedonia, on Tuesday afternoon will not be a straightforward assignment, as their experienced head coach knows all too well.

“This is a tricky group. We will be expected, by many, to beat Macedonia and that brings a type of challenge that our players will have to rise to,” said Connell.

“I’m very excited about this squad and I believe that we can go all the way to the finals. But we have three big challenges to overcome, starting with Macedonia, and we cannot take anything for granted.”

Connell has been down this road before, as Under 19 and Under 17 head coach, and twice he has led teams to European finals. So when he offers advice, it is worth paying close attention.

Experience is something that is shared amongst his squad with two players having been part of the ‘History Girls’ squad that reached the European semi-finals in 2014 and 13 players having travelled to Iceland for the European finals in 2015.

The newcomers to the group are goalkeeper Naoisha McAloon, defender Lynn Craven, midfielder Alex Kavanagh, and striker Leanne Kiernan, while Niamh Farrelly has previously been involved with the squad.

Connell is upbeat about his team’s chances and his diligent approach to these qualifying campaigns (which includes assembling a shrewd backroom staff) will be crucial as they get going.

The first game kicks off on Tuesday, October 18 and Connell feels that preparations are going well. But it’s all about translating that into a solid performance on the pitch and that is exactly what he will be asking of his players.

 

Fixtures
Tuesday, October 18: Republic of Ireland v Macedonia, FFM Training Centre, Skopje, KO 13:30
Thursday, October 20: Republic of Ireland v Wales, Boris Trajkovski, Skopje, KO 13:30
Sunday, October 23: Republic of Ireland v Italy, Boris Trajkovski, Skopje, KO 13:30

Republic of Ireland Women’s Under 19s
Goalkeepers: Amanda McQuillan (Shelbourne Ladies), Naoisha McAloon (Peamount United)
Defenders: Lucy McCartan (Peamount United), Fiona Donnelly, Lynn Craven (Shelbourne Ladies), Chloe Moloney (Galway WFC), Jamie Finn (Florida Gulf Coast University), Niamh Prior (UCD Waves)
Midfielders: Evelyn Daly, Saoirse Noonan (Cork City WFC), Alex Kavanagh, Sophie Watters (Shelbourne Ladies), Roma McLaughlin, Niamh Farrelly (Peamount United), Jessica Nolan (Galway WFC)
Forwards: Eleanor Ryan-Doyle, Dearbhabile Beirne (UCD Waves), Leanne Kiernan (Shelbourne Ladies)