Under 10B team promoted to A1 after finishing second in the pre christmas league match reports for full season below.

Cherry Orchard 0 - 0 Shankill
Sunday 1st April 2012

This was a great game, very evenly matched teams but Shankill were probably the better side. It was a fast game on a great pitch.

The Shankill lads had some great passing moves and Ruaidhrí's kick-outs cleared any danger and gave the midfield and forwards plenty of running to do.

The best chance of the game probably fell to Cherry Orchard late in the second half. Cherry Orchard broke through the midfield and, just as he was about to shoot, Hughie (who had tracked back from a Shankill attack at the other end) put in a goal-saving tackle on the edge of Shankill's box. An incredible run and brilliant defensive work which earned him this week's man of the match award and a banjaxed knee. Shankill's goalie, having had a great game himself, subsequently expressed an element of doubt as to whether he would have been able to stop it if Hughie hadn't been there.

So, at the Easter break, the lads are the only unbeaten team in their league, which is a great achievement for this division.

Having played each team at least once, its clear they are more than capable of getting out of this division and more play like the last two games should seal promotion. Roll on the last four games.......

The coach's are so proud of the players, their attitude and commitment to the team cause is just brilliant, we couldn't ask for a better bunch of players. they are a real credit to the club and their parents

Fearghal


Shankill 5 - 1 Lourdes Celtic
Sunday 25th March 2012

This was the team's best performance of the league so far and the result showed that. Sometimes the goals don't go in on a good day, but not this time. We could go on and on about this game and the standard of football played by both sides, the compliments that came in after the game from the opposition manager and parents was awesome. The whole team were superb today the passing and movement was second to none. you would be hard pressed to see a better game on match of  the day.

Seán got a great hat-trick. Neil scored a cracking goal just after half-time and Hughie scored from a very narrow angle on the right.

But Shankill's defence was superb. Luke was first to every ball and got stuck into everything. Ruaidhrí pulled off a great save and thereby didn't give Lourdes any hope of getting back into the game.


Kilnamanagh 3 - 3 Shankill
Sunday 18th March 2012

This was the scene of an U8 Shankill massacre back in 2008. Some fellas have long memories.

Having being 2 - 1 down at half time, the lads gave it their all and got a well-deserved 3-3 draw. Three great goals - two from Cory and one from Neil - kept us unbeaten in the league. The lads showed great heart and pulled off a spirited come back to earn a hard fought point. These lads just never give up.

Not a whole lot else to say about this game except that this was the one where the ref stopped the game to take a phone call. Apparently he hadn't peeled the spuds before he left the house that morning.




Pre Christmas 2011-12 weekly match reviews for the Under 10B team who finished second in the DDSL Sunday.

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13-11-11
Win Promotes U10's, again
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Shankill FC 5 - Marino 0

After last week's 2-1 win away to Marino, the return fixture was going
to prove difficult, not least because we were expecting a different
standard of referring this week.

Nevertheless, a win for the U10's today would give them promotion to
the big time league after Christmas.

The early exchanges were pretty even with hard challenges and good
moves from both sides.

Eventually, Shankill broke the deadlock and after a great midfield
move, Seán scored to put Shankill one nil up.

Seán also had a key part in Shankill's second goal: after a great run,
Séan found Hughie in the six-yard box, and as cool as you can, Hughie
scored to put Shankill two-nil ahead.

Shankill's third goal was worked right from Shankill's goal line: from
a quick clearance, Ruaidhrí found Neil in the midfield who dribbled
past a couple of players, and with great vision, passed to Cory who,
with incredible calm, lobbed the Marino goalkeeper to make it three
nil to Shankill at half time.

Ruaidhrí had very little to do in the first half in nets which was
down to a good midfield and great defence consisting of Luke, Ciarán
and Hughie - between them they killed all attacks which makes the
goalie's life much easier. Shankill's defence is one of the best in
this league and the three lads contribute just as much to Shankill's
success as the midfield and forwards do.

At half-time, Ruaidhrí and Neil switched jerseys with Neil playing in
goals for the second half and Neil did not disappoint: he pulled off a
great save to make sure that Marino didn't gain any confidence. Once
Neil saved that shot, Marino's stronger challenge in the second half
faded.

Shankill fourth goal was scored by Cory, who got on the end of a pass
from Ruaidhrí and placed the ball well beyond the reach of Marino's
keeper.

In midfield Ultan, Adam and Neil were having one of their games of the
season. More often than not, they were first to the ball and were able
to lay the ball off to set up a number of attacks. Adam had a
particularly good game: having been on the receiving end of a couple
of hard tackles, he picked himself up and played for the team.

Seán put the game beyond doubt when he finished off a Shankill attack
in Marino's box by scoring his second, and Shankill's fifth, goal of
the day.

Similar to Ireland having two feet in the Euro 2012 championship in
Poland, Shankill now have their two feet, and probably their legs,
arms, chest and heads, in the "A" division for 2012. Mama mia, no
interpreters were needed to see the happiness of the management team
with this outcome! All that remains to be decided is whether Shankill
finish joint first with Lourdes Celtic or whether they finish in
second place on their own.

What with Adrian's warm-ups and warm-downs, which are almost as long
as the game itself, the overwhelming feeling in the media centre after
the game was that the current management team is the perfect choice
for the challenges which lie ahead in early 2012.

Fearghal

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06-11-11
Marino FC 1 Shankill FC 2

Having had last week's match postponed, the lads were back on the road
for the final away game of the pre-Christmas season against Marino FC.

The game was close with both sides not giving much away.

Shankill broke the deadlock shortly before half-time after a
brilliantly worked move out of defence - Seán took the ball down the
left wing and passed the ball to Cory who confidently scored with just
the goalkeeper to beat. Mariono rallied and only a world class save from returning Goalie
Ruaidhri kept the score at 1:0. what a keeper this guy is turning out to be.

Half-time arrived and Shankill were one-nil up.

The second half started in the same vein at the first with both sides
giving it their all.

Marino drew level after they crossed into the box from the right wing
and one of their players struck from the edge of the box to make it
one-all.

As usual the lads weren't fazed by this and they continued to pile
pressure on the Marino defence.

Our defence today had to be on their toes and Luke, Hughie and Ciaran were not
 found wanting. The midfield players had a real battle on their hands and Adam, Neil
and Ultan ran their hearts out and controlled the game for large periods of time.

About half way through the second half, Seán scored from the edge of
the penalty area to put Shankill two-one up. They just had to maintain
the lead for the remainder of the game! Easier said than done but they
managed it.

Both teams almost scored later in the game but on two occasions, both
Marino and Shankill hit the crossbar.

Another great result for the team and, with two matches left, they are
still on track to finish in the top two of the league table. it was a tough game today
a real end to end battle but the players enjoyed it.
Not so sure about the Coach's who seemed very nervous, it was all a bit to close for comfort

Fearghal23-10-11
Shankill turn on the Style

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An away game to unbeaten league leaders Lourdes Celtic was what faced the under 10s today, we were narrowly beaten 1:0 in the reverse fixture in Shankill, in what was a fabulous game of football, keenly contended by both teams.

Onto  today's game we headed out out without our goalkeeper Ruaidhri (safe hands) who along with our normal match day correspondent Fearghal were enjoying a weekend away in sunny Scotland.The lads were bursting with confidence when we arrived at the hill and when Neil and Adam seen the pitch they announced they were going to do a victory roll down the side of the hill after the match, Over confidence? To say the managers were a bit nervous before the game was an understatement and to top off Ruaidhri being away Ultan arrived and announced he was sick, but he bravely went into nets and boy did he do a great job. The game started at a hundred mile and hour and went on like that for the whole game, it was a real end to end game with outstanding football being played by both teams.

 The early exchanges were tight and few chances were being created, but eventually Sean broke free and Corey used his tremendous pace to get in behind the defence and he didn't miss 1:0 Shankill, Lourdes bounced back quickly and equalised with a shot from outside the box which sneaked in at the post past Ultan. But our lads weren't to bothered and restored the lead before half time another clinical finish from Corey.

Neil and Adam must have covered every blade of grass on the pitch working so hard for the team, Ciaran, Luke and Hugh were rock solid at the back and Sean was showing some dazzling footwork on the wing, but it was only half time, we had to calm the lads and send them out for the second half and ask to put in an even greater effort. The second half started at the same pace as the first and we worried could the players keep up the same level of play? they were working so hard and playing some of the best football i have ever seen from this team.

Shankill played cleverly in the second half and used the ball brilliantly, Adam in the middle distributed the ball to Sean and Neil on the wings and we strecthed the play and used our pace to cause all sorts of problems for the opposition, Hugh, Cuiaran and Luke at the back were so calm they passed the ball out from the back like professionals. eventually the pressure payed off and Adam finished off a fine piece of team work with a great half volley into the corner of the net, 3:1 and room to breath at last, Lourdes to their credit kept coming but Ultan wasn't going to be beaten again and mopped up at the back when needed. Shankill finally made it safe with a decisive break and fine finish from hat trick hero Corey. This was a real team performance so much so that we couldn't pick a single man of the match out of them, it just wouldn't have been fair, so we awarded the accolade to all of them. I could go on and on about every one of the players after this game, each and every one of them was superb and after a few scrappy performances in the last couple of games it was nice to see the real Shankill under 10B team turn up and show us what they are capable of.

Lourdes are a fantastic footballing team and they like to play the game on the ground with lots of passing and movement. Shankill also like to play the game with quick passing, movement and lots of speed, so we knew we were in for a very entertaining game and we were not disappointed. The large amount of spectators watching from the sidelines witnessed a level of football that would be hard to beat any where.

Well done lads you have made your Club, Managers and Parents very proud today, (and by the way the players did do that victory roll down the hill over confidence? not today)

Derek
(only standing in for Fearghal who will hopefully be back next week)

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25-09-11
The Gloves were off against Stella, literally.......
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Stella Maris 0 Shankill FC 6

The day didn't start well when the goalkeeper forgot to pack his
gloves and you can't exactly do a u-turn on the M50, can you? We
decided to continue to the game and wing it. Instructions were then
given to drive to Lifestyle in Finglas, but another problem soon
arose.....0kms left on the petrol gauge. Running on fumes, I
eventually found a petrol station and made it back to the ground. What
about the gloves? Oh yea, I never actually did get to Lifestyle, but
don't tell the manager that.....

So, to the game: after last week's narrow defeat to Lourdes, the lads
were looking to get back to winning ways against Stella. Stella has
been Shankill's bogey team over the last few years and it was
important that the team weren't beaten before they even walked onto
the pitch.

Shankill started very strongely and after a good midfield move, Ultan
put Shankill one nil up. Very shortly afterwards, Adam put Shankill
two nil up.

At this very early stage, it was clear that Shankill were going to
have a good day but Stella couldn't be written off so early. Hughie
and Ciarán had another great day in defence and quick passes from
Ruaidhrí set up a couple of chances.

After a lull in the middle of the first half, Ultan knocked in his
second of the day and shortly after that, Adam also got his second of
the day to bring it to four nil.

A confident shot by Sean makes it five nil at half time.

At half time, Adam pulled on the yellow jersey to give Ruaidhrí his
first opportunity outfield of the year. Ruaidhrí was keen to impress
and, after a great pass from Neil, Ruaidhrí struck hard to make it six
nil.

Stella played a lot better in the second half and Shankill were only
able to score the one during this period. While Stella didn't create
too many opportunities, their defence was a bit more solid which meant
that Shankill weren't able to convert as many opportunities as they
did in the first half.

Luke had to be carried off the pitch after coming out the worst of a
mid-field clash but he should be back to full fitness next week.

At full time, Shankill win 6-0 and the monkey is definitely off the back.

Speaking to reporters after the game, the manager was full of praise
for his team stating that "they were great, all of them. Now, all I
want to do is go home, pull on my hiking boots and do what I love
best, go hillwalking". Em, don't forget your gloves.

Ferghal

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18-09-11
No Miracle against Lourdes
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Shankill FC 0 Lourdes Celtic 1

Shankill were looking for their third win in a row this season against
today's opponents, Lourdes Celtic.

What a game of football, it was end to end for most of the game with Lourdes
probably shading the first half and Shankill the second. It was clear from the beginning that this top of the table clash was going to be a lot tougher than the lads' two earlier games.

Lourdes mostly controlled the first half and they went ahead about
mid-way through the first half after a high shot from the edge of the
box was too high for Ruaidhrí to push over the bar.Ruadhri commanded the goal
like a veteran he is really blossoming into a fantastic goalkeeper.

Other than the goal, Shankill were well able to deal with Lourdes
pressure and when the half-time whistle blew, the lads probably felt
that they should have got something out of the first half.

From the start of the second half, it was clear that Shankill were not
going to let Lourdes have the same control as they had in the first.
Shankill yet again showed that they never give up and they will always
chase the game.

Despite some great runs from Seán and Cory and a particularly good
shot from Adam, Shankill were never able to get the equaliser; at the
other end of the pitch, due to some great defence, especially by
Hughie, Shankill kept the score at one-nil.

All the lads played their hearts out today and we couldn't ask anymore from them,
Neil and Adam were tireless in midfield, Poor Ultan was carring an injury but still did his best up front as did luke who was fantastic at the back, Ciaran also did very well at the back

It was just one of those days! the ball just didn't run for them and lady luck deserted us on the day.
Sometimes that just how a game goes, to their credit they never gave up and
the opposing manager agreed that we probably deserved at least a point from the game.

So, despite some great play, Shankill were not in a position to make
it three great victories at the weekend after Ireland beat Australia
and the Dubs beat Kerry. However, the lads probably learned a lot from
this game and they are in a better position to deal with the return
fixture and with the remaining games.

Fearghal11-09-11
The Under 10B team scored 8 for the second week running as the beat Drumfin Celtic 8-1 at Markievicz Park.

Travelling to the match it looked as if it was going to lash down rain
on everyone, a sign that winter soccer was really and truely upon us
again.

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With Ciarán captaining the side this week, the lads were looking to
consolidate their excellent result against Cherry Orchard with two
wins out of two against Drumfin Celtic.

It took a while for the team to settle into the game, which was
probably down to the long, wet grass and the blustery conditions.
While they were trying to settle into the game, Drumfin scored to go
one nil ahead.

However, due to a well taken goal by Hughie, Shankill were back in the
game within a couple of minutes. After that, Shankill settled into the
game, took control and there was no real chance of Drumfin getting
back into the game.

Shankill extended their lead after Ultan took control of the ball in
midfield and struck the ball well past the Drumfin Celtic goalkeeper
to make it 2-1 to Shankill.

Drumfin Celtic's last real chance of the game resulted in Ruaidhrí
driving to his right to save a low shot. Drumfiin kept up the pressure
on the approach to half time but Ciarán's and Luke's strong defence
made sure the score stood at 2-1 when the half time whistle blew.

Shankill started well in the second half and it wasn't long before
Shankill went 3-1 ahead after Neil scored.

Further pressure from Shankill resulted in a corner kick taken by Adam
- a great cross from Adam was headed home by Seán to make it 4-1.

From here on, Neil and Seán took turns in scoring - Neil made it 5-1,
Seán made it 6-1 and Neil then topped off a great day with a hat trick
to make it 8-1.

The team's usual characteristics were shown again today: coming back
from being behind, plenty of goal scorers and never giving up.

So, with two wins out of two games, Shankill are in the driving seat
in the group. With convincing wins against two strong sides and a
great goal difference, Shankill are the team to beat in the group.
Ferghal04-09-11

Shankill FC 8 Cherry Orchard 2
 
After promotion to a higher league for 2011 / 2012, the U10's couldn't have drawn a tougher first game for the year. Things got worse when Neil was ruled out of the game having picked up an injury in training the day before. But following on from their good pre-season training and friendlies (v. Cabinteely, Joey's, Ardmore and Kilcoole), the lads had the prefect attitude coming into the first game of the season.
 
Cherry Orchard went ahead after only a few minutes. But that really was the end of their dominance of the game. Very shortly afterwards Cory scored with a diving header and that was followed up quickly after with another goal which put Shankill ahead.
 
From that point on, Shankill couldn't stop scoring! Both Cory and Ultan got a hat-trick each and Seán also got two. But the final 8-2 scoreline came from excellent team play in the midfield and forward line and hard defensive tackles. The lads are understanding how to use the space on the pitch and are able to put the ball into the empty spaces with forwards running on and scoring more often than not. As well as that, they are not being pushed off the ball as easily as previous seasons and that also contributed to their success today.
 
With one of the harder games of the season out of the way, the lads should have the confidence to face any team in the league now, home or away.
 
2011 / 2012 Squad: Ruaidhrí O Hanlon, Ciarán Pidgeon, Luke Weir, Hughie MacNeill, Adam Moore, Seán Schutte, Neil Langan, Ultan Byrne and Cory Hayes
Ferghal

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