Under-10 2015

Under-10 Management team for 2015

The Under-10 Managment team for 2016 is comprised of William Leahy and Ger O'Donoghue, with support from Chris McKeon, Michael Murtagh and Des McEnery.

Contact William at 087-2323324 , or by e-mail.

Training

Training times for 2016 for the Under-10 squad will be

Monday from 6.30pm - 7.30pm, on the new pitch beside the Clubhouse in Garrycastle,

and Wednesday from 6.30pm - 7.30pm on the new pitch by the Slip-road in Garrycastle.

Castledaly Under-10 Tournament

Garrycastle will play in Group "A" of this years Castledaly tournament, alongside Moate All-Whites, Killbeggan/St. Josephs and Maryland/Tang.

The fixture list is included below:

Westmeath Under-10 League

Garrycastle will play in Group-1 in this years Westmeath Under-10 League. We will field 2 teams in each round, playing at 11-a-side. The other teams in our group are:

Athlone, The Downs, Mullingar Shamrocks, Kilbeggan Shamrocks, Coralstown/Kinnegad, Tubberclair : all with two teams

Castledaly, Rosemount, St. Marys Rochfortbridge, Milmore Gaels, Miltownpass, Caulry : all with one team.

The clubs with 1 team will be grouped together in pairs for the league rounds:

St. Marys Rochfortbridge + Milmore Gaels

Caulry + Miltownpass

Castledaly + Rosemount.

Clann na nGael / Tormeys Solicitors Under-10 League

Garrycastle Under-10's have been invited to take part in the Tormeys Solicitors / Clann na nGael League.

The fixture list is included below:

Clann na nGael / Tormeys Solicitors Under-10 League Table - Final

Castledaly Tournament, Plate Final, Castledaly, Oct. 18th

The Garrycastle Under-10 team headed to Castledaly on Sunday to play the Plate final of the Castledaly tournament, meeting the hosts in the final. As always, we had an excellent turnout of players, with 21 players being available on the morning.

The Garrycastle lads started strongly, pushing forward right from the throw-in, and were rewarded with some early points from Jamie Carroll and Thanh McCay. A lovely worked move then saw a great pass from Jamie to find Diarmaid Murtagh in space, and he scored a great goal to put some space between the teams. Garrycastle were in control of the game at this stage and tacked on some lovely points from Jamie, Thanh and Oisin Nugent, before Castledaly opened their account with a point from a free. Oisin then pounced to get a good goal, which left Garrycastle in charge at the half-time break.

The second half began as the first half ended with Jamie notching up another point. Castledaly came more into the game and were rewarded with a goal and a point of their own before another point from Jamie and a goal from Cian McCormack put the game beyond their grasp. We introduced all of our substitutes during the second half so all players present got to play in the final, and it is a measure of the strength of the squad, that the team kept pressing their advantage even with so many changes.

Final Score: Garrycastle 3-11, Castledaly 1-04.

This was a great squad performance, and all of the players can be well pleased with their efforts and rewards on the day. It was a very happy Garrycastle group that celebrated at the final whistle, and led by captain on the day, Conor McCarthy, lifted the Coghlan Plate high to the cheers of their supporters.

Huge thanks are due also to Ciaran Henson and all of the other helpers, referees etc. in Castledaly, for a very well run and very enjoyable tournament.

Squad:

Conor McCarthy, Jack Mulvihill, Tom Daly, Brian Mulvihill, Kealan Ryan-McIntyre, Jamie Carroll, Diarmaid Murtagh, Thanh McCay, Killian Redmond, Oisin Nugent, Mattie Wozniak, Conor Sheehan, David Carter, Nathan McKeon, Brandon Devaney, Dean Grehan, Sean O'Donoghue, Sean Doyle, Killian Keegan, Matthew Conner, Cian McCormack.

Castledaly Tournament, Plate Semi-Final, Castledaly, Oct. 4th

The Garrycastle Under-10 team travelled to Castledaly on Sunday morning, to play Rosemount in the Plate semi-final. After the disappointment of missing out on a cup/shield semi-final, it was a determined group of players who attended to play the match. Due to illness and other reasons, it was also a much smaller than usual group of players - only 14 being available on the morning.

Garrycastle started very strongly, and in a very strong opening 10 minutes kicked 3-2 from play, with Jamie Carroll, Diarmaid Murtagh, Tom Sheehan and Killian Redmond getting on the scoresheet. A brief spell of Rosemount pressure resulted in their opening point of the half, before the Garrycastle lads took total control, and kicked a further 3-4 from play without reply, with Thanh McCay and Oisin Nugent also scoring. At the half-time break, Garrycastle were totally in control.

At the start of the second half, we introduced all the substitutes to give everyone game time, and our back line came under sustained pressure as Rosemount attacked strongly. After withstanding this pressure without conceding a score, Diarmaid and Jamie tacked on two further scores as Garrycastle once gain took control of the game. Not suprisingly, the second half did not live up to the excitement levels of the first half, and the Garrycastle lads were guilty of a large number of wides, when better options were available. Jack Mulvihill swapped to full forward, from his usual full back role, and he duly chipped in with a score. As the game reached its end, Rosemount scored a good goal to finish the scoring.

Final score: Garrycastle 7-9, Rosemount 1-3

This was most definitely Garrycastle's day. The entire squad played their hearts out, and got the reward in a very good win. The Plate final awaits, with the opposition in that final yet to be decided.

Squad:

Conor McCarthy, Jack Mulvihill, Anthony Mannion, Tom Daly, Brian Mulvihill, Jamie Carroll, Diarmaid Murtagh, Tom Sheehan, Thanh McCay, Killian Redmond, Oisin Nugent, Conor Sheehan, David Carter, Killian Keegan.

Castledaly Tournament, Castledaly, Sept. 29th

The Garrycastle Under-10 team travelled to Castledaly on Tuesday evening, to play Kilbeggan/St. Josephs in the third round of the Castledaly tournament. For once the weather was nice, and we had an excellent evening for football.

Garrycastle started the game brightly, and had the first point on the board, from Diarmaid Murtagh. The Kilbeggan/St.Josephs team responded with a couple of points of their own, before Killian Redmond pounced on a loose ball to score a well-taken goal for the green-and-red. The Garrycastle lads tried to push home the advantage, but were caught by a very good counter-attack almost immediately. A couple of points from Jamie Carroll ended the half, with the Garrycastle lads trailing by 3 points at half time.

Immediately on the resumption, Jamie struck for another point, and this was added to by Diarmaid, to reduce the difference to the bare minimum.The Kilbeggan/St. Josephs team struck back with an unstoppable goal, before Tom Sheehan and Thanh McCay scored two fine points to again reduce the difference to a single score. However, this was to be as close as the Garrycastle lads got, as the opposition tacked on 4 points in a row. Jamie was almost rewarded when his blistering shot taken at full speed on the run seemed to have a goal written on it, only to be denied by a superb save from the Kilbeggan/St. Josephs keeper. The same player denied Diarmaid similarly a minute later, and even though Diarmaid knocked over a late point, the Kilbeggan/St. Josephs team ran out worthy winners on the night.

Final Score: Kilbeggan/St.Josephs 3-11, Garrycastle 1-08.

This result leaves Garrycastle facing a semi-final for the Plate competition, due to be played on Sunday morning next. The opposition for the semi-final has not yet been determined.

Squad:

Conor McCarthy, Jack Mulvihill, Anthony Mannion, Tom Daly, Brian Mulvihill, Kealan Ryan-McIntyre, Jamie Carroll, Diarmaid Murtagh, Tom Sheehan, Thanh McCay, Killian Redmond, Oisin Nugent, Mattie Wozniak, Conor Sheehan, David Carter, Brandon Devaney, Dean Grehan, Sean O'Donoghue, Sean Doyle, Killian Keegan, Matthew Conner.

Castledaly Tournament, Castledaly, Sept. 23rd

We played the Moate All-Whites in a re-fixed Round-1 game in the Castledaly tournament on Wednesday night in Castledaly. 21 players attended on the night, giving us a large squad from which to choose, but as this competition only allows for one 11-a-side team, it unfortunately wasn't possible for all players to get a chance on the evening.

Moate opened brightly, and scored the opening point, but this was cancelled out almost immediately by a well taken score from Thanh McCay. Further points were exchanged between the sides, the Garrycastle scores coming from Jamie Carroll and Tom Sheehan, before Moate broke through to score a goal. The Moate team then notched up a couple of points to lead at the half-time break.

The second half saw sustained pressure from Moate resulting in a few scores, before the Garrycastle team hit a purple patch, scoring a goal, (from Conor Sheehan) and 4 points, (Conor with three, and one from Diarmaid Murtagh), as the Garrycastle lads started to make inroads in the Moate lead. Driven on by an excellent defensive display from Anthony Mannion and Jack Mulvihill, ably supported by the industrious Kealan Ryan-McIntyre and Brian Mulvihill, they laid seige to the Moate goal, but were unable to close the gap, and were caught just at the end of the game by a breakaway score from the Moate team.

So the homours went to the Moate All-Whites team on the night.

Final score: Moate All-Whites 6-08, Garrycastle 1-08.

Overall, this was a patchy performance, with some good aspects, and some areas where improvement will be needed before the final league round vs. Kilbeggan/St. Josephs.

Squad:

Conor McCarthy, Jack Mulvihill, Anthony Mannion, Tom Daly, Brian Mulvihill, Kealan Ryan-McIntyre, Jamie Carroll, Diarmaid Murtagh, Tom Sheehan, Thanh McCay, Killian Redmond, Oisin Nugent, Mattie Wozniak, Cian McCormack, Conor Sheehan, David Carter, Brandon Devaney, Dean Grehan, Sean O'Donoghue, Sean Doyle, Nathan McKeon

Castledaly Tournament, Castledaly, Sept. 21st

The Garrycastle Under-10 squad started their final tournament of 2015, with a match against Maryland/Tang in Castledaly on Monday evening. In the Castledaly tournament, only one team per club is allowed, playing at 11-a-side. On a very wet evening, 18 players attended, and each got to play their part in the match.

Even though conditions overhead and underfoot were not great for playing football, the Garrycastle team started very brightly, and soon had scores on the board from Thanh McCay and Jamie Carroll. The majority of the first half was played in the Maryland/Tang half of the pitch, with the Garrycastle lads applying constant pressure, and were rewarded with further scores from Jamie and Thanh, as well as scores from Tom Sheehan, Killian Redmond and Oisin Nugent. At the half-time break, Garrycastle had a comfortable lead, having restricted Maryland/Tang to a single score.

As the second half started, we emptied the bench to give all players present as much game time as possible. Further scores from Thanh, Jamie and Diarmaid Murtagh pushed the game out of the reach of Maryland/Tang. The team got a welcome boost with the return of Conor Sheehan after an absence of 6 weeks, and he took a brace of nice scores as the game reached its conclusion. Not to be outdone, younger brother Tom helped himself to a score as the referee blew for full time.

Final score: Garrycastle 8-11, Maryland/Tang 1-02.

On the evening, Garrycastle took a comfortable win. This performance was based on a solid defence, which simply refused to be beaten on the night, a midfield unit which tackled and fought for every ball, and a group of forwards very definitely wearing their shooting boots.

It was an very good team performance, with excellent passing, tackling and support play on view. The lads made light work of the difficult conditions, and can take great satisfaction in their performance. The next round of this competition sees Garrycastle play the Moate All-Whites.

Squad:

Conor McCarthy, Jack Mulvihill, Anthony Mannion, Tom Daly, Kealan Ryan-McIntyre, Jamie Carroll, Diarmaid Murtagh, Tom Sheehan, Thanh McCay, Killian Redmond, Oisin Nugent, Mattie Wozniak, Cian McCormack, Conor Sheehan, David Carter, Brandon Devaney, Dean Grehan, Sean O'Donoghue.

Clann na nGael / Tormeys Solicitors Under-10 League, "C" Final, Johnstown, Sept. 17th

After a long league campaign, the Garrycastle Under-10 squad headed to Johnstown to play St. Brigids of Rosommon in the "C" final of the Clann na nGael / Tormeys Solicitors league on Thursday evening. On a lovely fine evening, with conditions perfect for playing football, we had a fabulous turnout of 31 players, divided into an under-9 team and an under-10 team.

The under-10 team started brightly, and traded points with St. Brigids over the course of a first-half played at breakneck speed. Jamie Carroll led the way, with no fewer than 6 points in the first half, ably supported by Thanh McCay, and Diarmaid Murtagh. The backline had to work extremely hard to limit the St. Brigids chances, but stepped up to the mark, and defended strongly. The second half began with Garrycastle attacking from multiple angles, and further scores by Diarmaid and Jamie brought the match level. The game was in the balance for the remainder of the half, and when Oisin Nugent scored from close range to put Garrycastle in front with a couple of minutes left, a win looked possible. However, it was not to be as St. Brigids rallied and closed out the scoring to take the win by 2 points.

Even though the result went against them, the Garrycastle squad can hold their heads high with this performance, From Conor McCarthy in goal all the way around the field, every player gave it their all.

The under-9 team also started well, and pushed hard to get some scores on the board. However, after scoring almost at will all the way throughout the league, their scoring touch deserted them on the night and they found scores very hard to come by. This match was nip-and-tuck all the way through, with absolutely nothing to separate the teams. A few injuries also took their toll, and though the Garrycastle lads fought hard, the scores just would not come, and as the wide count mounted, St. Brigids took the win by a single point.

Again, all the players from Dean Grehan in goal all the way around the field can take great pride in their performance.

As per the rules of the competition, the Final score was the aggregate of the two matches, with Garrycastle losing out by 3 points on the night.

After the matches, the players were presented with their medals, and some much needed refreshments, by the Clann na nGael club.

As this league comes to an end, we would like to thank Tormeys Solicitors and Clann na nGael for a hugely enjoyable and very well run tournament. While we were not successful on this occasion, we look forward eagerly to doing it all again next year!

Squad on the evening:

Under-10: Conor McCarthy, Jack Mulvihill, Oisin Nugent, Diarmaid Murtagh, Brian Mulvihill, Jamie Carroll, Cian McCormack, Thanh McCay, Killian Redmond, Matthew Conner, Kealan Ryan-McIntyre, Tom Daly, Mattie Wozniak, Sean Doyle.

Under-9: Anthony Mannion, Nathan McKeon, Andrew Henson, Jack Allen, Sean O'Donoghue, David Carter, James McHugh, Killian Keegan, Tom Sheehan, Aaron Keegan, Kyle Greene, Dean Grehan, Brandon Devaney, Rian Gaynor, Oisin Mulvihill, Niadh Shine, Cian Norris.

Clann na nGael / Tormeys Solicitors Under-10 League, Round 7, Kiltoom, Sept. 14th

Garrycastle Under-10's travelled to Kiltoom on Monday night for the final round of this years Clann na nGael / Tormeys Solicitors league. As usual, we had a great turnout of players, with no fewer than 26 attending, allowing us to field the required Under-9 and Under-10 teams.

Due to the similarity in colours, as the "away" team, Garrycastle played in white for the evening.

The Under-9 match was a very one-sided affair, with Garrycastle stronger right around the field. The team took some great scores and built up a very comfortable lead by the half-time break. Indeed, if it were not for the number of shots that returned off the crossbar and posts, the score would have been higher.

In the second half, a number of positional switches were made, to give the players a chance to try out unfamiliar positions, and even with this, the team continued to push forward, and took a good win on the evening. All of the players from goalkeeper up, could justfiably be proud of their efforts on the evening.

The Under-10 match in contrast was a very close affair, with Garrycastle and St. Brigids exchanging scores in a very even first-half. An opening point from St.Brigids was answered by scores from Jamie Carroll and Brian Mulvihill, and the scoring continued in the same fashion to half time, with further Garrycastle scores from Jamie and the industrious Oisin Nugent. In the second half, the pattern continued, with further scores from Mattie Wozniak, Oisin and a final point from Diarmaid Murtagh. However, even as the scores went over, so the wide count increased, and not for the first time in this league, this cost us, as St. Brigids took a narrow victory.

Yet again, one win and one loss on the evening.

Squad on the evening:

Under-10: Conor McCarthy, Jack Mulvihill, Oisin Nugent, Diarmaid Murtagh, Brian Mulvihill, Jamie Carroll, Cian McCormack, Thanh McCay, Killian Redmond, Matthew Conner, Kealan Ryan-McIntyre, Tom Daly, Mattie Wozniak, Sean Doyle.

Under-9: Anthony Mannion, Nathan McKeon, Andrew Henson, Jack Allen, Sean O'Donoghue, David Carter, James McHugh, Killian Keegan, Tom Sheehan, Aaron Keegan, Kyle Greene, Dean Grehan.

Clann na nGael / Tormeys Solicitors Under-10 League, Round 2, Garrycastle, Sept. 11th

Athlone were the visitors to Garrycastle for the re-fixed round 2 tie in the Clann na nGael / Tormeys Solicitors league. On a truly miserable night for football, we had a good turnout of players, and fielded teams at under-9 and under-10 age groups as normal.

The under-9 team struggled to make an impact in the conditions, and found that handling the ball was very tricky in the wet conditions - even keeping their feet was a challenge at times. However, they dug deep, and buoyed up by an excellent defensive display from Anthony Mannon in the backline, battled hard, and led the game at the half-time break. The second half was more of the same, with the Athlone team fighting hard to get into the game, putting huge pressure on Garrycastle all around the pitch. However, Garrycastle rallied again, and with some excellent scores from James McHugh among other, stretched out their lead and took a deserved win.

in contrast, the under-10 team started well, putting Athlone under pressure from the off. Early scores from Jamie Carroll set the scene, and Garrycastle pressed forward strongly, but were guilty of some over elaboration in the center of the field, and did not translate their possession into scores. At half-time, Garrycastle trailed by 1 point. The second half was all Athlone, as they attacked in waves, and only some excellent defending by the backline, with Jack Mulvihill most prominent, kept the scores down. However, as legs tired in the conditions, Athlone stretched their lead, and ran out deserved winners.

So, for the fifth time in this competition, it was a win and a loss for Garrycastle. Some positives to take was the effort from the under-9 team, and the first half display from the under-10 team. However, heads dropped far too early on the under-10 team in the second half, and much more effort will be required for the final round against St. Brigids on Monday evening next.

Squad on the evening:

Under-10: Conor McCarthy, Jack Mulvihill, Oisin Nugent, Diarmaid Murtagh, Brian Mulvihill, Jamie Carroll, Cian McCormack, Thanh McCay, Killian Redmond, Matthew Conner, Kealan Ryan-McIntyre, Tom Daly, Mattie Wozniak, Conor Sheehan.

Under-9: Anthony Mannion, Nathan McKeon, Andrew Henson, Jack Allen, Sean O'Donoghue, David Carter, James McHugh, Killian Keegan, Tom Sheehan, Brandon Devaney, Aaron Keegan, Kyle Greene.

Under-10 League Finals night, Cusack Park Mullingar, September 7th

The Garrycastle Under-10 squad headed off to Cusack Park, Mullingar on Monday evening for the final round of this years Westmeath Under-10 league. On a lovely dry night in county headquarters, Garrycastle fielded two teams, and played against Killucan and Coralstown/Kinnegad.

The Garrycastle "Red" team played their match against Killucan, and got off to a great start, with early scores from David Carter and Tom Sheehan to settle the team down. The Garrycastle team were stronger all over the pitch, totally controlling the midfield area, and tacked on further scores from Killian Keegan, Jack Mulvihill and a pair of points from Brian Mulvihill before the break. Killucan came back strongly at the start of the second half, and now it was the turn of the Garrycastle defence to show their strength, and with some excellent tackling and clearances from Jack and Tom Daly, combined with great kickouts from Conor McCarthy weathered the storm. Garrycastle then stepped up a gear, and showed some great football, leading to further scores from Killian, Tom and Thanh McCay. In the end, Garrycastle were comfortable winners on this occasion. This was a real team performance where any of the players could make the case for man of the match.

Squad on the evening:

Under-10: Conor McCarthy, Jack Mulvihill, Sean Doyle, Oisin Nugent, Diarmaid Murtagh, Brian Mulvihill, Jamie Carroll, Cian McCormack, Thanh McCay, Killian Redmond, Matthew Conner, Kealan Ryan-McIntyre, Tom Daly, Mattie Wozniak.

Under-9: Anthony Mannion, Nathan McKeon, Andrew Henson, Jack Allen, Sean O'Donoghue, David Carter, James McHugh, Rian Gaynor, Niadh Shine, Killian Keegan, Tom Sheehan, Cian Norris.

Clann na nGael / Tormeys Solicitors Under-10 League, Round 5, Garrycastle, August 31st

We welcomed Ballinasloe in to Garrycastle to play the fifth round of the Clann na nGael / Tormeys Solicitors league on Monday evening. On a decent evening for football, we fielded 25 players, fielding teams at under-9 and under-10 level.

In the under-9 match, Garrycastle started well, but a combination of poor shooting, and wayward passes kept the scores to a minimum, and at the break, Garrycastle led by just a single score. However, in the second half, a couple of positional switches proved the difference, as the Garrycastle lads took a firm hold of the game. Thanks to some strong defensive work, limiting the Ballinasloe chances, as well as much more accurate shooting, allowed the Garrycastle team to stretch their lead, and they ran out comfortable winners in the end.

In the under-10 match, the Garrycastle team started very slowly, and allowed Ballinasloe to build up an early lead. Some poor handling, especially once the ball was won, and some wayward shooting, meant the Garrycastle team trailed at the half-time break. A much more businesslike start to the second half saw Garrycastle pile on the pressure to try and level the match. Thanh McCay in the center of the field was the focus of much of the good work in the second half, as was Brian Mulvihill, who worked tirelessly, tackling and blocking and linking the play. With some excellent scores from Jamie Carroll, Cian McCormack, Diarmaid Murtagh and Brian, it looked for a while that we would close the gap. However, a large number of wides also meant that we were always chasing the game, and Ballinasloe held on for the win.

So, not for the first time this year, we had one win and one loss on the night, a fair result for both teams.

[ Team pics go here ]

Squad on the evening:

Under-10: Conor McCarthy, Jack Mulvihill, Sean Doyle, Oisin Nugent, Diarmaid Murtagh, Brian Mulvihill, Jamie Carroll, Cian McCormack, Thanh McCay, Killian Redmond, Matthew Conner, Kealan Ryan-McIntyre, Tom Daly

Under-9: Anthony Mannion, Nathan McKeon, Kyle Greene, Andrew Henson, Jack Allen, Sean O'Donoghue, David Carter, Oisin Mulvihill, James McHugh, Aaron Keegan, Killian Keegan, Tom Sheehan.

Under-10 Larry Nugent Tournament, Caulry, August 29th

The Garrycastle under-10 team won the Shield competition at the Larry Nugent Tournament held in Caulry on Saturday morning, defeating Rosemount in the final.

On the morning, Garrycastle were drawn in the same group as Kilbeggan/St. Josephs and Ballinacarrigy for the group games. In thr first match, Garrycastle played Kilbeggan/St. Josephs, and started brightly, with scores from Thanh McCay and Killian Redmond, and led deservedly at the half-time break. However, we were wasteful with scoring opportunites, shooting a large number of wides, and this really was was to prove our undoing, as in the second half playing into the wind, we could not get the scores needed, and Kilbeggan ran out winners by two points.

In the second group game, we played against Ballinacarrigy, and due to depleted numbers on their team, this match was played at 7-a-side. In order to give all our players a chance, we changed the team totally at half-time in this match. In the first half, we again started brightly, with scores from Thanh and Jamie Carroll, but struggled a little with only having 7 players on an 11-a-side pitch, and gave away a couple of scores to Ballinacarrigy from frees and 45's. In the second half, with a totally changed team on the field, we took a little time to settle, but a well taken score from Kyle Greene steadied the ship, and we went on to take a deserved win.

This meant that we qualified for the Shield final, where we played Rosemount. The Rosemount team took an early lead before Diarmaid Murtagh levelled for Garrycastle, and further points from Brian Mulvihill and Jamie, interspersed with points from Rosemount, meant the game was level half-way through the first half. However, from then on, it was one-way traffic from Garrycastle as scores from Jack Allen, Thanh and Jamie gave Garrycastle a comfortable lead at the half-time break. In the second half we introduced all of our substitues, and pressed home the advantage, with some excellent scores from Thanh, Jamie, David Carter and Diarmaid, while our defence held firm, restricting Rosemount to just a single point in the second half.

It was a jubilant group of players, led by captain Jack Mulvihill, who ascended the steps to accept the Larry Nugent Shield, and their medals from the host club.

Overall, this was a decent display from the under-10 squad. The issues with taking scores, so evident in the first match, were nowhere to be seen in the Shield final. All the players present can take huge pride in their efforts on the day, and in bringing the first trophy of the year back to Garrycastle.

Under-10 squad:

Conor McCarthy, Conor McCormack, Jack Mulvihill, Tom Daly, Brian Mulvihill, Diarmaid Murtagh, Conor Sheehan, Kealan Ryan-McIntyre, Oisin Nugent, Brandon Devaney.

Under-9 squad:

Nathan McKeon, Rian Gaynor, Killian Keegan, Anthony Mannion, Jack Allen, Tom Sheehan, Kyle Greene, James McHugh, David Carter, Aaron Keegan, Dervla Turley.

Under-10 League Division 1, Garrycastle, July 7th

The latest round of the Westmeath Under-10 league was runoff as a blitz evening in Garrycastle. On the evening, we welcomed teams from Milmore Gaels, Caulry, St. Marys Rochfortbridge and Rosemount. In total, 9 teams were present, with each team playing two matches.

The Garrycastle squad was very depleted on the evening due to many players being absent on summer holidays, so in order to field two teams as usual, we called up some of our under-8 squad to make their debut at this level.

The Garrycastle "Red" team played against Caulry and Milmore Gaels. They were victorious against the Caulry team, and lost out narrowly to Milmore Gaels. There were good performances from Diarmaid Murtagh in midfield, and some excellent scores from Jack Allen and Thanh McCay.

The Garrycastle "Green" team played against the second Caulry team, and St. Marys Rochfortbridge, and even though they never stopped trying, they were unable to match the size and strength of their opponents, losing out in both matches. Impressive performances here from Jazmen Rafiz, and great debut performances from James McHugh and Andrew Henson from our under-8 squad.

Overall, this was a mixed performance, but given that so many of the under-10 group were unavailable, it was heartening to see the effort put in by those players who attended.

Squad on the evening:

Cian McCormack, Conor Sheehan, Jack Allen, Matthew Conner, Kealan Ryan-McIntyre, Thanh McCay, Diarmaid Murtagh, Killian Redmond, David Carter, Tom Sheehan, Brian Mulvihill, Tom Daly, Killian Keegan, Nathan Kelly, Nathan Jackson, Anthony Mannion, Jazmen Rafiz, James McHugh, Andrew Henson.

Clann na nGael / Tormeys Solicitors Under-10 League, Round 1, Tubberclair, June 29th

Garrycastle Under-10's opened their campaign in this years Clann na nGael/Tormeys Solicitors league with an away fixture to Tubberclair. On the evening, we had a much reduced number of players available, so two matches were played at 9-a-side.

The Garrycastle "Red" team, comprising the older players started slowly, and soon found themselves down by a couple of points. However, driven on by Brian Mulvihill and Conn O'Hara, they worked their way back into the game, and went in at the half-time break down by the narrowest of margins. Tubberclair started the second half strongly, and opened up the lead again, but the Garrycastle team dug in and aided by some great scores from the industrious Thanh McCay and Jamie Carroll, eventually took the lead, to win out the match by a single score.

The Garrycastle "Green" team, started at speed, and except for some wayward shooting, would have had a handsome lead. Tubberclair were more clinical in their shooting, and opened up a slender lead, which was pegged back by two fine points from Jack Allen. Further points from David Carter, Tom Sheehan and Jack left the Garrycastle team trailing by two points at the break. However, in the second half, nothing worked for the Garrycastle team, and try as they did, they could not break down a determined Tubberclair rearguard, and were caught repeatedly on the counter attack, giving up a lot of easy scores. Tubberclair easily took the win in the end of this match.

So, overall, a mixed bag from a Garrycastle point of view. The old problem with wasteful kicking was present again, and the collapse of the "Green" team in the second half of their match was not something that we had expected, based on some great performances in recent weeks. We can only hope that this was just "one of those nights", and we will bounce back in the next round.

Squad on the evening:

"Red" team: Conor McCarthy, Killian Keegan, Jack Mulvihill, Conn O'Hara, Brian Mulvihill, Jamie Carroll, Thanh McCay, Nathan Jackson, Matthew Conner, Kealan Ryan-McIntyre.

"Green" team: Dean Grehan, Anthony Mannion, Nathan McKeon, Tom Daly, Brandon Devaney, Tom Sheehan, David Carter, Jack Allen, Jazmen Rafiz, Nathan Kelly.

Under-10 challenge vs. Maryland/Tang, Garrycastle, June 27th

Garrycastle Under-10's played a challenge match against neighbours Maryland/Tang in Garrycastle on Saturday evening. As the school summer holidays are now in full swing, it was a much depleted Garrycastle squad available for the match, but this gave us the opportunity to try out some players in unfamiliar positions, to see how they would cope.

Garrycastle started well, and were off the mark early with points from Jamie Carroll and Nathan McKeon. However, despite having the better share of possession, poor choices in front of goal led to an ever increasing wide count. Maryland/Tang competed strongly for every ball, and the Garrycastle lads had to soak up a lot of pressure, with the defensive trio of Conor McCarthy in goals, Killian Keegan and Anthony Mannion in the back line, solid at all times.

Tom Sheehan and Brian Mulvihill were everywhere in midfield, and some of the interplay and passing was as good as could be seen anywhere. Up front, the industrious Jamie Carroll and Thanh McCay caught the eye, taking some excellent scores.

All 17 players present got at least half-a-game (the match was played as per under-10 guidelines at 11-a-side), and every player played their part in what was a good overall team performance, let down a little by wayward shooting in front of goal. The Garrycastle side were a little too strong for their opponents on the evening, and took a deserved win from this challenge.

Huge thanks to Declan and the other mentors and players in Maryland/Tang for travelling in to play the match.

Squad on the evening:

Killian Keegan, Conor Sheehan, Brian Mulvihill, Sean O'Donoghue, Thanh McCay, Brandon Devaney, David Carter, Nathan McKeon, Conor McCarthy, Anthony Mannion, Matthew Conner, Tom Sheehan, Jamie Carroll, Kealan Ryan-McIntyre, Jack Allen, Cian McCormack, Jazmen Rafiz.

Under-10 League Division 1, Garrycastle, June 23rd

The Garrycastle Under-10 team welcomed St. Marys Rochfortbridge in to Garrycastle for round 5 on the county under-10 league. On a great evening for football, with nice sunshine, and no wind to speak of, Garrycastle fielded two teams to take on the visitors.

The Garrycastle "Red" team started slowly, taking a while to find their range, and even though had more of the possession, simply could not score, racking up a large number of wides. St. Marys, by contrast, were far more clinical with their chances, and deservedly led at the half-time break by two points, the Garrycastle scores coming from Brian Mulvihill and David Carter. The second half started for Garrycastle as the first half finished, with three wides in succession, before finally the scoring boots came out, and courtesy of a brace of points from Conor Sheehan and an excellent score from Thanh McCay, Garrycastle took the lead, which they built on and held to the finish, to take a hard-earned win on the evening. Some excellent defensive work from Jack Mulvihill and Killian Keegan set the team up for their second half performance.

The Garrycastle "Green" team started strongly in their game, and took and early lead with some fine scores from Diarmaid Murtagh and Jamie Carroll, and building on a solid defensive and midfield showing, led by 4 points at half-time. St. Marys fought back strongly in the second half, but great defence by Anthony Mannion, Sean Doyle and keeper for the evening, Matthew Conner, kept them at bay. The second half was a very even affair, with both teams trading scores equally, but the "Green" team never relinquished the lead they built up in the first half to take the win.

[ Team pics here when I get them ]

Overall this was a very good performance from the under-10 squad. The St. Marys teams certainly gave nothing away cheaply, and it took real effort right across the field to get the results. Some great examples of skill on display, from both teams, but also some areas where improvements may be made, and these will be targeted in training over the next few weeks.

Many thanks to Michael and the mentors and players from St. Marys for two great games of football played in a true sporting spirit.

"Green" Team: Matthew Conner, Sean Doyle, Anthony Mannion, Conn O'Hara, Cian McCormack, Diarmaid Murtagh, Tom Sheehan, Jamie Carroll, Kealan Ryan-McIntyre, Jazmen Rafiz, Oisin Nugent, Nathan Kelly.

"Red" Team: Conor McCarthy, Jack Mulvihill, Killian Keegan, Conor Sheehan, Tom Daly, Nathan McKeon, Brian Mulvihill, Sean O'Donoghue, Thanh McCay, Dervla Turley, Brandon Devaney, Killian Redmond, David Carter.

Under-10 League Division 1, Rosemount, June 9th

The Garrycastle Under-10's travelled to Rosemount to take part in Round 4 of the Under-10 County league on Tuesday evening. This round of the league was played as a blitz, with teams from Rosemount, Garrycastle, St. Malachys/Ballinagore, Tubberclair and Millmore Gaels taking part on the evening. As usual, we had a great turnout allowing us to field two teams on the evening.

The Garrycastle "Red" team played two matches, against Rosemount, and Tubberclair, while the Garrycastle "Green" team played their counterparts from St. Malachys/Ballinagore and the second Tubberclair team.

The "Green" team started brightly against the host club, and driven on by Diarmuid Murtagh and Tom Sheehan in midfield, got some early scores to settle the team down. Having played Rosemount previously this year, the "Green" team were under no illusions about the need to keep pressing the game, and did so effectively, helped on by some nice scores from the energetic Jack Allen and Jamie Carroll, to hold out for the win. In their second game, a tough battle with a strong Tubberclair team, was decided at the death by the narrowest of margins in favour of the Garrycastle team.

The "Red" team started well, and soon registered scores from David Carter and Conor Sheehan. St. Malachys came back strongly and levelled the scores before taking a slender lead. However, Garrycastle rallied with scores from Thanh McCay, Conor, David and Killian Redmond to take the lead as the game entered the last few seconds. A final attack from St. Malachys resulted in the last score of the game to leave it all square at the end. A fair result given the effort from both teams. In their second game, the "Red" team played the second Tubberclair team. This was a real end-to-end battle with some excellent fielding, tackling and scoring on display from both teams. The teams traded scores from start to finish with neither able to pull away on the scoreboard, and for the second time on the evening, the "Red" team was involved in a drawn game.

Overall, this was an encouraging display from the Garrycastle squad, missing some regulars due to other commitments. Unbeaten on the evening, they can use this as a springboard for the next round of the county league, and the first round of the Tormeys/Clann na nGael tournament, due to start soon.

"Green" Team: Dean Grehan, Sean Doyle, Anthony Mannion, Conn O'Hara, Diarmuid Murtagh, Tom Sheehan, Jamie Carroll, Kealan Ryan-McIntyre, Jack Allen, Oisin Nugent, Cian McCormack.

"Red" Team: Nathan McKeon, Matthew Conner, Jack Mulvihill, Jazmen Rafiz, Conor Sheehan, Tom Daly, Brian Mulvihill, Sean O'Donoghue, Thanh McCay, Mattie Wozniak, Killian Redmond, David Carter.

Under-10 League Division 1, Streamstown, May 26th

Garrycastle Under-10's headed off to Streamstown to play Kilbeggan/St. Josephs in round 3 of this years under-10 county league. On a lovely evening for football, 24 players made the trip, allowing us to field two even teams.

The Garrycastle "Red" team started brightly, and went on the offensive right from the start. With good build-up play from midfield, there were plently of chances for the forwards to get on the scoreboard. Some wayward shooting kept the scores down, but at the break the "Red" team led by two scores. As the second half got underway, it was the turn of the hosts to apply the pressure, but the Garrycastle rear-guard held firm, and limited the chances available. Having weathered the pressure, the "Red" team then took over to take some nice scores, and ran out worthy winners.

In the second match, the Garrycastle "Green" team started very slowly, playing into the sun and against the wind, and found it hard to get any momentum going. Scores were hard to come by, and they trailed Kilbeggan/St. Josephs at the break. With a few positional switches at half-time, in addition to playing with the wind in the second half, the Garrycastle team pressed forward strongly, and were rewarded with a trio of well taken scores in the first few minutes. Buoyed up by this, the team continued to press forward, but despite outscoring their opponents in the second half, could not pull back the entire deficit from the first half, and the honours went to the home team.

So, on the evening, it was all square, with each club winning one match.

Overall, this was a satisfactory performance from both Garrycastle teams. The importance of starting well was evident in the second match, which showed that against a strong team, pulling back a lead is not easy, or guaranteed to be successful. The overall skill levels are improving, and with some focus now on accurate shooting in training, this squad will surely develop further.

"Green" Team: Brandon Devaney, Sean Doyle, Anthony Mannion, Conn O'Hara, Matthew Conner, Diarmuid Murtagh, Tom Sheehan, Jamie Carroll, Kealan Ryan-McIntyre, Jack Allen, Oisin Nugent, Cian McCormack.

"Red" Team: Nathan McKeon, Jack Mulvihill, Kyle Greene, Conor Sheehan, Tom Daly, Brian Mulvihill, Sean O'Donoghue, Thanh McCay, Mattie Wozniak, Killian Redmond, David Carter, Dean Grehan.

Under-10 Challenge vs St. Brigids, Garrycastle, May 20th

The Garrycastle Under-10 squad welcomed St. Brigids from Roscommon in to Garrycastle on Wednesday evening for some challenge games. On a good evening for football, even allowing for a strong breeze, a good turnout of players allowed us to field 2 teams at 11-a-side.

To suit St. Brigids, many of whose players are contesting a community games final soon, we played 4 20-minute matches, with the teams re-fixed after the first round of games. Due to the similarity of colours, Garrycastle played in unfamiliar white colours on the night.

In the first game, the Garrycastle "Green" team started off playing into a strong breeze and had the better of the possession during the first half. Although playing against the wind, and with some very wayward shooting, at half-time the "Green" team trailed by just one score. After the break, and with the aid of the wind, the "Green" team quickly took the lead, and held it to the end of the game, fighting off a brave St. Brigids comeback, to win by one score.

In the second game for the "Green" team, the first half was a real-end-to-end battle, with neither team able to pull away, and at the break, the teams were level. In the second half, as tiredness set in, the scores became more plentiful, but the balance between the teams remained, and at the final whistle, the teams could not be separated on the scoreboard.

In their first game, the Garrycastle "Red" team also started playing into the wind, and building from an excellent performance in the middle of the field, built up a slender lead by the break. Playing with the aid of the wind, they closed out the game and took the honours on the evening.

In their second game, the "Red" team started to show the effects of their exertions from the previous match, and struggled to make use of the wind in the first half, going in level at the break. In the second half, St. Brigids opened up a narrow gap, and despite the best efforts of out "Red" team, held on to their advantage to run out deserving winners.

[ Pictures here when I get them... ]

Overall, this was a great evenings football, and we thank Aidan and the other mentors from St. Brigids for travelling in to play us. We look forward to returning the trip later in the summer.

There were a lot of positives to take from these matches; our positional play is improving, as is our tackling/blocking, and general work ethic. There are still improvements to be made, however, and we will work on these over the coming weeks.

Garrycastle "Green" Team:

Dean Grehan, Sean Doyle, Anthony Mannion, Conn O'Hara, Diarmuid Murtagh, Tom Sheehan, Jamie Carroll, Kealan Ryan-McIntyre, Jack Allen, Oisin Nugent, Kyle Greene, Nathan Kelly, Nathan McKeon.

Garrycastle "Red" Team:

Matthew Conner, Cian McCormack, Jazman Rafiz, Jack Mulvihill, Killian Keegan, Conor Sheehan, Tom Daly, Brian Mulvihill, Sean O'Donoghue, Thanh McCay, Killian Redmond, David Carter, Brandon Devaney

Under-10 League Division 1, Garrycastle, May 12th

Garrycastle was host to Castledaly and Rosemount for Round 2 of the Westmeath Under-10 league. On the evening, a great turnout of players allowed us to field two even teams, with the Garrycastle "Red" team playing against Rosemount, while the Garrycastle "Green" team played against Castledaly. Conditions on the evening were almost ideal, cool and dry, although with a strong breeze blowing the length of the pitch.

The Garrycastle "Green" team started strongly in their game, driven on from midfield by the dynamic pairing of Diarmuid Murtagh and Tom Sheehan, well supported by a solid defence marshalled by Brandon Devaney in goal. A solid display of tackling and blocking allowed much ball to be driven in towards the forwards where the forwards led by Jamie Carroll were clinical in taking their scores. It was most certainly not all one-way traffic however, as the Castledaly team posted some fine scores, and pushed hard all the way to the end of the game. However, on the evening the Garrycastle "Green" team were just that little bit stronger and took a deserved win.

The second match saw the Garrycastle "Red" team take the field against Rosemount. This was a thrilling affair, with possession and chances evenly split during the first half, with Garrycastle being a little more accurate to go in at half-time even though they were playing against the wind. Garrycastle started the second half strongly, with some excellent displays right across the field. A special mention goes to to Brian Mulvihill who was everywhere tackling, blocking and linking the play, very well supported by Conor Sheehan and Sean O'Donoghue. With the aid of the wind, the "Red" team opened up a solid lead which they held to the end of the game.

Overall these were 2 very strong performances from our Under-10 squad. All the players present played their full part in securing the results on the evening, and can take great pride in their performances. Our shooting accuracy is definitely improving, and the effort put in to regain the ball when possession is lost is extremely encouraging to see.

Many thanks to Michael and the other mentors in Castledaly, and to David and the mentors in Rosemount for a great nights football, played in the right spirit.

Garrycastle "Green" Team:

Brandon Devaney, Sean Doyle, Anthony Mannion, Conn O'Hara, Matthew Conner, Diarmuid Murtagh, Tom Sheehan, Jamie Carroll, Kealan Ryan-McIntyre, Jack Allen, Oisin Nugent, Dervla Turley, Kyle Greene.

Garrycastle "Red" Team :

Daniel Sierpinski, Jack Mulvihill, Killian Keegan, Conor Sheehan, Tom Daly, Brian Mulvihill, Sean O'Donoghue, Thanh McCay, Mattie Wozniak, Cian McCormack, David Carter, Nathan McKeon.

Under-10 Challenge vs Moate All-Whites, Garrycastle, May 6th

The Garrycastle under-10 team welcomed near neighbours Moate All-Whites into Garrycastle on Wednesday night for a couple of challenge matches. On a good evening for football, when thankfully the rain held off, we had a good turnout of 26 players, allowing us to field 2 teams.

A great evenings football was served up by all the teams present in two fast paced and sporting games, played in the right spirit. On the evening, the honours were shared with one win each for Garrycastle and Moate. Overall, there is great development in this squad, and we can see the improvement in skill levels and playing confidence on a week-by-week basis.

Many thanks to Brendan and the other mentors in Moate for coming in to play us, and we look forward to travelling to Moate to return the fixture in the near future.

Squad on the evening:

Red Team : Conor McCarthy, Kyle Greene, Jack Mulvihill, Kealan Ryan-McIntyre, Brian Mulvihill, Diarmuid Murtagh, Dean Grehan, Anthony Mannion, Sean O'Donoghue, Killian Keegan, Thanh McCay, Mattie Wozniak, Nathan McKeon.

Green Team: Sean Doyle, Nathan Kelly, Tom Daly, Matthew Conner, Conor Sheehan, Conn O'Hara, Daniel Sierpinski, Oisin Nugent, David Carter, Tom Sheehan, Jamie Carroll, Killian Redmond, Brandon Devaney.

Under-10 League Division 1, Athlone, April 28th

The Garrycastle squad travelled the short distance to neighbours Athlone for the first round of this years Under-10 league on Tuesday evening. On a shockingly bad evening, with torrential rain and high winds, we had practically a full squad travel, 29 players being available on the evening.

The squad was divided into two teams, with each team playing against the equivalent Athlone team, at 11-a-side.

The Garrycastle “Red” team started brightly, and soon a score on the board from David Carter. A second from Kyle Greene soon followed, before the anticipated Athlone fightback began. As the first half progressed, the “Red” team were guilty of some very wasteful shooting, clocking up no fewer than 6 wides, as Athlone made much more productive use of their scoring chances, and led by three at the break. As the second half-started, the heavens opened, and playing into the wind and the rain, the “Red” team found to hard to keep possession, and were unable to close the gap, with Athlone running out worthy winners in the end.

In the second match, the Garrycastle “Green” team started slowly and were 2 points down before Thanh McCay pointed which settled the lads. A great save from Mathew Conner led to a pass to Conor Sheehan who broke out from defense and pointed from range to level the game. Play of the half had to be Killian Keegan gaining possession, kick passing to Sean O'Donoghue who soloed up the wing and hand passed to Tom Sheehan who side footed over the bar. Athlone started the stronger in the second half but outstanding defensive play from the Garrycastle backline kept them at bay. Gradually, the Garrycastle midfield got on top and with some excellent scores from the forwards, the match ended in a narrow win for Garrycastle. Despite the weather, this was a very enjoyable game to watch with a great work rate from everyone.

(Thanks to Chris McKeon for the photos).

Overall, it was very impressive to see the numbers turn out for this opening round, but with conditions as they were, it was difficult to play good football. All players present got an extended run, and this will be a feature of the league going forward from here.

Huge thanks to Dave and the rest of the Athlone crew for the organisation on the evening.

Garrycastle “Red” team:

Conn O’Hara, Sean Doyle, Brandon Devaney, Mattie Wozniak, Tom Daly, David Carter, Kealan Ryan-McIntyre, Jack Allen, Jame Carroll, Killian Redmond, Kyle Greene, Nathan Kelly, Cian McCormack, Dean Grehan, Oisin Nugent.

Garrycastle “Green” team:

Matthew Conner, Killian Keegan, Jack Mulvihill, Nathan McKeon, Conor Sheehan, Conor McCarthy, Diarmuid Murtagh, Tom Sheehan, Thanh McCay, Anthony Mannion, Sean O’Donoghue, Brian Mulvihill, Nathan Jackson, Dervla Turley.

(Posted by William Leahy)

Under-10 County Football Blitz, in Cusack Park, Mullingar, April 7th

The Under-10 football season kicked off with a blitz held in the county ground, Cusack Park, Mullingar, on Tuesday evening. A fantastic sunshine filled evening was the perfect backdrop for some excellent football served up by all the teams present.

On the evening, Garrycastle fielded 16 players, an excellent turnout considering that the club’s Easter Camp is also ongoing this week. This allowed us to field 2 teams, and each team playeed two matches on the evening.

In the first round of matches, the Garrycastle “Red” team played the Shandonagh first team, and the Garrycastle “Green” team played the Shandonagh second team. Both games contained some excellent displays of skill from both teams, with a highlight being the excellent fielding on display. After some engrossing football, the Garrycastle teams just edged out their Shandonagh counterparts.

In the second round of matches, the Garrycastle “Red” team took on Ballynacargy, while the “Green” team played the Shandonagh first team. Given their exertions in the first round of matches, coupled with their involvement in the Easter Camp, it was inevitable that there was a drop in energy in these games, but even so, the “Green” team maintained their perfect record, while the “Red” team came up one score short, after an epic tussle with Ballynacargy.

Overall, this was an excellent evenings football, with great enthusiasm and no little skill on display. This hopefully sets us up for a good league campaign, due to start next week.

Many thanks as always to the players for attending, and also to the parents and other supporters who travelled up to Mullingar to cheer them on.

Squad on the evening:

Daniel Sierpinski, Oisin Nugent, Brandon Devaney, Jack Allen, Conor Sheehan, Nathan McKeon, Thanh McCay, Anthony Mannion, Killian Keegan, David Carter, Tom Daly, Killian Redmond, Diarmuid Murtagh, Tom Sheehan, Jamie Carroll, Kyle Greene.

St. Patricks Day Parade

The younger players in Garrycastle, (from Nursery/Under-6 up to Under-10), marched proudly in this years St. Patricks Day parade. For photos etc, please see the St. Patricks Day Parade page!