Goals galore and lots of fun at soccer tournament

For the past 10 years the Meath & District League have hosted the FAI Meath Primary Schools five-a-side tournament and this year a record entry of 165 teams from 77 schools participated in the five-day football festival. The girls in Group A kicked-off the popular event and 16 teams qualified for the first knock-out round that eventually saw Enfield, Kentstown, Kilmessan and last year"s champions Newtown advance to the semi-finals which will take place at the same venue on Wednesday, 22nd April. Kilmessan"s goalkeeper Joelle Smyth pulled off some memorable saves while Susan Chifodya, Caitríona Bolger and Clodagh McPhelim were outstanding as Carlanstown were eliminated 1-0. Newtown had to go all the way to penalties before ousting a gallant Cortown team with goalkeeper Aoife Burke excelling throughout. Orlaith Malone, Áine Duff and Martha Bashford were others to the fore for Newtown. A strong Kentstown side were consistent throughout, but had to come back from 0-2 down to eventually overcome newcomers Stackallen by 4-2 as Keeva Commons combined with her sister Ruth to secure a great comeback for Fiona Mahon"s girls. Enfield were very impressive when ousting Rathbeggan 6-2 as Sarah Scully scored a magnificent 13 goals in five games. Goalkeeper Sophie King and defenders Grace Cosgrove and Lauren Murray were others that impressed. The boys in Group A represented 33 schools from which the eight group winners were Ardcath, Cortown, Drumconrath, Dunderry, Meath Hill, Moynalty, Nobber and Wilkinstown. The quarter-finals produced a high standard of football with the superb Moynalty side overcoming Cortown by 7-0 with goals from Patrick Farrelly, Patrick Byrne, Anthony Nevin and Jamie Maloney. Ardcath, with star performers in Richard O"Sullivan, Andy Cawley and Karl McGuinness, pipped an unlucky Meath Hill team. Drumconrath had to pull out all the stops to eliminate local rivals Nobber by 3-1 with Daire Rowe, Cathal Dunne and goalkeeper Robert McEnteggart in superb form while Wilkinstown, the Leinster champions of 2004, needed extra-time to beat Dunderry 2-1 with the winning goal scored by Shane Shalvey. The biggest section featured 48 schools. Last year"s winners Athboy were the top scorers with a tally of 23 goals in wins over Ballivor, Dangan B and Carnaross. Carlanstown B qualified after beating Cannistown and Boyerstown. The remaining group winners were Kilcloon, Dangan, Kentstown, Lismullen, Gaelscoil na Ríthe, Rathbeggan, Skryne, Stackallen and Robinstown. One of the unlucky teams to lose out on goal difference was the talented Gaelscoil na Bóinne (Trim) school. Heading into the last game the Trim lads looked certain to qualify with an impressive goal difference of plus12, but Dunshaughlin"s Gaelscoil na Ríthe managed to score 12 goals in their final game against Enfield B for plus 14. Section B Girls had an entry of 21 teams with Athboy, Dunboyne, Dunboyne B and St Oliver"s making it to the semi-finals. Athboy were edged out by Dunboyne and St Oliver"s won 7-0 against a gallant Dunboyne B team. The final produced some great football and it was Dunboyne who started best with Aifric O"Malley opening the scoring after two minutes. St Oliver"s pushed hard for an equaliser in the second-half and got caught on the counter attack as O"Malley doubled the lead. Shelly Melia added a third to give Dunboyne girls the win to add to their first Meath title from 2005. Section C Boys competition for large schools consisted of 27 teams in six groups which produced plenty of exciting action. The quarter-finals included Laytown, St Seachnall"s, Dunshuaghlin, St. Joseph"s, Navan, Dunboyne, St Oliver Plunkett"s Navan, St Colmcille"s from Kells and two teams from St Michael"s Trim. The semi-finals were very close as Kells got the better of St Oliver"s with a late goal and Dunboyne held off a late charge from St Seachnalls to win 1-0. The final was a repeat of an earlier game which finished 1-1 and Donal Barrett"s Kells looked like they were heading for the title for the second year in-a-row when Anthony Doherty put them ahead. Dunboyne equalised through Darragh Boylan before Fionn Reilly put Kells back in front with only a minute to go in the first-half, but Dunboyne equalized straight away with a goal from Adam McDonnell. McDonnell scored again for Dunboyne in the second-half and two further goals from Conor Finn sealed the title for Brendan Keogh"s Dunboyne. John Finnerty and Shane Comiskey were excellent throughout the day for Dunboyne who now join their girls team in the North Leinster finals. Afterwards overall organisers, Paul Holland (FAI Schools Meath Co-ordinator) and Mark Scanlon (FAI Development Officer for Meath) thanked all who ensured the continued sporting success of the five-a-side, the players, teachers, referees (from the Meath Referees Society), Tony Grant, Noel Walsh , Mick Neville, Navan Red Cross, Gerry Gorman and Gerry Moore of the MDL, Umbro for supplying each school with a football and overall sponsors EA Sports. The winners of each of the five sections advance to represent Meath at the North Leinster finals where they will battle it out against their counterparts from Louth, Longford and Westmeath. The North Leinster finals will played at the JJB Soccerdome, Dundalk on Wednesday, 13th May with the Leinster finals scheduled for the MDL, Navan on Wednesday, 20th May. The All-Ireland finals will take place on Wednesday, 27th May at Tullamore. Full details from www.faischoolsleinster.com.