Another jam packed weekend of football and fun with a bit of Adventure racing thrown in with Quest.
U16 girls got the ball rolling with Friday Night Football in a sun-soaked Clarisford Park. They played their part in a cracking game of football v Knigh United but were just edged out by on a 3-4 scoreline. Goals came from Hannah O’Shaughnessy, Holly Meacham and debutant Abbe Molloy. A number of girls stepping up from younger age groups had fine performances. Plenty of positives to take from this defeat. I’m told a vocal crowd also made it a sporting evening to remember. Thats what we love, good-natured positive support for players and officials.
A special shout out to young club man and Youths player Cathal Mullane who made his debut as a referee at this level. A fine performance from him. Without the ref there is no game.
Saturday saw plenty of quality football. 14As has a good win against a hard-working BT Harps B side. 14Bs turned in a fine performance earning a 1-1 draw with Silvermines and U16Bs battled gamely before going down 3-1 to a good Cloughjordan side.
On Sunday the Junior A squad made the long trip to Clodiagh. With only 12 fit players travelling it was going to be a big ask to get something from the league leaders. The monsoon rain and a bad start didn’t help. 1-0 after three minutes was equalised with an excellent Dave Cassidy goal after 7 minutes. Home side went 2-1 up before half time. In the 2nd half, Derg set much of the tempo but found the Clodiagh defence and keeper in particular in top form. Injuries to Derg players stretched the squad to the absolute, with manager Stuart Barber having to play the last 20 minutes. He had the vision to imagine the pass… not sure about the legs or lungs 😉 A penalty saved after 82 minutes looked to have cost Derg their chance of a point but a late Dean Lawlor strike gave Derg a share of the spoils.
Off the pitch the twin towns of Killaloe and Ballina were rocking with the Quest Adventure Race in town and Lough Derg FC volunteers were in the thick of the action with 26 members volunteering for marshalling duty over the weekend. Thank you for your service! Off the pitch and on the pitch nothing good happens without the commitment of volunteers. If you tend not to volunteer, we’d ask you to give it a go. It's fun and it makes a difference. This was also a worthwhile fundraiser for the club. We all know it. Costs are going up. Times are getting hard. Every little helps.
Introducing VEO. Our commitment is to help players be the best they can be. To that end, we are bringing in technology to help our players and coaches get a better picture. Our Veo camera, kindly sponsored by Reload Laundry, made its debut in Clarisford this weekend and captures lots of goals, action and opportunities. We’ll be sharing some of the content on Facebook / Instagram you can pick your goal of the week. The Clarisford Cracker. All a bit of fun…
Other stuff for the coming week
· Training still running on summer schedule. From next week 19th September winter training schedule starts. Details on website. Lough Derg FC | Winter Training Schedule from 19th September (clubzap.com)
· Membership is now due for all players. Without membership you cant represent the club and you are not insured. Register here: Lough Derg FC | Other (clubzap.com) Pay in one go or spread the costs over 6 months.
· Club lotto is vital for fundraising for a new pitch. Last weeks nifty fifty winner was Andy Hall. Jackpot is up to €2675. Play here https://www.ourgrassroots.ie/club/loughdergfc
· Split the pot is launching. Are you feeling lucky? All for a good cause.
