A review of what has been a good 2016

With all the teams enjoying mid-season breaks and all well up on their matches, we now take this opportunity to look back on where all the teams stand in their respective divisions and what the remainder of the season might hold

Under Nine and Ten Boys
Both these sides play non competitive but both are doing well in their respective blitzes and games and the management teams of Bridget Nolan Kenny and Darragh Hendrick are happy with how the squads are performing.
The future of the club is in the hands of these players and it is great to see the efforts of the managers,coaches, parents, supporters and of course the players, all this work will pay off in the near future

Under Ten Girls
This season we have one of the strongest Under Ten girls squads that we have had in a while and under the management of Martin Doyle and his Assistant Rebecca Doran Doyle they have qualified to play in division one for the remainder of the season. They won four and drew one of their five games in the regional section, scoring nineteen goals and conceding five, with all of the sixteen players in the squad playing a part. Mikayla Tobin Cosgrave leads the way as the top scorer but Emer Roche, Megan Hayes and Ciara Kenny have also showed they are capable of finding the net while goalkeeper Eabha Roban has showed she is a talent for the future.
The girls resume their season away to Forth Celtic on Saturday January 7th in the league and play at home to All Blacks in the second round of the cup two weeks later

Prediction: This squad are probably good enough to compete for the Division One title but this age group is difficult to predict and it will depend on how well they can get up and running when season resumes

Under Eleven Boys
This team are the side to watch if you want to see goals as their five games in the league have produced a total of forty goals, an average of eight per game. Unfortunately, as manager Darragh Hendrick says "we score a lot of goals but we concede a lot as well" as his team heads into the break having won just one of the five games but have lost three of the remaining games by less than two goals and only leaders Bunclody managed a three goal winning margin over this group of players. Performance of the season was in the first game away to Fethard Rangers when we traveled with five players and just lost 4-3 while the win came in dramatic circumstances against Camolin in the second game of the season.
Stephen O Toole is the main scorer for the team with Danny Dreelan, Conor Dillon and Oran McGovern also finding the net throughout the season and while results are not going their way, more consistency in numbers would see the results become more positive

Prediction: A couple of more wins before the season ends and possibly cause an upset by beating one of the top teams in the division and definitely a group of players who will form an integral part of the club in years to come

Under Twelve Girls
Last season our Under Twelve girls finished runners up in their division but this season saw most of them players move up to the Under Fourteen side, leaving manager Pat Walsh with a very young squad which also has to call on the Under Ten squad to fulfil numbers. Despite these issues, this young team have managed to pick up three points after a thrilling 5-4 win at home to Rosslare Strand although their other games in this division have resulted in defeats. The positives in this season will come from the fact that team should hold its place in this division, resulting in the younger players coming through in the next few seasons will be playing at the higher level. The other positive is that the character being shown by this group of players is excellent and they will battle to the end, irrelevant of what the score might be at the time and they pick up their rewards as proven in the win over Rosslare Strand. Anna Dragusin has proven to be an excellent signing and has scored most of the goals scored by the team so far with Leanne Walsh also getting her name on the list. There are still some excellent performances to be be generated by this squad and just needs a bit more comittment in numbers to get a few more points on the board

Prediction: To survive in this division, avoid relegation and and continue to improve as the season goes on

Under Twelve Boys
Our Under Twelve boys are half way through the season and find themselves in fifth place on the table but just three points off the top, having just lost two of their six games to date. This is one of Bob's teams that play "total football" and have been rewarded with some good wins and have only lost to the top two, Shelburne and Cloughbawn, both who have physically stronger teams. Once again, Stephen O Toole leads the scoring charts but this time around, he is surrounded by several other players capable of scoring goals such as Robert McCrea, Conor Dillon and Patrick Murphy plus they dont concede goals softly and if they can turn around the results against the leaders in the second half of the season, they could move into a title challenging position.
An away draw to Division Two side Fastnet Rovers will be an interesting challenge for this side and not an impossible task....no pressure

Prediction: Could be one of our teams that could sneak in for a medal if they get a bit of luck and commitment from the squad in the important games

Under Thirteen Boys
This team has played seven of their ten league games and sit just that bit too far behind the leaders to make any serious impact but in their seven games to date, they have won two and drew two and played some excellent passing football along the way. An opening day 5-10 defeat in Forth Celtic came as a major wake up call but the team reacted well and actually drew with Forth in the return fixture a few weeks later. Similar circumstances with Corach. a win in Tombrack and a heavy defeat away would give the impression that this team does not travel well. However when at full strength and playing well, they are good enough to take on anyone with the goals coming mainly from Conor Salt, Conor O Toole, Colm Fortune and Robert McCrea.
They face a tough draw against Wexford Albion in the cup but a chance of an upset is not outside the realms of possibility and they have proved they are capable of performing in big games as they were within seconds of defeating unbeaten Gorey Celtic in the league only for Celtic to score an injury time equaliser

Prediction: Top three finish is still a practical possibility but need to get the away form in the big games sorted

Under Fourteen Girls
Our Under Fourteen girls lost their opening match of the season but have been unbeaten ever since and are currently joint top of the division. Two wins over Wexford Youths as well as a big win away to Corach Ramblers have moved them up alongside Seaview United and North End United so they are well placed to launch a bid for the title in 2017. New signing Nadine Fortune has made an impact in front of goal, scoring nine goals in the three games she has played with this team so far and added to scoring skills of Shauna McGovern and Zoe Tobin Cosgrave, they are proving to be clinical in front of goal. They are also conceding very few goals and have only let in one goal since North End scored five in that opening day defeat. They also have a decent draw in the second round of the cup where they will take on Bree United in Ballyboy and while nothing can be taken for granted, they would be expected to progress to the quarter finals

Prediction: To be well in the mix for the title, or at least promotion, right up to the bitter end and are a side well capable of winning this division

Under Fourteen Boys
Our Under Fourteen boys have only two league matches remaining but can be more than happy with their performances, winning four and losing four of their eight games played. This is a very young side and have great potential in the seasons to come and aside from the games against the two leaders, they have been competitive in all other games including wins over Gorey Celtic and Gorey Rangers.
The main scoring threat comes from Evan Maher and William Kenny while Conor Salt, Adam Jeffers and Rashid Yashin have also being on the scoresheet.
Overall, manager Willie Maher is happy with how the lads have performed and believes there is a big performance left in them before the season ends

Prediction: Difficult to predict as their season is almost over but third place is not beyond their capabilities at this stage

Under Fifteen Boys
As we head into 2017, our Under Fifteen boys are well in the mix as they compete with Kilmore United and Gorey Rangers for the league title with a home game against Kilmore likely to be a key point in the season. They lost 4-2 in Kilmore in October but the game was much closer than the scoreline suggests so manager David Fitzgibbon is confident his side can take all three points when the teams meet in Tombrack. Of course, Gorey Rangers have pulled themselves into contention with a 4-2 win at home to our lads and are well capable of upsetting leaders Kilmore as well.
Josh McMullan has scored in six of the seven games this side has played while Harry Fitzgibbon, David Power and Barry O Toole are also scoring regularly
This division is likely to go down to a very tight finish with that game against Kilmore likely to be the key one for Tombrack

Prediction: A possible league title but definitely well capable of a runners up spot and even at this point it has been a good season for this side anyway

Under Sixteen Girls
Our Under Sixteen girls are sitting top of the Premier division as wel head into 2017 and with some big wins behind them, they are piling the pressure on holders Cloughbawn. Our girls have won all five of their league matches so far and most of them quite comfortably and only the game at home to Bunclody caused any concern as we ran out 3-2 winners.
With an array of scoring talent, a strong midfield as well as a hard working defence and strong goalkeeper, this side is almost the perfect package and their ability to work hard under pressure is what stands them out from the rest.
With goalscoring talent in the form of Becky Connaughton, Nadine Fortune, Shannon McGovern, Kelli Maguire and Nicola Ryan, it is difficult for any opposing defence to contain them
With two big games in 2017 v Cloughbawn as well as away games against Bunclody and St Leonards, this squad has major potential and has a lot to look forward to

Prediction: Well capable of lifting the Premier title and if they can get over a difficult first round cup tie away to Bunclody, the double is not beyond their capabilities

Under Eighteen Girls
Our Under Eighteen girls are competing in the experimental seven a side league which was brought in by the league to assist teams who were unable to field teams at eleven a side. Despite an opening day defeat to Bree United, when we lost 2-0, our girls have won one and drew two, as well as receiving a walkover when North End withdrew.
As the season heads into 2017, our girls are still in the running in what is a very tightly contested league and the small sided goals on the big pitch is making scoring difficult so any team is capable of taking points from each other.
Our side is very young, mainly being built around the Under Sixteen team, and have a few years competitng at this level so the future is bright

Prediction: Well capable of challenging for the title if they can put a consistent run of form together and grab a couple of wins in a row

Under Eighteen Boys
At this stage of the season, our Youth's side are well in contention for the league title and it is completely in their own hands if they win all four of their remaining league games, they will win the league. The team has been very impressive all season although were unfortunate to draw with Wexford Albion twice and this could have proven costly but with other results going their way, they are still well in the running.
The team is well balanced throughout with an excellent defence, dominant midfield and forwards capable of scoring goals so it has to be felt the team is good enough to take the title. Manager Willie Maher is confident he has the players to win this division and will drive them hard in their quest to do so.
Several players are showing the desire to win with Jack Kehoe, Evan Maher, John Kavanagh and the Kenny brothers, Kieran and Kevin, all enjoying a good season.
A good cup run is also not beyond belief if the draw is good to them and they can get past St Josephs in the first round

Prediction: Team is definitely good enough to win this division and will do so if they work hard enough in the four vital games in the coming months

Women
As we head into the new year, the Women's team sit joint top of Division Three and remain unbeaten with five wins and a draw. As with the Youths team, the destination of the league title sits completely in their own hands and if they continue their good run into 2017, a league title is definitely possible.
Even at this stage they are seven points clear of third place so promotion is almost a definite at this stage although they do have some tricky games to come.
With a mixture of experience and youth, the team possess everything required to win the division and their goalscoring tally in the league is 21 for with just 2 against. Several players are capable of scoring goals with Sarah Merrigan, Sharon Walsh, Mary Boland, Tammy Hennessy and Kelli Maguire all finding the net on a regular basis while defensively the team is proving to be very strong.
Manager Peter Doyle is happy with the way the experience and youth has gelled together and if the team can remain injury free, they are well capable of enjoying a very successful season

Prediction: Team definitely good enough to win the league but will just need to be a little more clinical in front of goal and work harder at killing off games earlier

Men's Second Team
A poor start to the season, where they only picked up one point from a possible twelve, gave the impression that our men's second team were out of their depth in Division Four A. However in the nine games after that, they have only lost once and have pulled themselves from the bottom of the division up to third.
With Cloughbawn looking to have the title more or less wrapped up, St Josephs look set to finish second but our lads can still catch them if they can put in a consistent run in their remaining five games.
Players have hit form in front of goal at this important point of the season with John Ryan in particular beginning to pick off scores in vital matches, scoring the only goal of the game at home to Boolavogue being a typical example.
With a good mixture of the Youth team blending into this team as well as a good level of experience in the shape of James Hendrick, David Kennedy and Savo, this team are well capable of getting promoted for the second season in a row

Prediction: Well in for promotion and with a bit of good luck, runners up spot can still be achieved


Men's First Team
Our men's first team are having a topsy turvy season that could see them finish anywhere from relegated to promoted as they currently sit second from bottom but with five in games in hand on the teams around them.
A decent run in the LFA Junior Cup saw them knock out LSL side Enniskerry YC and Wexford League Premier side Kilmore United, before being eventually knocked out by Curracloe in the third round. Games being called off for various other reasons means that our lads have only played six league matches while most of the teams in the division have played twelve.
Two recent good wins at home to Wexford Bohs (3-0) and Curracloe United (6-0) has them poised just behind St Leonards and another win would see them rocket up the league table.
The team have an overall balance of youth and experience and is gelling well together with several players scoring goals and new signings Jason Maguire (goal) and Tommy Devereux (midfield) are both making a major impact on an already strong side.
As they have less than a third of their league season played, they can expect a busy 2017 which can be a good advantage if the team can stay injury and suspension free
Manager Joe Newe is confident that this side can make it to, and compete, in the Premier Division and this could be the season to achieve that ambition

Prediction: Anything can happen, from a season long battle against relegation to a strong push for promotion and on current form and confidence, it will be a big push for a top three finish....with two good cup runs thrown in for good measure

Men round out 2016 with big win

Wexford Football League Division One

Tombrack United  6  Curracloe United  0

The lads finished off 2016 in fine style when they completely overran Curracloe United 6-0 and although are lads are still second bottom in the table, they are putting their games in hand to great use and if they can keep up this form, two more wins will see them right in the middle of the promotion sides. Goals in the opening twenty minutes from Richie O Hara and Eoin Carton had the lads 2-0 ahead and although Curracloe did manage to pull themselves into the game they were unable to break down a resolute Tombrack defence.

A goal six minutes into the second half from James Coleman made life even more difficult for the visitors and although they once again enjoyed periods of possession, they were still unable to make any impact on the Tombrack goal. Goals from Jamie Walshe and Tommy Devereux within a minute of each other midway through the second half ended the game as a contest and Jamie Walshe got his second five minutes from the end to wrap up an important three points.

Cup games will take centre stage early in the new year with the opening rounds of the Wexford Cup and Neil O Sullivan Cup

Well done to all involved with this team, enjoy Christmas and continue on with this winning form in 2017. 

Results 11-12-2016

Wexford Football League Division One
Tombrack United  3  Wexford Bohs  0
A blistering second half performance saw our lads overcome a fancied Wexford Bohs 3-0 and move closer to catching the group in front of them and ironically if we won all our games in hand, we would move into a promotion place. The first half of this match was a dour affair with neither side creating any meaningful chances but the second half exploded into life when Bob Newe got on the end of a corner and volleyed an unstoppable shot to the roof of the net from thirty five yards out. This was the catalyst Tombrack needed and goals followed from Richie O Hara and James Coleman to wrap up a 3-0 win and a very important three points.

Wexford Football League Division Four A
Tombrack United  1  Boolavogue United  0
Our men's second team have gelled together excellently and have hit a good run of form and they kept their promotion chances alive when they overcame Boolavogue 1-0 in a very tight match. Both sides had goals disallowed in the first half before John Ryan lobbed the keeper midway through the second half to score. Boolavogue piled on the pressure but keeper Alan Owens and his defence held firm and the lads held on for a very important three points

Results 10-12-2016

Under Twelve Schoolgirls Cup First Round
Tombrack United  1  New Ross Celtic  5
Our Under Twelve girls battled hard against a very well organised New Ross Celtic side who led 5-0 at half time but a stronger performance from our girls in the second half saw them score a consolation through Ana Dragusin

Under Twelve Schoolboys Division Three
Shelburne FC  4  Tombrack United  1
Our lads started the day in joint second with Shelburne but found the Ballywilliam lads a strong physical side and despite matching them in football terms, they were eventually beaten 4-1. Stephen O Toole scored for Tombrack in a game that was much closer than the scoreline suggests

Under Fourteen Schoolboys Division Three
Tombrack United  4  Gorey Celtic "B"  1
Our lads proved too strong for Gorey Celtic and have moved to a safe midtable position after this 4-1 win. Even Maher scored twice with Conor O Toole and an own goal saw Tombrack take all three points

Under Sixteen Premier One
Tombrack United  12  Shelburne FC  1
Our girls made it five wins from five games and sit on top of the premier division heading into the Christmas break. They were always in control in this game and led 8-0 at half time and eventually ran out 12-1 winners. Nadine Fortune scored four, Becky Connaughton added a hat trick while Shannon McGovern, Nicola Ryan, Zoe Tobin Cosgrave, Kelli Maguire and a spectacular long range effort from Breda Cushen gave Tombrack all three points

Results 04-12-2016

Apologies for late reports this week but its for obvious reasons !!!

Wexford Football League Division Four A
Ajax Athletic  0  Tombrack United  6
Our men's second team are now well in contention for promotion after this 6-0 win away to Ajax on Sunday and with six games remaining, a good run in could see runners up spot a distinct possibility.
They dominated this game from start to finish and were well deserving of the three points with goals from Kevin Kenny, Kieran Kenny, James Hendrick, two from John Ryan plus an own goal from an Ajax defender. Home to Boolavogue in a crucial tie which will go a long way to determining the remainder of the season

Womens MMI.ie Wexford Cup First Round
Tombrack United  2  Seaview United B  0
The women rounded off 2016 with a win over Seaview United second team in the Wexford Cup and extended their impressive unbeaten run to seven games in all competitions. Tombrack were always in control in this game and never allowed the young visitors to settle into the game but did find them difficult to break down with Sharon Walsh, Sarah Merrigan and Kelli Maguire all going close for the home side. No goals in the first half but Tombrack continued to dominate the second half before Sarah Merrigan eventually broked the deadlock on seventy one minutes with a well struck shot to the roof of the net. Shannon McGovern went close twice before Mary Boland broke through a crowded defense five minutes from the end to shoot past the keeper and secure Tombrack's place in the last sixteen.
Another good overall team performance from the full squad and all who attended were well deserving of the Christmas drinks in Coleman's after the match

Squad: Ashling Kavanagh, Mary Martin, Lauren Byrne, Eimear Whelan, Mary Boland, Kelli Maguire, Sarah Merrigan, Marie Allen, Chloe Hayden Doyle, Sharon Walsh (Shannon McGovern)
Leanne Kenny (Katie O Toole)

Results 03-12-2016

Under Eleven Schoolboys Division Two A
Oylegate United  5  Tombrack United  3
Our Under Elevens were understrength against title challengers Oylegate United and they had to concede the game.However the did get some benefit from the day as they played a friendly with the home side running out 5-3 winners

Under Thirteen Schoolboys Division Three
Bree United  2  Tombrack United  4
Bob's philosophy of "total football" is beginning to show results as his Under Thirteens travelled to Bree and came away 4-2 winners, picking up their second win of the season. The lads played excellent passing football all the way through the game and led 4-0 with goals from Conor Walsh, Conor Salt, Colm Fortune and Robert McCrea. They did allow Bree back into the game to score two late goals and Tombrack came away with all three points

Under Fourteen Schoolgirls Division Two B
Wexford Youths  0  Tombrack United  8
Our Under Fourteen girls made it three wins from four games as they overcame Wexford Youths with eight goals to spare and move joint top of the table. A hat trick from Nadine Fortune, two goals from Shauna McGovern and one each from Zoe Tobin Cosgrave, Ana Dragusin and Tara Kenny gave the girls a vital three points and keeps them in contention in the title race

Under Fifteen Schoolboys Division Three
Tombrack United  6  Enniscorthy Town  0
The Under Fifteen boys bounced back from their shock defeat to Gorey Rangers with a 6-0 win over Enniscorthy Town who were just three points behind going into this game. This win keeps the lads well in contention for the title with the goals coming from David Power, Harry Fitzgibbon (2) and Josh McMullan (3)

Under Eighteen Schoolgirls League
St Leonards  1  Tombrack United  1
Only three points divide all five teams remaining in this league and our girls are well in the running after this well earned point away from home in Ballycullane. Becky Connaughton was the scorer midway through the second half but the home side levelled just a few minutes later. Tombrack were unlucky not to snatch the win as Becky and Shannon both went close in the dying minutes

Youths Boys Division Four
Ajax Athletic  1  Tombrack United  9
Our Youths remain unbeaten and well in contention for the title after they overcame a hard working Ajax side 9-1 and were well in control for long periods of the game. Kieran Kenny scored a hat trick of penalties with some untidy defending proving costly for the home side, his brother Kevin also scored a hat trick with John Kavanagh, Jack Kehoe and Sean Bookey all finding the net. The lads led 6-0 at the break where our defence and keeper were rarely troubled and we were unlucky not to be much further ahead and manager Willie Maher was disappointed with the chances missed. Ajax dug deep in the second half and defended strongly and restricted Tombrack's opportunities with the home keeper pulling off two top class saves. This Tombrack side is well balanced throughout from goalie, through defence, midfield and forwards and has the potential to win this division if they get the breaks and they can keep up their work rate. Their manager definitely believes his side have the potential and he is determined to get the best from this talented group of players