Our U11 team headed south of the border for their first game of the season earlier this evening where they played Cooley.

The standard of football right across the park was high and there certainly wasn't any evidence of the recent lockdown such was the pace of the game.

In the early exchange of the first 20 minutes Dromintees shooting accuracy was a cause for concern until the 6th minute of the game when Ben Mc Coy steadied himself to take a fine score from the right hand side of the field. This seemed to settle the team with Dromintee notching up another 6 points without reply with the other scores coming from Oisin Byrne, Ronan Martin and Ollie Rice all of which were a team effort with off the ball running and accurate off loading by Neil Evans, Alex Healy and mid field duo of Petie Rice and Scott Harris.

Our half back line of Tomas Fox, Aodan O’Neill and Conor Graham never allowed the Cooley mid field and half forward line to break their line such was the intensity of the tackling and determination to be first to the ball. When Cooley moved their tactics to the long ball in this period the full back line of Jarlath O‘Neill, Louie Winters and Cathal Rice with Micael Kelly between the posts stood firm to hold off the challenge and forced the home team to kick a number of wides, such was the pressure applied. As the whistle blew for the end of the first period Dromintee were 0-7 to 0-0 ahead with the aid of a light breeze.

The second period saw a number of changes to the team with the introduction of the remainder of the panel. The first 5 minutes of this period saw the hoists score 2 goals without reply. That didn't distract the teams job at hand and Dromintee quickly replied with a flurry of scores coming from the boots of Neil Evans, Ollie Rice, Oisin Byrne, Jarlath ONeill, Peter Rice, Ronan Martin, Ben Mc Coy, Scott Harris and Lily Mc Bennett. A number of these scores came from the hard work and fearsome tackling of the full back and half back line which now included Kyle Mc Mahon, Oisin Mc Crink and Oliver Kissward. This period of football ended 0-13 to 3-01 to the visitors.

The third and final period saw the team continue to move ball at same pace with the 6 points of the half coming from 6 different players. At the final whistle, score line was Dromintee 0-26 Cooley 3-01.

While the score line was flattering it did not reflect the challenge which Cooley presented.

It also highlighted to management certain aspects of the game that team and players need to work harder on.

All round good evenings football. Thanks to Cooley for hosting and to parents for getting kids to game.

Panel

1. Alexander Healy

2. Aodhan O‘Neill

3. Ben Mc Coy

4. Jarlath O‘Neill

5. Kyle Mc Mahon

6. Louis Winters

7. Oisin Byrne

8. Oisin Mc Crink

9. Oliver Kissward

10. Ollie Rice

11. Miceal Kelly

12. Peter Rice

13. Ronan Martin

14. Scott Harris

15. Thomas Fox

16. Neil Evans

17. Cathal Rice

18. Connor Graham

19 Lilly Mc Bennett