Aughanagh are All-Ireland U13 Futsal champions
CAN dreams really come true?
Well the answer is yes if you come from Ballinafad, Corrigeenroe or Castlebaldwin in the Parish of Aughanagh as their under 13 boys’ futsal team landed the All-Ireland Community Games title in Limerick.
Following on from winning the Sligo title and then going one step further and winning Connacht by beating Annaghdown of Galway, hopes were quietly optimistic within the parish that this group would put on a good showing at the National Finals at UL.
It emerged that they would be playing Carrickmacross of Monaghan, the Ulster Champions in the semi-final and that Ennis of Clare, the Munster Champions would take on Newbridge of Kildare, the Leinster Champions.
On paper, three huge towns with large populations seemed daunting.
The semi final was a very intense affair with the score locked at one a piece at half-time.
But the Aughanagh lads rose to the occasion in the second half and ran out comfortable 6 - 1 winners with five goals from Cian Carty and one from Barry Cryan.
In what was an assured and accomplished performance from the young Aughanagh lads throughout, pleased the management team of Darrell Healy, John O’Gara and Paul Scanlon.
They then found out that they would be playing Newbridge in the National Final.
You often hear managers talking about their players “leaving it all out there today on the pitch” and not a truer word could be said about the Aughanagh team’s performance.
Showing total commitment, passion and desire they took the game to Newbridge from the start. It was scoreless at half-time and then Aughanagh scored to go one up.
Newbridge’s response was instant and they equalized within minutes and then missed a penalty with three minutes remaining.
However Aughangh took the lead but again Newbridge responded and equalised just before full time. It would need extra time to separate these sides.
Once again, Aughanagh took the lead only for Newbridge to even things up again, but then came the defining moments.
First up a penalty for Newbridge which was brilliantly saved by Shane O’Dowd in the Sligo goals. While it was a great save and kept Aughanagh in the game it also seemed to galvanise and lift the Aughanagh lads spirits to give it one last go.
With just one minute remaining on the clock, a brilliant move which started with O’Dowd releasing the ball quickly to PJ Scanlon who in turn, fed Barry Cryan who evaded a tackle and threaded a through ball to Cian Carty who without stopping played a neat reverse ball around the corner which Arron Healy ran on to before burying his effort low into the bottom corner.
With only seconds left, which seemed like an eternity for all involved with Aughanagh the referee finally blew his whistle.
A final whistle which was accompanied by leaps and shouts of joy from players, management and supporters as the realisation slowly began to sink in that Aughanagh Parish were All-Ireland National Community Games Champions.
And while dreams can come true, days like these just don’t happen and great credit must be given to manager Darrell Healy and his coaches John O’Gara and Paul Scanlon who have been working tirelessly and on their own time over the past five years with this group of players right up through the age brackets.
Surely exciting times lie ahead for the local soccer team Aughanagh Celtic FC when these young men tog out for them.
The team, management and fans returned to the Parish on a loop of Castlebaldwin, Corrigeenroe and finishing in Ballinafad were greeted by bonfires and fans in every area.
Thankfully, there was no school the following morning!