July 29 Tournament Review for Town's U12's
Thanks to Pat O'Connor for penning the following comprehensive report on the Foyle Cup debut for David Boddy's team, Arklow Town U12's.  A great experience for the team, playing four highly competitive games and learning from the experience of tournament football, ending in Rosebowl success against BSA.  Town enjoyed four games, kicking off with a clash against noted Belfast side Shankill FC.  They then faced Scottish giants Motherwell and Donegal side Killea, resulting in Town going through to the Rosebowl competition.  There they faced Newry Celtic Bhoys FC and then BSA in the Final.

Tue 21/07/09
Arklow Town FC Vs Shankill YC
Prehan 1

Arklow Town’s prospective U12A team for next season got their first Foyle Cup experience off to the best possible start when they recorded a thumping 6-2 victory over their Belfast opponents Shankill FC in their first game of the competition at the Prehen playing fields on Tuesday.  Town had no prior knowledge of their opponents but went into the game full of confidence following two weeks of intensive training under Dave Boddy (Manager) and Lar Mahony (coach).  They started the game in a very positive manner and created their first chance as early as the third minute.  Dáire O'Conchubhair was fouled outside the box after being put through by Christopher O'Brien, and Cliona Crammond’s curling free kick was headed just over the bar by the inrushing Daniel O'Hare. Crammond was instrumental in the creation of the first goal in the 5th minute, taking Patrick Dempsey’s pass, beating two defenders on way to the end line and crossing for O'Conchubhair to slide the ball home from five metres. O'Hare had another fine effort just wide after 8 minutes and it was a full 10 minutes into the game before Shankill had a shot at goal, and indication of Town’s dominance in the opening quarter.  The second goal came in the 11th minute and was taken straight from the training ground sessions in the two weeks leading up to the tournament.  Crammond took a corner on the right hand side and after it was initially headed clear, Shane Beevor volleyed the ball home.  The game seemed to be put beyond Shankill’s reach in the 14th minute when Darren Furlong played O'Conchubhair through and the latter beat three defenders before slotting past the keeper for Town's third goal.  Shankill came more into the game in the last 5 minutes of the first half and won a number of free kicks in their attacking half of the field.  In the 21st minute one such free kick was converted by the centre forward and two minutes later the gloss was taken off Town’s first half performance when they conceded another goal from a free kick, despite the best efforts of William Horsman in Town’s goal.  The half time score was 3-2 in Town’s favour and they started the second half in a very impressive fashion, again forcing the play into Shankill’s half of the field.  Dave Boddy and Leslie Sharpe were in superb form in defence and they drove the team forward with their inspirational play at the heart of the Town defence.  FDrom one such attack O'Conchubhair was fouled and captain Darren Furlong (nominated man of the match by a Foyle Cup official) fired a brilliant free kick straight into the top corner of the net from all of 30 metres, leaving the score 4-2 in Town’s favour.  Leslie Sharpe almost scored another training ground goal in the 34th minute, when his header from a corner was cleared off the line by the Shankill full back.  The game was effectively wrapped up in the 35th minute when O'Hare’s well placed cross was headed home by O'Conchubhair, for his hat trick and the side’s fifth goal.  The second half followed the same pattern as the first half, with Town dominating and Shankill only having sporadic attacks, and 13 minutes of the second half had elapsed before they had their first shot on goal.  Manager Dave Boddy was forced to make 4 substitutions early in the second half,  three due to injury, but Aaron Healy, Michael Kennedy, Josh Moody and Tiernan Mellon all slotted seamlessly into the pattern of play and their fresh legs brought a new impetus to Town’s play in the closing 10 minutes. Two of the subs, Kennedy and Moody did the spade work for Town’s sixth and final goal, before O'Conchubhair returned the favour to O'Hare by setting him up for a fine strike into the bottom left hand corner of the net.  The final score was 6-2, and Town now faced into their next match against Motherwell FC ( Scotland) full of confidence.  Motherwell incidentally also won their first round match against Killea FC on a 2-0 scoreline.

Wed 22/07/09
Arklow Town v Motherwell FC 
Brandywell Sports Grounds

Arklow Town were brought back down to earth with a bang in their second round match against Motherwell ( Scotland), unable to deal with the pace, power and movement of Motherwell’s academy team.  The Scottish team were very slick in their passing and movement off the ball and got off to a blistering start, going 3-0 ahead after only 10 minutes of the first half.  Their well taken goals in the 5th, 7th and 10th minute were a shock to the system for Town, and these goals, coupled with a knee injury to Dave Boddy in the 14th minute, meant that they had an uphill battle for the remaining 35 minutes.  To their credit, Town became more resilient in the second period of the first half and Darren Furlong, Dáire O'Conchubhair and Aaron Healy all had half chances that troubled the Motherwell defence. Darren Furlong, a powerhouse in midfield, also suffered an injury in the 24th minute and the half time whistle did not come soon enough for managers Dave Boddy and PJ Furlong.  After the break, the result was sealed when Motherwell scored their 4th goal after building a quick attack along their right flank.  Town came much more into the match for the last 20 minutes and almost pulled a goal back in the 31st minute when Joshua Moody’s fine cross was headed onto the post by O'Conchubhair and then scrambled to safety by the Motherwell defence.  They also continued to offer great resistance to Motherwell’s more sporadic attacks and can thank right back Christopher O'Brien for a goal line clearance in the 33rd minute.  Tiernan Mellon also did well in goals and was smartly off his line on a number of occasions to prevent Motherwell going further ahead.  Town piled on the pressure in the last 5 minutes and Darren Furlong capped another excellent performance when forcing a well deserved penalty in the 46th minute.  He also stepped up to take the kick, and, although well struck, it came off the post and went wide - one goal would certainly have done justice to Town’s efforts in the second half.  The match finished on a 0-4 score line but it was consolation to Arklow to see their opponents top the 4 team group and progress all the way to the quarter finals before losing out to FS Academy on a 0-1 score line.

Arklow Town players and Sheffield United players enjoying a training session together prior to Town's meeting with Killea.

Thurs 23/07/09
Arklow Town v Killea FC
Lisnagelvin

Arklow Town’s third and final group match against Donegal side Killea FC did not go according to plan when they went down rather tamely on a 0-2 score line.  After the lessons learnt against Motherwell, it was expected that Town would guard against a quick start by their opponents but unfortunately they were caught napping again in the very first minute when Killea got through rather easily on their left side and scored a good goal, giving William Horsman no chance with the strike. Town again found themselves in a situation where they were chasing the game and without the injured Dave Boddy in central defence they were under pressure whenever Killea came forward with attacking moves. Town did get on top for the second period of the first half and created a good move in the 13th minute when O'Conchubhair and O'Hare combined well and set up Healy for a fine shot that was just wide.  Daniel O'Hare worked very hard up front and posed problems for the Killea defence on a number of occasions but he was unable to get the equalising goal by the time the half time whistle was blown.  Town almost went 0-2 down straight after the break but goalkeeper William Horsman came swiftly off his line and thwarted the Killea centre forward with an excellent save.  Centre back Christopher O'Brien came thundering into the game in the second half and he gave a man of the match performance in defence, regularly cutting out Killea’s attacking moves and also trying valiantly to set up an attack that might have led to an equaliser.  From one such O'Brien clearance, Dempsey and Healy combined well to force a corner and from the resultant set piece Leslie Sharpe was narrowly wide with a shot.  Town’s play in the closing stages became very scrappy and they paid a heavy price as Killea made a quick breakaway attack and scored the insurance second goal in the 40th minute.  The final score was 0-2 and this left Town with one win and two losses from their first round games, a creditable performance that left them third in the group and entry into the 4 team Rose Bowl competition.

Fri 24/07/09
Arklow Town v Newry Celtic
Oaklands Park

Arklow Town put their previous two performances behind them when they completely outclassed Newry Celtic in the semi final of the Rose Bowl competition at Oaklands Park in the Creggan on Friday afternoon.  Newry Celtic Bhoys FC, from the Down Schoolboys league, is the schoolboy club of former Northern Ireland international Jim Magilton. Magilton, who currently manages QPR, still retains a strong link with the club and sponsored the kit which Newry Celtic wore in their match against Arklow Town.  The early signs were not good in this game as Town made a very slow start, as they did to their cost in the previous two games, conceding a soft goal to their opponents in the 2nd minute of the match.  However Town did begin to dominate the play after this setback, with Darren Furlong having a snap shot at goal after 5 minutes and then Joshua Moody and Dáire O'Conchubhair combining to set up Aaron Healy for a headed equaliser in the 10th minute. Newry did mount one attack which led to a corner in the 16th minute but the kick was well batted away by William Horsman in the Town goals. The result was effectively sealed in a three minute spell before half time, O'Conchubhair’s quick throw in the 22nd minute setting up Daniel O'Hare for goal number 2 and Darren Furlong scrambling the ball across the line in the 25th minute for a third goal.  Arklow continued to dominate after the break, with man of the match Daniel O'Hare posing a real threat on the right flank of the attack - he made one great 50 metre run in the 30th minute only to see his final effort just shave the post.  Joshua Moody also had an excellent 50 minutes in central midfield and he posed a constant threat to the Celtic defence with his close ball control and penetrating runs from deep in midfield. O'Hare and Patrick Dempsey also linked up very well in the 37th minute and the latter’s powerful shot from just inside the box was well saved by the Celtic keeper. Captain Darren Furlong set up Michael Kennedy for his first goal of the tournament in the 47th minute and Kennedy executed a beautiful lob over the Celtic keeper before being mobbed by his delighted team-mates.  Sub Shane Beevor completed the rout in the 50th minute when he received a short corner from O'Hare and blasted thome for the 5th goal.  Town engaged in some exhibition type football in the 3 minutes of injury time, with Kennedy doing a Ronaldo-like stepover and O'Conchubhair trying his luck with a bicycle kick.  The final score was 5-1 in Town’s favour and it set them up for one more outing against Belfast side BSA in the Rose Bowl final.

Sat 25/07/09
Arklow Town v BSA
Ardmore

Arklow Town finished off their first ever Foyle Cup in great style with a narrow 2-1 win over BSA in the Rose Bowl final at the Ardmore Sports grounds on Saturday morning.  The victory was sealed in front of a large band of followers, comprising most of the player’s parents who followed the team throughout the week as well as the full U14 and U18 squads and management teams.  The Rose Bowl is the competition for all those teams who finish third in their four team group, and as the top 8 teams contest the Foyle Cup and the second 8 teams the Shield, this Rose Bowl win means that Town finished 17 of the 28 teams who participated in the tournament, an excellent performance from this very promising outfit. BSA is the Beckett Sports Academy, a soccer academy based in Ballymoney, Co. Antrim and founded by Liam Beckett, a former League of Ireland soccer player with Drogheda United in the 70’s and 80’s.  Town were dealt a severe blow before the game started when centre back Dave Boddy failed a fitness test after suffering a bad knee injury in one of the group matches.  Darren Beevor and Dáire O'Conchubhair also both suffered injuries in the opening 5 minutes of the match but were able to continue after treatment.  Beevor, who was also on medication for a throat infection on the morning of the match, went on to put in a man of the match performance in his left back position and one was one of the main architects of this great win. Town took the lead in the 12th minute when the livewire Daniel O'Hare was fouled inside the box and he then got up and blasted the penalty to the net. Darren Furlong got a chance to repeat his heroics of the Shankill match when he got a free kick 30 metres from goal but his effort on this occasion was well over the bar. Town went two up in the 19th minute when O'Conchubhair headed home O'Hare’s corner and Town played out the remainder of the half in a cautious manner and did not allow BSA any shot on goal.  BSA came more into the game in the second half and forced a number of free kicks inside the first 5 minutes, none of which yielded any dividend.  They did make one of these kicks pay off however in the 37th minute when their number 7 struck home a powerful shot from all of 35 metres to leave the score 2-1.  The last 13 minutes were nerve wrecking for team and supporters alike as Town fought valiantly to hold on to their one goal advantage.  Sub Cliona Crammond came on for the injured Josh Moody in the 40th minute and she made a number of forays into the BSA half of the field that helped considerably to take the pressure off the overworked Town defence.  Town managed to hold out for a famous win and captain Darren Furlong then had the honour of accepting the Rose Bowl trophy on behalf of his team-mates.

July 25 Town lift Foyle Cup Rosebowl after penalty drama
Hot on the heels of last night's drama involving the U18's, the U14's provided more than their fair share of excitement in the Foyle Cup Rosebowl Final against Dublin's Shelbourne FC this morning in Derry.  A fifth game in five days, for both sides, tiredness was always to play a part and indeed both sides looked lethargic at times.  However, an excellent spectacle and the match ebbed and flowed, with the Dublin side marginally enjoying a greater share of possession throughout.  Once again Town's work ethic was second to none, the defence supreme.  Chances few and far between for both sides though Ryan Murray, Town's keeper, was superb when called into action, a number of one on ones going Murray's way each time.  Three minutes from time, Arklow hearts were in mouths as Shels broke through but again Murray denied the Dublin side a late winner.  Into penalties and the real drama.  Cormac Breslin slotted home the first; followed by David Tompkins.  Ryan Murray then saved but Shane Walker was unlucky with the following spot kick, the Shels keeper denying the Arklow frontman.  Shels levelled and with further successful spot kicks from Ryan Murray, Gary O'Neill and Sean Byrne the deadlock remained unbroken, 4-4.  Into sudden death and Town, through Michael Walker and Colm Mythen, went 7-6 ahead.  Keeper Murray then saved the next Shels penalty kick but Arklow celebrations were quickly put on hold as the referee ordered a re-take, and that was dispatched beyond the reach of Murray to level the final oncemore.  Aaron Byrne then saw his spot kick saved, to give Shelbourne a chance to win the shoot out.  However, their spot kick was put wide, much to the relief of the Town players.  Shaun Tyrrell then smashed home a fimrly struck spot kick to put Town into the driving seat oncemore.  Again, Shels levelled.  Cormac Byrne then slotted Arklow ahead again, 9-8, and hero of the penalty shoot out keeper Ryan Murray then saved Shelbourne's last penalty kick, sparking great celebrations amongst players and supporters alike - Arklow Town thus winning the Foyle Cup Rosebowl Final 2009.

July 25 Rosebowl title for Town's U12's
A highly successful first taste of tournament football for our U12's ended with sweet Rosebowl Final success in Derry earlier today.  Facing northern academy side BSA Town made an excellent start, some nice passages of play, using the full width of the pitch.  Daniel O'Hare, who enjoyed an exceptional game today, opened the scoring for Town, from the penalty spot after being felled in the area.  Inside five minutes Town had doubled their lead, a corner from Aaron Healy finding the head of Dáire O'Conchubhair and he steered home Town's second goal.  With the cushion of a two goal lead Town played with great confidence and it could be argued that the half time break served the team no favours, such was their dominance at the time.  After the break BSA came storming back into the game and halved Town's lead with a set piece strike.  Town's Darren Beevor almost made a miraculous goal line clearance trying to keep the ball out, another of Town's players today to enjoy an excellent hour of football.  Darren Furlong slotted well into the right back position when injury forced David Boddy to retire early.  Christopher O'Brien and Patrick Dempsey were at the heart of everything defensively as BSA knocked on the door a few times seeking that precious equaliser.  Town however spurned one or two late chances to put distance between the sides, hitting the northern team on the counter.  At the final whistle, great celebrations amongst the Arklow following, and an excellent debut in Foyle Cup action had been rewarding, Town's U12's being crowned Foyle Cup Rosebowl Winners 2009.

July 24 Minogue takes centre stage with last minute winning header
Wow!  Oh where to start on a dramatic evening in Derry - an evening that, ultimately, ended in sheer (and deserved) joy for Town's U18's and the huge support on the line there to cheer them to Foyle Cup Shield success.  Rewinding back to kick off time, Town facing Donegal's Letterkenny Rovers, it was the north west side who began the brighter.  Truth be told, Town looked a tired team having put in so much effort with five games played on five successive evenings against very strong opposition.  Throw in a few injuries here and there, and at times, whether they would admit it or not, Town had been competing, slightly handicapped, against the best of the Foyle Cup.  However, lethargy or otherwise, it does not take away from the fact that Town were poor in the first half and on the quarter hour mark paid the price as Letterkenny profited from an unstoppable bullet header from a corner kick.  A great goal, and nothing Town keeper Jason Earls could do to stop it.  Amidst the Letterkenny celebrations few would have thought that come the end of the match, a similar finish would trigger wild celebrations unparalleled.  Town rarely threatened in the first half though midfielder Daniel Ledwith almost levelled matters with a free kick from twenty yards out, curling beyond the Letterkenny wall and crashing off the bottom of the near post, inches from glory.  We'll be polite and refer to the half time team talk as "productive".  Town emerged in the second half a wholly different team, attacking, quite literally, from the restart.  Beginning to dominate the game, Town pressed forward continuously and though spurning a number of chances to level they did not panic.  Midway through the half, Jonathan Kelty netted an absolute cracker of a goal, operating out wide right and cutting inside beyond his marker he took one brief glance goalwards before unleashing, almost in 'slow motion' style, a glorious curling left footed effort that sailed into the top left hand corner of the Letterkenny goal.  Like all good sides, Letterkenny rallied.

Once again, as has been the case all week, Town's rearguard rose superbly to the occasion.  The back four of Ciarán Byrne, Paul Rice, Domhnall Minogue and the returning from injury Aaron Barry were nothing short of excellent tonight.  Indeed, Barry playing through the pain barrier, tackled as though his life depended on it.  The central pairing of Rice and Minogue have been sheer quality all tournament and tonight was in keeping with other games.  Byrne, at right back, has also enjoyed a wonderful tournament and these four have been the rock upon which a tournament success has been built.  Likewise, up front, Dara Verney, oncemore a tireless worker for the cause, great running and the first line of defence; another superb shift from the front man.  He was replaced late on by the fresher legs of Darragh Culleton.  With just sixty seconds remaining in the Final and penalties imminent, a corner kick was awarded to Arklow Town.  Adam Hanlon passed short to Daniel Ledwith, both excellent again tonight, and Ledwith, with a mercurial touch, chipped across a deliciously weighted ball for the incoming express train that was defender Domhnall Minogue.  Minogue met the ball perfectly and his header almost exploded through the back of the net, such was the ferocity of his header.  Wild celebrations erupted on the Arklow line with Minogue's dramatic late late winner, a fantastic sight for all involved with Arklow Town Football Club and they were repeated again moments later when the full time whistle was blown, with Town lifting the Foyle Cup Shield.  The support present this evening for the U18's was nothing short of phenomenal and the management want to sincerely thank all those who travelled up to Derry to support them, and the other two Town sides.  All U12 and U14 players were in attendance this evening, along with parents and families, to enjoy and to celebrate a fantastic win for Town's U18 team:  Foyle Cup Shield Winners 2009.

July 24 Town's 12's and 14's reach Finals
Fine wins earlier this afternoon for both Town's U12's and U14's, with both sides winning their respective Rosebowl semi finals to gain places in tomorrow's Finals.  The U12's bounced back from a disappointing defeat against Killea to overwhelm Newry Celtic, winning 5-1.  First half goals from Aaron Healy, Darren Furlong and Daniel O'Hare put Town well on their way to the final and when Michael Kennedy beautifully lobbed the Newry keeper to extend Town's lead in the second half the result was beyond doubt.  Shane Beevor added a fifth, to book Town's place in the Final, where they will meet northern academy side BSA.  The U14's meanwhile rode their luck a little before winning 2-1 against Derry side Maiden City Academy.  Town opened well and deservedly took the lead when striker Shane Walker intercepted a square ball across the park and clean through he remained composed as he coolly slotted home past the keeper.  Lee Kenny, who was unfortunate to miss out on last month's trip to the Kennedy Cup, on WDSL duty, netted the winner to place Town into tomorrow's Final where they willl meet Shelbourne, who accounted for Carniny Youth in the other semi final.  Well done to both sides.

July 23 Town advance to Shield Final
A cracking game in Burndennet, Derry this evening saw Town overcome a very strong challenge from Monaghan United, to win through to the Shield Final tomorrow evening.  The League of Ireland club fielded a very strong starting eleven - a feature throughout the Foyle Cup campaign so far for Town, facing Irish League and League of Ireland clubs, being the size and physicality of all opponents thus far.  However, once again Arklow Town opened well and had Monaghan on the retreat.  Adam Hanlon was taken down on the edge of the box and the Town player himself struck the free kick, brilliantly saved by Monaghan's keeper.  Two minutes later, Hanlon was again running directly at the opposition, taken down ten yards outside the area.  Up stepped Daniel Ledwith to fire home an exquisite free kick to the top left hand corner, a wonderful finish and just reward for Town's bright opening to the game.  The goal spurred Town on and they continued to dominate the first half but with no further goals it was Ledwith's set piece that seperated the sides at the break.  Jack Tim Murphy replaced Hanlon for the second half, the latter suffering from injury.  Town doubled their lead in the eighth minute of the second half, with Daniel Ledwith picking up a loose ball in a central midfield position, Laying off to Jonathan Kelty, the Town midfielder found Darragh Culleton bursting through Monaghan's back line and a delicious ball over the top was superbly met by Culleton, and with a wonderful first touch he lobbed the keeper to double Town's lead.  Monaghan responded well, hitting Town on a counter attack with a direct ball that saw their forward and Arklow keeper Jason Earls racing for a 50/50 ball with the Monaghan player netting after a heavy collission between the players, resulting in Earls being forced to retire from the game, replaced by Cormac O'Brien.  Monaghan grew in confidence, chasing an equaliser and put Town's defence under immense pressure.  However, Arklow's defensive unit were oncemore outstanding - superb performances from Paul Rice, Domhnall Minogue, Ciarán Byrne, Clive Crammond and James Scallan.  Town regained a two goal advantage from the penalty spot after excellent work by Darragh Culleton.  Surging forward, Culleton swept past two Monaghan defenders and on the by line on the edge of Monaghan's box he cut through a further two defenders before being taken down.  Paul Werder duly converted the spot kick to put Town 3-1 ahead.  Karl Kirwan replaced Jonathan Kelty and Dara Verney replaced Paul Werder as Town focused on protecting the lead, with both substitutes working superbly well to ensure Town advanced to tomorrow's Shield Final, where they will face Letterkenny Rovers.  Kick off in the Final is at 7pm and a match report will appear here late on Friday evening.

July 23 Breslin strike sees Town advance to Maiden challenge
Buoyed by an excellent performance yesterday against Glasgow Celtic, Town's U14's finished the group stage of this year's Foyle Cup with a highly encouraging performance and win over northern side Coleraine FC.  A good performance once again from all the players was capped with a fine goal coming from midfielder Cormac Breslin.  Defensively Town proved a strong unit with the northerners unable to penetrate the back line.  Today's win sees Town advancing to the semi final of the Rosebowl where they will face Maiden City Academy.  No doubt a tough battle lies in waiting for the Arklow side but with confidence renewed they go into the game in high spirits.  Unfortunately, for a second day running, Town's U12's, according to the Foyle Cup website, were defeated by Killea FC, 2-0 to the northern side.  No report on that game as of yet, hopefully to follow.  Town will now face Newry Celtic in the Rosebowl semi final tomorrow.

July 22 Sickener for 18's with late penalties sparing the hosts
A superb performance from Town's U18's was somewhat lost in the immediate aftermath after a controversial ending to tonight's crucial meeting with Derry City saw the hosts netting two very late penalties to advance to the semi final of the Foyle Cup.  The hosts, an excellent side, had started brightly and took a first half lead after an initial goalbound effort was blocked, the rebound eluding all and looping beyond Town keeper Cormac O'Brien.  Arklow rallied, ably marshalled at the heart of defence by the superb Paul Rice and Domhnall Minogue, and were soon level, from the spot after Dara Verney had been felled by the home keeper.  Adam Hanlon, again a tireless worker for the cause, slotted home with aplomb to level matters.  Goal chances were then few and far between, though Town just about held the upper hand.  Town spurned a glorious chance to take a lead when a goalmouth scramble was somehow cleared.  Jonathan Kelty almost put Town ahead in this crucial winner takes all clash, his shot rebounding off the Derry crossbar.  In the second half the frustration amongst the massed ranks of home support was evident and also within the home management, the clock ticking and though both teams required a win to secure a place in the last four of the prestigious Foyle Cup it was increasingly dawning on the home side that they were minutes away from exiting the tournament, consigned to the other competitions.  With each and every Derry attack the Derry management were screaming at the referee and late in the game it proved a worthwhile tactic as a highly contentious penalty was granted to the home side, and despite Arklow protests it was slotted home.  To rub salts into fresh wounds the referee then compounded matters when handing the home side another dubious spot kick, again dispatched, to seal a barely believable 3-1 win for the home side.  Luck most certainly has not accompanied the injury hit 18's so far in their Foyle Cup campaign and after conceding three penalties against very strong opponents and having a player sent off in the three games to date, Town will hope for a better rub of the green when facing Monaghan United in the Shield semi final tomorrow evening.

July 22 Late late show denies magnificent Town
With Town's U14's opening game of the tournament ending in disappointing defeat against a decent Ballinamallard side and Glasgow Celtic, hot favourites for the tournament, cruising past the hapless Coleraine on a 13-0 scoreline, it could be argued that not many 'neutrals' would have given Town much of a chance today against the vaunted Scottish giants.  However, a sizeable crowd in attendance this afternoon, largely to follow the Hoops to their expected triumph, were given a stern reminder that this Arklow Town U14 side can play football!  Admittedly it was the Scottish side who enjoyed most possession but they grew increasingly frustrated, both on and off the field, unable to find a way through an Arklow side that quite simply, gave it their all, collectively speaking.  No personal plaudits for our players today as each and every last one of them played out of their skin and, perhaps ironically, in a week where Shamrock Rovers were the butt of many's humour before facing the Galactico's of Real Madrid, a similar outcome befell our own boys today, going down 2-0 to not one but two very late strikes, both agonisingly scrappy goals.  Not one player though could be faulted for the commitment applied and even though eventually defeated they left the pitch with heads held high.  The Scottish giants were held until seven minutes from time, when a fortuitous effort somehow evaded a mass of bodies in the Town six yard box, ending in the back of the excellent Ryan Murray's net.  Arklow striker Shane Walker almost levelled immediately, his effort on goal almost snatching a deserved draw for Town.  However, Celtic added a second goal in the last moments to breathe a massive sigh of relief, overcoming a stern challenge from Town.  Meanwhile, over at the Brandywell Showgrounds, Arklow Town's U12 team were in action, also facing favoured Scottish opposition, Motherwell.  With both sides comfortable victors in their opening ties, a place in the quarter final was almost guaranteed for today's winners, and it was the 'Well who started like a house on fire, with Town slow out of the blocks and three goals down before the half hour mark.  Town found their rhythm and began to match their opponents, even spurning a route back into the game with a missed penalty.  A fourth goal late on confirmed Motherwell's superiority but aside a poor opening it was a highly competent display from Town's 12's and a valuable experience for the team.

July 21 Town bounce back into contention with excellent win
After last night's immense disappointment with an overly harsh final scoreline against Linfield leaving Town to lick their wounds, the boys bounced back in fine style earlier this evening when facing Lisburn Distillery in a crucial Foyle Cup U18 section tie.  Distillery, having earned a point from their first outing, against Institute FC (who defeated Linfield tonight), may have viewed Town's 4-0 to Linfield and keenly fancied themselves tonight.  However, it was Arklow Town who began brightly, playing some nice football at a steady tempo, dictating matters in the opening quarter.  Town were rewarded for their dominance when Jonathan Kelty found Jack Tim Murphy out on the left flank.  Murphy, with a devilish swivel one way and then the other, left his marker bemused before crossing to find Dara Verney in the Distillery area unmarked.  Tight control from Verney, turning on a six pence, before firing home a deserved lead goal for Town.  In truth, Town never looked back from that moment, with the midfield in particular dominating the game.  Behind them, the defence were outstanding when called upon, notably Paul Rice and Ciarán Byrne, excellent throughout.  Behind them a composed performance from keeper Jason Earls, commanding in his area and quick to react to anything Distillery created in attack.  Adam Hanlon, as ever, a bundle of energy out wide right and he was just one of Town's many unsung heroes this evening, putting in a solid shift to ensure Town go into tomorrow evening's meeting with hosts Derry City with a chance still to reach the semi finals of the Foyle Cup.  Derry were held this evening to a 1-1 draw with Exeter City and with other results appearing favourable, not only to Town, it looks as though tomorrow evening's action across the U18 age group could be exciting and tense in equal proportions, with only Scottish side Motherwell sitting on two wins from their first two performances.  The game against Derry City kicks off at 7pm and updates will appear here during the game, with a report to follow shortly afterwards.

July 21 Six of the best sees Town make perfect start
An excellent start to the Foyle Cup for Arklow Town U12's, with a convincing 6-2 win over Belfast side Shankill YC.  Town were pretty much on top throughout the game, dominating for long spells and were leading 3-2 at the half time interval, having conceded two late first half goals to set piece plays.  Dáire O'Conchubhair opened the scoring for Town and Shane Beevor soon doubled Arklow's lead.  O'Conchubhair then added his second and Town's third.  After the break Arklow pushed on with Darren Furlong, Town's man of the match today, firing home a superb free kick from distance. To crown a fine team performance Dáire O'Conchubhair completed a hat trick - one with his left foot, one with the right and another, a headed effort - and Town's victory was sealed with Daniel O'Hare netting late in the game.  The U12's will now face Motherwell tomorrow in the Brandywell Showgrounds.  Disappointment though for our U14's, losing 2-0 in their opening fixture against Ballinamallard United.  They face Scottish giants Glasgow Celtic tomorrow, knowing a win is vital if to entertain any notion of advancing from the group stage.  The U18's face Lisburn Distillery later this evening.

July 20 Luck deserts Town in Foyle Cup opener
A full time scoreline reading 4-0 in favour of a very very good Linfield side does not truly reflect a good contest between Town's U18 side and the northern giants, in tonight's opening Foyle Cup encounter.  Town opened well and were arguably the better side in a scoreless first half, often worrying the more fancied Belfast side.  Town midfielder Daniel Ledwith went closest to opening the scoring, with a 40 yard volley that skimmed the Linfield post with the keeper beaten.  Town's fortunes took a harsh nosedive as early as the fifth minute of the second half when a well worked corner kick set piece from Linfield saw an attacker forcibly head goalwards.  Unfortunately for defender James Scallan the powerful header smashed off his shoulder but the referee pointed to the spot, awarding the northern side a penalty.  To compound Town's woes he flashed a red card at Scallan, and he now misses tomorrow evening's clash with Lisburn Distillery.  With the penalty duly slotted home the Belfast side pressed forward with their advantage, both in terms of goals scored and players.  Within ten minutes the game was well beyond Town, conceding a further three goals.  Town did rally though and with their best move of the game they were unlucky not to secure a consolation goal.  Substitute Jonathan Kelty, picking up in central midfield found defender Clive Crammond overlapping on the left and a superb touch from Crammond found midfielder Ledwith bursting through, with his first touch a certain goal only to be denied by a marvellous save from the Linfield keeper.  Disappointment for the team in defeat but hopefully they will bounce back tomorrow evening when facing Lisburn Distillery, who drew earlier this evening with Institute FC.

July 20 Under 18's kick off Foyle Cup challenge with Linfield test
Arklow Town Under 18's are first into Foyle Cup action with a meeting later this evening against northern giants Linfield.  Town are of course once again delighted to be invited back to the prestigious Foyle Cup, hosted by the Derry and District Youth FA.  Tournament organiser and chairman of the DDYFA, Michael Hutton, is delighted with the record entry in terms of teams participating, claiming that, "once again the Foyle Cup has demonstrated its ability to attract the absolute cream of football talent to Derry, both from home and abroad.”  The Foyle Cup has accepted entries from countries all over the world with top class teams from clubs like Montpellier HSC of Ligue 1 in France, Ferencváros of Hungary as well as Football League clubs from all over the UK and Ireland, travelling to compete in what has become one of Europe’s most respected and highly regarded youth soccer tournaments.  In 2004, Arklow Town's under 11 team, playing as a WDSL county team, lifted the Danone Cup and with this national success were invited to compete in the Foyle Cup, where they defeated Belvedere in the Bowl Final.  Invited back in 2006, then playing at under 14 level, the Arklow club were oncemore successful, reaching the Bowl Final where they defeated Coleraine.  Last season Town lifted the under 16 Plate, defeating Inishowen in the final despite being hampered with a number of injuries before and during the tournament.  Due to Arklow's success over previous seasons, Michael Hutton has extended the invitation to Town this summer with the Arklow side now sending three teams to Derry.  Notably, Arklow Town's under 12's are eagerly anticipating beginning their player pathway programme with a trip up north.  A stern task awaits the under 12's, set to face renowned Belfast club Shankill YFC in their opening game.  Their second group fixture sees them facing the might of Scottish side Motherwell and they will then meet northern side Killea FC (replacing NW Coleraine YL) in their last group game.  Sheffield United have entered a team into the under 12 section and the intriguing prospect remains whereby the English side could yet face Arklow's under 12 side in competition, so soon after both clubs formalised a co-operative partnership agreement.  Town's under 14 side have been drawn in the same group as Glasgow Celtic and alongside facing the Scottish giants they will also tackle highly respected northern clubs Ballinamallard United and Coleraine in their bid to reach the quarter final stage of the competition.  Equally daunting, the challenge facing Town's under 18 side is to state the obvious.  Town's under 18's have been drawn to face the cream of northern football, opening their campaign with a tough assignment against Linfield.  They then face Lisburn Distillery before tackling the hosts Derry City in the last group game.  With twenty teams entered into the under 18 section, all clubs face three games before seeding takes effect to determine who plays for the Foyle Cup, Plate, Shield, Bowl and Vase.  A tough ask for the Arklow sides but one they will relish.

July 12 Town sides set for Foyle Cup
Three Arklow Town sides are eagerly looking forward to their trek north for this summer's Foyle Cup.  The Foyle Cup is a prestigious youth tournament, now in its seventeenth year, played in Derry and over the years many famous names have appeared at the pivotal tournament.  Town's U18 team are the first Arklow side into action, facing noted Northern Irish side Linfield in their opening game, on Monday July 20.  Twenty teams have been entered into the U18 Foyle Cup competition with all sides playing three games, on successive evenings (7pm kick offs) before seeding takes effect to determine who plays in the Cup, Shield, Rose Bowl and Vase sections.  Town will face Lisburn Distillery in Strabane on Tuesday July 21 and complete a trilogy of games against northern opposition when facing hosts Derry City on Wednesday July 22.

Our U14 side are one of twenty four teams vying for Foyle Cup glory with the format seeing six groups of four teams, with the group winners and two best runners up qualifying for the Foyle Cup quarter finals.  Other teams will then be seeded to play in the supplementary tournaments.  Town have placed in Group 4 and will face Ballinamallard United, Glasgow Celtic and Coleraine.  Ballinamallard, the Fermanagh side, are Town's opening opposition, meeting in Burndennet on Tuesday July 21 at 3.30pm.  Glasgow Celtic meet Town on Wednesday July 22, in Ardmore at 3pm, and Town's last group opponents will be Coleraine FC, at Templemore Central on Thursday July 23, again kicking off at 3pm.

Town's U12 team, experiencing their first venture in Foyle Cup action, are one of twenty eight teams competing for honours.  The competition sees seven groups of four teams in each with the group winners and best runners up advancing to the quarter final stage of the Foyle Cup.  Other teams will then be seeded to play in supplementary competitions.  Town, drawn in Group E, open their account with a meeting against Shankill YFC, at Prehen 1 on Tuesday July 21, kicking off at 3.30pm.  Wednesday afternoon sees Town facing Scottish side Motherwell at Derry City's Brandywell Showgrounds, 3pm the kick off time.  Town complete their group action with a meeting against NW Coleraine YL, at Lisnagelvin 2, again 3pm the kick off time.

Best of luck to all sides competing.