Galway U15s return with bronze medals from Poland

Keith Kelly

THE Galway FA U-15 side which travelled to Poland at the weekend to take part in an invitational tournament came home with the bronze medal, despite being the youngest squad in the competition.

The squad – which travelled to Torun after the Galway United Supporters’ Trust passed on an invite to the tournament to the Galway FA – finished second in its group to qualify for the tournament semi-finals, and while lost that last four encounter, they went on to claim third place with a 2-1 win in the third/fourth place play-off.

The Galway side – which was under the management of Nigel Keady and Derek Rogers – was drawn in a group with three Polish sides, including eventual tournament winners, Elana Torun.

The Galway outfit lost their group game with Elana on a 3-1 scoreline, with Ryan Forde getting the goal, which proved to be the only goal conceded by Elana Torun throughout the tournament.

 The Renmore FC youngster scored all four of Galway’s goal in the group stages, scoring in the 1-1 draw with Pomorzanin Torun, and hitting a brace in the 2-0 win over another Polish side, Bydgoszcz.

Those results meant that Galway finished second in the group behind Elana Torun, and in the process book a semi-final slot against French outfit, Com Bagneux from Paris, and despite a gutsy performance, the Galway boys lost 1-0 to a late goal.

That saw them go into a third & fourth place play-off with Polish side Legia Chelmza, and Keady’s youngsters ended on a winning note, claiming the bronze medal with a 2-1 win courtesy of a penalty from Aidan Coyle (Hibs) and a stunning strike from Adam Quirke (Renmore).

Forde was selected by the tournament’s organisers as Galway’s top player, an accolade also bestowed on him by his fellow squad members.

“The lads really did themselves proud,” said Tommy Shields, who was Head of Delegation. “They only lost two games in the tournament, and both of those were against U-17 sides, and they were the only team to score against the tournament winners, Elana.

“They lost that group game 3-1, but the third goal for Elana only came at the end of the game as the lads were pushing for an equaliser; while the French side also scored a late goal to beat us in the semi-final.

For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.