All four adult teams as well as our youths team are now underway for the 2020/21 season. Our Ladies A team were victorious on the opening weekend but suffered defeat this weekend to Ballingarry.

Meanwhile our Ladies B team made history this weekend by becoming the first “B” side for any club in the history of the Limerick Desmond Ladies League. Unfortunately, it proved a difficult start, falling 3-0 at home to Kilcolman Rovers.

Both junior men’s sides were in action. Earlier on Sunday, our A team continued where they left off in Division One, defeating Creeves Celtic 2-1, played in challenging conditions away from home. Later in the day, our B team made their seasonal bow, and drew 3-3 with Askeaton. This point came despite having trailed 2-0 early on.

Elsewhere, on Saturday, our Youths side, which has many players playing above their age-group, lost 3-1 in their season opener, to Killeaney.

Ladies Premier Division:
Ballingarry 3-0 Breska Rovers
Playing with a strong wind in the first half, Breska Rovers were unable to make it pay and a number of chances to take a half-time advantage were squandered. This came back to haunt our ladies with Ballingarry hit three without reply after the interval to take the points.

The result leaves Breska with three points after the opening two games – after a deserved 3-2 victory over Charleville on the opening weekend. Management selected Emma Ranahan as POTM – Emma has settled into her new club at ease. Manager Declan Normoyle will be pleased with the start but somewhat frustrated to suffer a first defeat of the season.

Team: Ciara Nolan; Hazel O’Connor (joint-capt), Leisha Horgan, Aoife Cliffe, Emma Ranahan; Kristine Collins, Lindley Waters, Ciara Barrett, Orlaith O’Neill; Pauline Vijandran, Melissa Reid (joint-capt)

Subs Used: Jenny Normoyle for Kristine Collins (half-time), Aoife Ryan for Ciara Nolan (half-time), Sarah O’Dea for Ciara Barrett (60 mins), Niamh Qulligan for Aoife Ryan (65 mins).

Subs: Sarah Mitchell, Laura Collins

Ladies Division One:
Breska Rovers B 0-3 Kilcolman Rovers
Our Ladies team were defeated 3-0 at home by Kilcolman on Sunday. A new team may take time to gel and get up to the level required, however the scoreline doesn’t do our side justice. Kilcolman, to their credit took their chances and we open our Division One account with a defeat. There was plenty to be positive going forward. Claire Doolan, on her first competitive appearance for the club was selected as POTM.

Team: Aoife Ryan; Emma O’Sullivan (joint-capt), Lisa Garvey, Clodagh Carmody, Aoife O’Connor; Claire Doolan, Niamh Quilligan, Sarah Mitchell, Jen O’Connor, Davida O’Brien; Laura Collins (joint-capt)

Subs Used: Triona Bannon for Davida O’Brien (50 mins), Regina O’Connor for Jen O’Connor (55 mins), Lisa Reilly for Claire Doolan (65 mins), Denise Dunne for Sarah Mitchell (70 mins), Kate Healy for Laura Collins (70 mins).

Men’s Division One:
Creeves Celtic 1-2 Breska Rovers

As with 2019/20, we started our season with a trip to Creeves. For long periods it looked like the hosts would take something from this game, however, a strong final quarter from Aodhagan Behan’s side saw Breska reverse a goal deficit and take the points.

Creeves led 1-0 on 43 minutes when their full-back picked out the top corner with a right-footed shot from the left wing.

We trailed until the final quarter where we finally got on top.

Nigel Mann saw an opening and sprinted through the middle to level the game. His first time shot made possible by a perfectly weighted pass from Keith McNicholas.

The lead came thanks to Josh Fitzgerald. Niall Quane worked the ‘keeper with a 30 yard free-kick, which was pushed onto the bar and Fitzgerald was on hand to tap home for the lead. We held on, despite the odd scare, including a disallowed goal for handball, to take the win.

Breska Rovers: James Purcell; Kevin Foster, Josh Adams, David Fitzgerald, Nigel Mann; Josh Fitzgerald, T.J. O’Connor (C), James Hall, Ethan Keyes; Niall Quane, Chris Guerin.

Subs Used: Keith McNicholas for Chris Guerin (60 mins), Lee Doolan for Niall Quane (75 mins), Stevie O’Reilly for James Hall (75 mins), Sean Healy for Nigel Mann (75 mins)

Subs: Diarmaid O’Connor, Killian Gavin, Tom Clancy

Mens Division Two:
Breska Rovers 3-3 Askeaton

Our B team were sluggish on their return to competitive action and found themselves two goals down in the opening quarter. But, evergreen attacking duo Ian O’Leary and Leonard Coughlan hauled us level well before half time.

O’Leary beat the visiting ‘keeper to a loose ball and had the coolness to slot to the net. Minutes later, after some good link-up play, Coughlan drilled to the corner from outside the box to make it 2-2.

The second half saw Breska into the lead for the first time when Oran Behan intercepted a defensive pass. He whipped a cross to O’Leary. “Beaners” had plenty to do but his extrodinary header flew into the bottom corner for a 3-2 advantage.

Askeaton levelled the game in the final 15 minutes, heading home from a corner kick. We defended plenty in the final minutes, with Jamie Hickey called upon to make a crucial point-blank stop in the closing minutes.

Breska Rovers: Jamie Hickey; Dara Punch, Conor McCarthy (C), Ivan Coughlan, Ben Adams; Keith Punch, John Queally, Tommy Collery, Tom Clancy; Leonard Coughlan, Ian O’Leary.

Subs Used: Evan Loftus for Ivan Coughlan (half-time), Oran Behan for John Qually (half-time), Orin Garvey for Dara Punch (75 mins)
Subs: Martin Pierce, Cathal O’Connor, Luke O’Neill.

Youths Divsion Two:
Breska Rovers 1-3 Killeaney AFC

Breska trailed 2-0 early in the second half before Zac O’Connor half the deficit. Try as they might, our young side, missing a few key players, were unable to level the game. A well executed breakaway goal from the visitors secured the victory. There are five teams in Division Two, and plenty more opportunities for the boys to pick up results.

Breska Rovers: Freddie Lynch; Jack Leenane, Alex Muldoon, Sean Coughlan (capt), Evan McGregor; Shane O’Neill, Colm O’Flaherty, Bobby Smith, Zac O’Connor; Michael Griffin, Sean McGrath.

Subs Used: Darragh Harrington, Aaron Flynn, Paul O’Neill.

Ladies Premier Division:
Breska Rovers 3-2 Charleville AFC
(Game played on Sunday 27th September)

The first competitive game for the club of the 2020/21 season was our ladies. They made it a winning start by defeating last season’s runners-up, Charleville, 3-2. This victory was made possible by two early goals from our chief attacker Pauline Vijandran. We led 2-1 at the break as the women in red pulled a goal back.

Ciara Barrett, playing in central midfield, re-established the two goal cushion during the second half. Charleville, familiar rivals with our Ladies squad, pulled another back late on and despite being reduced to 10 players late on, we held on for a deserved three-points.

Player of the Match was Trish Liston, for her defensive display.

Team: Ciara Nolan; Emma Ranahan, Trish Liston, Aoife Cliffe, Hazel O’Connor (joint-capt); Lauren Ranahan, Ciara Barrett, Lindley Waters, Kristine Collins; Pauline Vijandran, Melissa Reid (joint-capt).

Sub Used: Jenny Normoyle for Lauren Ranahan (injured, 30 mins).
Subs: Sarah Mitchell, Laura Collins, Leisha Horgan, Emma O’Sullivan, Davida O’Brien, Niamh Quilligan, Jen O’Connor.

Report by Tom Clancy, Breska Rovers P.R.O.