02/09/2026
If you weren’t at Erris Utd’s stadium last night, it’s hard to imagine anything more exciting than watching our U12 girls go head to head with Ballinrobe in a crucial top-of-the-table clash. What a game!
In the first half, the Erris girls took time to assess the situation, settling into their shapes and defending resolutely against a very strong Ballinrobe mid-forward line. Farrah, Roisin and Raeya were outstanding in defence, clearing the ball at every opportunity and showing real intent. Hannah made two vital saves to stop promising Ballinrobe attacks, building confidence in herself as a goalkeeper and reassuring the team that they could rely on that fourth defender.
Our midfield and forwards were under constant pressure from a well-organised Ballinrobe defence and were often forced into long-range efforts that just wouldn’t find the net. Erris, Mila and Sophie worked tirelessly under pressure but still managed to drop back when needed and try to push the ball forward, making it a very defensive first half. Hazel was tightly marked throughout—Ballinrobe clearly knew to “watch number 9!” At one point she was so closely guarded she accidentally ended up seeing stars, so management brought Millie onto the panel to work alongside Ciara up front. The half-time score: 0-0.
At the break, the girls gathered at the dugout to rehydrate, refuel and refocus. They knew this game had to be won; a draw wouldn’t be enough if we wanted to share top spot with Ballinrobe. Something shifted during that interval. The girls dug deep, determined to make all their training and hard work count in the second half.
You could feel the change in their faces and body language as they waited for the referee to restart. The atmosphere was electric—you could hear a pin drop.
The whistle blew and Erris immediately went on the attack. The whole team produced a fantastic power play, determined to keep the ball in Ballinrobe’s half and maintain relentless attacking pressure. Then came the breakthrough: Sophie delivered a brilliant ball in from the right wing, landing perfectly in front of goal. A crowd of black-and-red jerseys from both sides packed the box, but the ball rolled just out to the left side. Hazel met it, recognised she couldn’t score directly from that angle, and cleverly used a ricochet off nearby players—BOOM 💥—Erris Utd U12s were 1-0 up!
The excitement was huge, but the girls knew they had to refocus immediately. A Ballinrobe corner found its way into the Erris box, with players from both teams battling for contact. Hannah was momentarily blocked from seeing the ball, and it ended up in the net for Ballinrobe. 1-1.
Level again, but this time Erris knew what was working. The midfielders kept helping the forwards get the ball beyond Ballinrobe’s defence. Emma came on and made life extremely difficult for the opposition defenders, giving nothing away. There were many great attempts and near misses until Ciara took matters into her own hands: she beat a couple of players and, with real style, fired home. GOAL! That proved to be the last goal of the game and the strike that puts Erris Utd U12 girls in position to potentially share top of the table, depending on the next couple of results.
A real nail-biter and a true match that could have gone either way. Huge thanks to Ballinrobe for travelling to us—a fantastic team. Thanks as always to the referee, and to all the parents and guardians for their continuous support throughout the year. The commitment from management and coaches is clearly being rewarded by this brilliant group of girls.
Next match: Tuesday in Ballyglass.
See you all at training on Saturday as usual, 12:00–13:30.
