Our u17 Girls got their season off to a winning start in the first round of the Junior Cup. The JSS girls hosted Rath Dara Community College in what was an enthralling game from the get-go. Rath Dara got off to a brighter start and scored a goal after 10 minutes. Amelia Lynam got the girls back on level terms with a well-placed finish from just inside the box. Katie Ashmore put the girls in front when she finished nicely from a Milly Fisher corner. The final goal of the half again came from a Milly Fisher corner. This time, the ball managed to travel directly in as it was squeezed by the goalkeeper at the near post. The JSS girls continued where they left off after the break with two well-placed finishes by Milly Fischer put the girls 5-1 up. You would have been forgiven for thinking the game was over at this stage, but that proved not to be the case as Rath Dara scored 3 unanswered goals to make it 5-4 with 15 minutes to play. John Scottus were under a lot of pressure and found themselves on the backfoot before Zoe Van Der Bergh raced free from just inside the opposition half and dribbled the ball half the pitch before powering the ball into the corner. A well-taken goal from Brenna Gallagher and a fourth from Milly Fisher, wrapped up the game.

Our u15 boys travelled to Bluebell Community Centre to take on CBS St. James in the first round of the Minor Cup. The JSS boys started the brighter and got in behind the St. James rearguard on several occasions, with Aaron Hroffman going the closest with a shot that hit both posts before somehow coming back into play. The first half continued to be a tight affair. A good save from Yude He was fired back in from the rebound to give the home team the advantage at halftime. The boys pushed for an equaliser in the second half and again came close, but St. James got the goal again. This forced the JSS boys to push forward in the last quarter to look for a goal to get back in the game. The lads applied lots of pressure and created chances but, unfortunately just couldn’t get the goal they needed. A well-taken goal on the counterattack in the final minutes from St. James’s really put the game beyond reach. Despite the result, this was a good performance for the JSS lads, and we now have more games and our league to look forward to.

In the torrential rain, our u15 girls opened their season against a very strong Ringsend side. The game began as a tight affair, with both sides struggling to cope with the conditions. However, as the game wore on, the opposition got a foothold in the game, and the JSS girls struggled to ease the pressure and work the ball up the field. The second half proved a similar affair. With conditions worsening, the girls stayed working hard, with Zoe Van Den Bergh going closest to scoring for John Scottus. Despite the tough game against very strong opposition Kayla Flavin, Charlotte Stafford and Keelin Doyle in particular, battled hard throughout. A tough opening result for the girls who now have their league to look forward to as the year progresses.