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Evening Herald, Striker, 31 October 2011, By Ciaran Brennan

Ryan and Coyle in inspired form to ensure a fair share of spoils at Albert Park

DRUMCONDRA FC 0 ASHBOURNE UTD 0

HOW THIS GAME ended in a nil all draw, we'll never know. Well, we do know actually. Niall Ryan and Glen Coyle are the reason why. Niall and Glen were the men between the posts in this under-16B league clash played at Albert College yesterday.
Time after time Ryan for Drumcondra and Coyle for Ashbourne intervened to prevent their team from going behind.
Displaying the full array of their talents the custodians used every save in the book, and some not in the book to disappoint their foes.
Rarely indeed have we seen a match with as many chances end scoreless.
And from an early stage it was clear that both keepers were on their game.
First up it was Coyle for Ashbourne. He was called upon to make a stunning double save from James Burke and then Marcus McCluskey after a free kick into his area. Drumcondra were applying a greater share of pressure in the early stages and Coyle was the busier of the two keepers. And he tending to the bread and butter stuff with ease. His handling and communication with his defence was out of the top drawer.

BRAVE
Meanwhile down at the other end Ryan was keeping his hand in with some brave dives where boots were flying. Because Ashbourne were trying to keep Drums honest by hitting on the break. And on a number of occasions when the visitors beat the offside Ryan was left one on one but he dealt confidently in those situations.
Devidas Dirmeikis, Adi Isakov and Aaron McGraine all tried their luck for United but the home keeper was equal to the challenge every time.
Back up at the other goal Ashbourne keeper Coyle was busy making full length saves from Shaun Ryan and Derek Hyland and as the ball pinged down field again, Ryan had to do likewise against Mark Fenton and Conor Flanagan to keep a clean sheet before half time.
The story of the second half reads very similarly to that of the first. Both teams performing with skill and determination but again despite a plethora of chances neither could find a way past the keeper of the other.
Coyle brought off a string of fine saves and blocks from Christopher Bewley, and again from Hyland and McCluskey, both of whom were having a bigger say in proceedings as the game wore on.
At the other ene Ashbourne looked to have found the key to unlock the Drumcondra defence when Patrick Murphy fed Isakov with a lovely pass but again Ryan pulled another from his bag of tricks to repel the danger.
Lively winger Evan Barr came close as Drums applied a final push but despite the increasing influence of Iarla O'Domhnáill around the middle, fittingly there was no way past the brilliant Coyle in goal for Ashbourne or Drumcondra's Ryan either.
Credit is due to the management teams of both sides too, who utilised the rolling substitution rule to great effect and despite the large squads of both sides every player got decent game time.

DRUMCONDRA FC: 1 Niall Ryan; 2 Gerard Egan; 3 Sam Carey; 4 Ross McEvoy; 5 Robbie Brennan; 6 Luke Gavin; 7 Ross Law; 8 Marcus McCluskey; 9 James Burke; 11 Shaun Ryan; 12 Christopher Bewley; 13 Derek Hyland; 14 Darren Reilly; 15 James Lynch; 16 Evan Barr; 17 Iarla O'Domhnáill. Managers: John Ryan, Colin Sherlock and Ken Fitzsimons