MEATH LADIES Leinster u/14 Semi-Final

Meath v Kildare
Carbury GAA Club
Carbury, Co. Kildare
Saturday April 25th 2009-04-27

Half time:
Meath 2 – 03 Kildare 0 – 05

Full time:
Meath 3 – 10 Kildare 1 – 05

Meath Ladies had some good luck at the weekend when their U/14s played themselves into a second successive Leinster Final. Meath are the current holders of this title and can now look forward to a clash with close neighbours Dublin in the final.

Meath playing against a stiff breeze opened the scoring in the 5th minute with a massive long range point from midfielder Lauren Patterson. The game ebbed and flowed with both teams missing chances but, it was Meath who eventually took control and in the tenth minute Patterson was again on target when she put the ball into the back of the net for a 1 – 01 to no score lead. Kildare were having plenty of possession but were not converting their chances. It was the twelfth minute before the Lily Whites opened their account.

Kildare had a purple patch of their own and sent over three unanswered points before Meath recovered their earlier composure and scored another two points courtesy of Maeve Scanlon and Ailish Moriarty. It was nip and tuck once again but a goal in the eighteenth minute from Shelby Leahy made sure the Royal girls had a comfortable four point lead at the break.

The second half saw Meath up the tempo and Kildare could only manage a solitary score. Meath at this stage were dominating most of the field and they notched up another goal and seven points to set up a mouth watering final against Dublin.

Laura Murray and Caroline Brothwood looked solid on the half back line while Maeve Scanlon, Ellen O’Hare Áine Bennett and Lauren Patterson made sure of the points up front. All in all it was a solid team performance by the Meath girls. The final is fixed for the weekend of May 9th or 10th at a venue to be confirmed.

Meath team and scorers:
Sarah Powderly, Michelle Peel, Stephanie Barr, Siofra Coffey, Caroline Brothwood, Laura Murray, Emer Troy, Lauren Patterson(1 – 02), Áine Bennett(1 – 01), Maeve Scanlon(2pts), Niamh Foy, Ellen O’Hare(2pts), Shelby Leahy(1g), Ciara Delaney, Ailish Moriarty(1pt).
Subs:
Laura Dempsey(2pts) for Moriarty, Helen O’Regan for Ciara Delaney, Kate Lawless for Leahy.