AGB reach their 3rd Final this year

Wicklow Minor semi-final. Valleymount 1-2 Arklow
Geraldines/Ballymoney 7-9

Arklow Geraldines/Ballymoney ladies have reached their third championship
final this year, as their on fire forward line proved too hot
to handle for the Valleymount back line, when both teams met on
Sunday morning last. The Arklow Gers side who were runners up
to Eire Og in the minor championship last season, were on the
road early on Sunday last to make the journey west across the
misty Wicklow hills to Valleymount for the 11.30 throw-in, however
the early rise did not affect their performance on the day as
they run out comfortable winners, with six of their forwards getting
their names in referee Liam Cullens note book for all the right
reasons. Arklow won the toss and decided as there was no breeze
to talk of, they would take advantage of a small down hill fall
in the first half, Valleymount, who were playing on home turf
could not be faulted, they put in a spirited performance and never
contemplated throwing in the towel as they tried to find a way
to reel in the Arklow side. Their back line of Zena Farrington,
Kathrine Kavanagh, Emer Nolan, Amy Heffernan, Niamh Reid and Aisling
Mahon have be given great credit as they worked tirelessly to
protect Madeline O’Donnells goals.

But with six of the Arklow forwards registering scores, the Valleymount
girls were unable to shore up their defensive dam as the Arklow
side mounted wave after wave of attacks through out the game.
Within seconds of the throw in Valleymount’s classy Lizzie Brophy
raised the white flag as she got her side off to a dream start
when she drove her first scoring attempt over Linda Dempseys cross
bar, Dempsey, who is Arklows captain for the minor championship
could have been given her P45 early in the game as her back line
of Claire Kavanagh, Hannah Tew, Orla Byrne, Naomi Roche and Nicole
Kavanagh, were on high alert throughout, as they patrolled the
defensive perimeter fence around their captains goal. Arklow’s
top scorer on the day Kayleigh Crammond threw down the gauntlet
in the third minute, after her initial shot was saved by Madeline
O’Donnell in the Valleymount goals, but O’Donnell was unable to
hold on to Crammonds hot shot as it rebounded back out to the
ever alert Crammond, who made no mistake the second time, rifling
the ball to the back of O’Donnells goal for the first time in
the game. In Fairness to the Valleymount net minder, she made
a number of excellent saves in both halves of the game to keep
the light lighting for the home side. A minute later Arklow’s
number thirteen Jesse McElheron proved unlucky for the Valleymount
side, as she collected an accurate pass from Aife Kavanagh, and
after a scramble with her marker Emer Nolan, McElheron drove her
shot low to the back of O’Donnells net. One of the battles of
the match took place in the middle of the park between Arklow’s
Naomi Roche and Valleymounts star player Lizzie Brophy, both girls
played cat and mouse as they attempted to out wit each other both
physically and mentally to gain the advantage, and this did not
go unnoticed as referee Liam Cullen kept a watchful eye on proceedings.
Valleymounts only goal of the game came from the boot of Lizzie
Brophy in the eighteenth minute of the first half, after Michelle
Browne fielded a poor kick out from the Arklow keeper, Browne
found Brophy, who had broken free from Roche’s grip to fire the
ball across Dempseys square to nestle in the left hand corner,
in fairness to the Arklow keeper there was a hint of a deflection
that diverted the ball to the back of her net for the first and
only time in the game.

Arklow’s Shauna Fleming cancelled out the Valleymount goal minutes
later when her lobbed free kick was spilled by O’Donnell and it
dropped over her goal line, Arklows Aife Kavanagh brought the
first half to an end with her third point of the game, to leave
the score board reading Arklow Gers/Ballymoney 4-4 Valleymount
1-1. During the half time break Valleymount were preparing for
the mountain that they would have to climb in the second half
if the y were to get any thing from this game, but unfortunately
for the home side it looked as though the mountain had turned
in to Everest as Arklow’s Dannielle Brauders, Aife Kavanagh and
Kayleigh Crammond added two points and a goal respectively to
leave Valleymount at base camp with out a sherpa in sight. But
to their credit, the Valleymount girls went for broke, as they
pressurised the Arklow back line, Lizzie Brophy was their target
as Katherine Kavanagh, Michelle Browne, and Laura Tyrell battled
hard with Arklows Niamh Arthur, Suzanne Tyrell, Rachel Byrne,
and Sam Kelly, who once again gave a faultless display in the
number eight shirt. Arklow driven on By mentors Cathy Forde and
Bernard Kavanagh never took their collective boots off the gas
going in to the final ten minutes, as Kayleigh Crammond, Sofie
Kennedy and Aife Kavanagh notched up a further two points and
a goal before the referee brought the game to an end with the
final score reading Valleymount 1-2 Arklow Gers/Ballymoney 7-9.

Arklow must now prepare for either Carnew Emmets or An Tochar,
An Tochar had a five point winning margin over newcomers Tinahely
on Saturday last 6-9 to 4-10 in their quarter final game, and
now they will have to battle it out with Carnew Emmets to decide
who will meet Arklow Gers/Ballymoney in the final. In the u14’B’
championship final Baltinglass beat St. Nicholas in Strafford
on Sunday morning last.

Valleymount: Madeline O’Donnell, Zena Farrington, Kathrine Kavanagh
(Capt.), Emer Nolan, Amy Hughes, Niamh Reid, Aisling Mahon, Laura
Tyrell, Michelle Brown, Noleen Farraghter, Lizzie Brophy(1-2),
Sarah Manning, Tracey Carroll, Aoife Brown, Michelle Burke.

Arklow Gers/Ballymoney: Linda Dempsey (Capt.), Claire Kavanagh,
Hannah Tew, Nicole Kavanagh, Orla Byrne, Naomi Roche, Rachel Byrne,
Sam Kelly, Suzanne Tyrell, Danneille Brauders(0-1), Shauna Fleming(1-0),
Lucia O’Grady, Jesse McElheron(1-1), Aife Kavanagh(1-5), Kayleigh
Crammond(4-1). Subs: Milissa Keane for Nicole Kavanagh, Amy Devereux
for Jesse McElheron, Ellen Butler for Orla Byrne, Sofie Kennedy
for Kayleigh Crammond, Niamh Arthur for Shauna Fleming, Rebecca
Condren.

Referee: Liam Cullen (Hollywood).