Colleary shoots Curry to first U - 14 Championship crown

Sligo Ladies U – 14A Championship Final Replay Curry 4 – 4 Owenmore
Gaels 1 – 5

PRO: Martin Seery (E-mail: andrewmfreeman@yahoo.ie)

Curry added the U – 14A Championship – Maloney Memorial Cup –
to their list of collection of silverware for 2007 following this
eight point victory over a gallant Owenmore Gaels side on Sunday
last in Kilcoyne Park, Tubbercurry. Last spring the wind of change
swept through the Curry U – 14 Management. With a sweep of a broom
out went veterans of many a day – Mary T Brennan, Mary Kilcoyne,
Frances Cahill and Olivia Grady -. Enter the three wise men –
Martin Connolly, Tom Howley and Terence Marren – all with experience
of success with underage Boys team from the Club. Now they have
tasted success with the Girls although the veterans remain in
the background. It appears at the present moment the Clubs which
rests on the environments of Mayo don’t know how to stop winning.
This latest success adding to a gravy train that started back
on the 11th of June when this very bunch claimed the very first
U – 14 League title for the Club. Since then the Bank of Ireland
Cup – Junior Championship – U – 12C Championship and the Connacht
Junior Club crown have managed to make their way to the Green
and White outfit. When the sides met some five weeks earlier it
took a late point from a 45 to send this game to a replay with
Louise Craig turning out to be the hero of the hour.

On this occasion it would have taken more than a late 45 to rescue
the Gaels as the Curry bandwagon was never in danger from losing
this one, as they were never once behind once Roisin Colleary
converted a penalty some nine minutes into the game. On Sunday
the same side Roisin Colleary rolled back the Clock some five
years, turning in a masterful display remising the performance
as a rather young nine year old did back in 2002 as Curry swept
to victory for the first time in the U – 12 Championship. Against
the Gaels on Sunday she was a constant threat rolling up an impressive
3 – 2 into the bar gin. Her third goal summed up her instinct
for the net, her second of the highest quality arriving at an
important stage in the game. If Colleary was a constant threat,
others too were to the fore, Bernie Connolly – who like Colleary,
could be regarded as a veteran of football given the amount of
time she has spent in the game -, Aine Stenson, Aiveen Duffy,
Lorna Towey, Shauna Niland and Linda Howley to name but a few.
Youngsters Kelly Munnelly and Cliodna Flemming – both 10 years
old – defied the odds and emerged as heroes too. Flemming at corner
back appeared to have Orla Gilligan in her back pocket for the
duration of proceedings, while at the other end Munnelly had Orla’s
twin sister Ciara twisting into hoops trying to keep in touch.

Having won the toss Curry elected to play with the aid of the
breeze in the opening half. Although playing with wind advantage
it was some nine minutes in before Curry hit the front from the
Penalty spot. Roisin Colleary was fouled in the area with the
referee awarding the penalty. The Cully Girl duly dispatched the
resulting spot kick past Ellen Conway in the Owenmore Gaels goals.
By the midway point of the half they would have another 1 – 1
added to their tally, the goal a Bernie Connolly free that dropped
late and into the net on 13 minutes. Indeed a free like that was
nothing new from Connolly as from time to time the Player – who
just happens to be a first cousin of County net minder Katrina
– appears to have patented this idea. The point on fifteen minutes
was a punched effort from Roisin Colleary coming after the Gaels
goalmouth had lived a charmed life. Lisa O’ Hora added a point
in the 18th minute as Curry enjoyed total dominance in the opening
half, the woodwork coming to rescue the Gaels on more than one
occasion. As the game prepared to tick into injury time in the
first half, Curry struck for their third goal and Colleary’ s
second. A point effort from Lisa O’ Hora was blocked at the expense
of a 45. Bernie Connolly took the resulting 45 which appeared
to be dropping short, Roisin Colleary who was waiting on the edge
of the box managed to flick the ball over her head. The ball looped
in the air before resting in the Owenmore Gaels net to send Curry
to the dressing rooms eleven points to the good.

Having played against the breeze in the opening half, one expected
Owenmore Gaels to come out all guns a blazing in the second half,
that they did adding 1 – 2 in the opening 4 minutes. Louise Craig
added two pointed frees while Michelle White slipped inside the
Curry cover for a goal. In what was their first attack of the
half Curry added a point through Roisin Colleary in the 6th minute.
Between the 10th and 20th minutes it was the turn of the Curry
goals to live a charm life. Ciara Kilcoyne and the Crossbar prevented
a certain second Gaels goal in the 10th minute. One could since
had that gone in then more than likely Gales would have gone on
to win the contest. It didn’t and they didn’t. They did manage
the next three points all frees through Louise Craig but that
was as good as it was to get for the losers. Curry rallied again
and again to prevent any more scores and yet managed to break
forward for the odd attack of their own. In the final five minutes
the winners seemed to move into top gear again adding another
1 – 1 to their tally to insure that they would be heading back
the N17 with a Championship trophy in the bag. The point from
Bernie Connolly proved to be a cracker, she pick the ball somewhere
around midfield soloed through halfway between the 21 and 45 meter
lines and let the ball off into the breeze splitting the posts
to had her side a six point advantage in the 26th minute. The
score was probably extra sweet as just minutes earlier she had
received a knock to the face. A minute later it was game over!
A 45 from Bernie Connolly caused mayhem in the Owenmore Gaels
defence with Roisin Colleary collecting the breaking ball. On
turning she let rip, the net sizzled and Curry was out of sight.
To be fair Gaels never gave up but their two late efforts were
both off target summing up their day.

Curry did have a chance to add to their tally only for substitute
Chloe Gallagher to be off target. After the game the Martin and
Bridget Maloney Cup was presented to Curry captain Ciara Kilcoyne
by Martin Seery, PRO of Sligo Ladies Board. No doubt it was another
victorious evening in the South Sligo village that nestles on
the N17 between Tubbercurry and Charlestown.

Other Finals

Elsewhere in Finals over the weekend, St Mary’s powered by a masterful
display by Joy Newton – scoring 5 – 1 – defeated Geevagh in the
U – 16D Championship Final at Ransboro. At half time the winners
held a 7 – 3 to 1 – 2 lead running out comfortable winners in
the end by 14 – 6 to 5 – 5. Also among the scorers was Emma Hansberry
– winner of last years County Sligo Feile Skills title – accounting
for 3 – 2. County Development Officer Ted Maloney was in charge
of the whistle.

The long awaited U – 16 Group A League Final was down for decision
on Sunday last as Eastern Harps played St Nathy’s in Gurteen.
Harps with Aoife Drury, Aisling O’Gara, Katie Higgins and Lisa
Casey all of whom played a part in Sligo U – 16 Team that reached
the All Ireland Final. The Saints weren’t short of County power
either with Denise and Sandra Scully, Ailish Leonard and Aine
Gormley all starting the All Ireland Final. An extra bit of spice
was added to this game as the Referee for the game was none other
than the U – 16 Assistant Manager of the County Team, Tourlestrane’s
Dermot Walsh. Victory went the way of the Harps on a 5 – 9 to
2 – 10 scoreline. The Gurteen/Keash based outfit held a 3 – 4
to 0 – 5 half time lead and although St Nathy’s narrowed the gap
back to a single point at one stage in the second half. The Harps
regrouped in the final 10 minutes to record victory.

In the second game played in Ransboro on Sunday, St Pat’s and
St Michael’s clashed in the U – 14C Championship Final. A week
previous St Pat’s qualified for the Final with a single point
victory in Tubbercurry. St Michaels had qualified for the Final
some five weeks earlier with ironically also a single point victory
over defending holders St Farnan’s. When referee James Finan blew
his Final whistle, the West Division side was in front with some
points to spare.

The first of the Minor A Championship semi finals went ahead on
Sunday between Eoghan Rua and Tourlestrane in Tourlestrane. In
what was a repeat of the last two year’s Finals with ironically
Tourlestrane winning both of them. With that kind of record, there
was no doubt that Eoghan Rua traveled to Tourlestrane seeking
a little bit of revenge. Sadly it wasn’t to be for the West Division
outfit as the home side recorded a 1 – 12 to 2 – 6 victory. County
U – 16 Player Laura Walsh proved the hero of the hour preventing
a certain Eoghan Rua goal, with a goal line block in the dying
seconds of the game. Eoghan Rua must now be content wit a place
in the Plate Final.

For Tourlestrane it’s a place in the Championship Final against
the winners of St Nathy’s and Curry who meet in Curry on Sunday
morning next. Curry: Ciara Kilcoyne, Aiveen Duffy, Aine Stenson,
Cliodna Flemming, Lorna Towey, Michelle Brett, Sinead Flannery,
Bernie Connolly (1 – 1), Chloe Marren, Linda Howley, Rachel Flannery,
Shauna Niland, Lisa O’Hora (0 – 1), Roisin Colleary (3 – 2), Kelly
Munnelly. Subs used: Nicola Marren, Chloe Gallagher. Owenmore
Gaels: Ellen Conway, Ciara Gilligan, Niamh Burke, Anita McGuinness,
Clodagh McKeon, Lauren Taheny, Jennifer Hodgins, Louise Craig
(0 – 5), Marie Clare Doyle, Lorraine Sharkey, Michelle White,
Eimear Dillon, Orla Gilligan, Megan Walsh, Elaine O’Connell. Subs
used: Catherine Faney and Aisling McGettrick.

Referee: Tom Keane (St Nathy’s)

Fundraising Night

On this Friday night the County Board are running a Fundraising
dance in Teach Murray, Gurteen, Music is by La Bamba and Tickets
which are available through the Clubs are priced at 10 euro each.
On the night the final draw in the development draw will take
place with the grand prize of the Car and several money prizes
going on the night. It is important that all Clubs support this
event.

Winners Medals

Would all Clubs please note that all Medals for Winners and Runners
up will be available from County Board PRO Martin Seery from Friday
21st December 2007. Unfortunely it’s a little late for having
the Medals available, but sadly there was a mix up with the ordering
of them. Just give Martin a buzz to check if they may be made
available sooner.