Derry Show Spirit

The Derry girls showed great team spirit in their Fourth Round match against Wicklow in the Suzuki Ladies National Football League. Leaving a cold and wet Derry on Sunday morning to make the three and a half hour trip, the Derry girls seemed in good spirit.
Arriving at the pitch, the weather had picked up and the sun was shining, although there was still a cold nip in the air. The game got off to a 2.30pm start with Wicklow having the advantage of the wind at their back. With only 19 secs of the game gone Kathy Conway opened the scoring with a point for Derry, the equalising point came just three minutes later from Wicklow’s Geraldine Norton who followed up with another point just over a minute later. Further scores came from both sides in the first half which included points from Wicklow’s Deirdre O’Riordan, Julie Fitzmaurice and Aine Byrne while Derry had another point from Kathy Conway and one from Clodagh Gormley. Goals in the first half came in the 15th and 28th min from Wicklow’s Aine Byrne and a late goal in injury time from Derry’s Kathy Conway left the half time score reading Wicklow 2-5, Derry 1-3. The first half also seen the Wicklow team receive two yellow cards (sin bins) in the 12th and 26th min of the game and the loss of one of their players (Lisa Brady) who had been injured and had to receive medical attention off the pitch.
In the second half Derry got off to a quick start knocking over four points (Kathy Conway x2 and Ursla Mullan x2) and a goal (Shauna Vallelly) un answered until a goal from Wicklows Laurie Ahern brought the score to Wicklow 3-5 Derry 2-7.
With Derrys confidence building, some fine team play was rewarded with four more points (Aine McCusker, Shauna Vallelly x3) and a goal (Aine McCusker) putting Derry into a lead which they were to hold to the end of the game. Further points came in the closing minutes from Wicklows Caolfhion Deeney x2 and Derry’s Julie McLaughlin, Kathy Conway and Shauna Vallelly.
With approx 3mins of injury time played the final whistle went, leaving a scoreline of
Wicklow 3-7 – Derry 3-14.
The 5th round (16/03/08) will see (Derry v London), (Antrim v Kilkenny) and (Limerick v Wicklow).

Derry Team
1.Breigeen Cassidy,
2.Nuala Doherty, 3.Nuala O’Hagan, ,4. Clare Lagan,
5. Dervla McMaster, 6.Briege Convery, 7.Aisling Moore
8. Michelle McAteer 9. Mary Angela Conway,
10.Clodagh Gormley(0-1),11.Ursala Mullan(02), 12. Shauna McCallion,
13.Kathy Conway(1-5), 14. Aine McCusker(1-1) 15. Shauna Vallelly(1-4),

Subs
Louise Glass,Naomi McMullan Emma Kelly, Julie McLaughlin(0-1) Una Harkin
Mairead McCann, Clare Smith, Natasha McIldowney Joanne Devine.

 
Wicklow Team
1.Emer Miley
2.Shauna Keogh, 3. Jill Heatley, 4.Aoife Heffernan
5.Lisa Brady, 6.Catriona McKeown, 7.Deirdre O’Riordan
8.Julie Fitzmaurice, 9. Caulfhionn Deeney
10.Mikeala Shelly, 11. Eadaone Lenihan 12.Niamh Carroll
13. Niamh Ryan, 14.Geraldine Norton, 15. Laurie Ahern