Erin's Own Ladies Football News

Erin’s Own ladies football news

04/10/05

On Saturday last our under fourteen girls were invited to a mini
sevens blitz in Kilmacud Crokes in Dublin. We left Caherlag at
six in the morning by coach with players, supporters and some
parents for the long journey to the capital. After a stop in Durrow
for breakfast we reached Kilmacud at ten and our first match was
down for eleven fifteen. Our panel of players were Michelle Tobin,
Roisin Barry, Niamh O Keeffe, Alison Barry, Caoimhe O Callaghan,
Aisling Wall, Emily O Callaghan, Lisa Dennehy, Laura Morley, Janet
Dennehy, Ciara Murphy and Sandra Dooley. Our first match was against
Coralstown Kinnigad which we won well on a score line of ten /four
to two /two.

Our second match was against a team from Armagh which we won eleven/
two to five/one. Our final match in the play off’s was against
another team from Meath where we won again six two to one/ one.
This placed us in the quarter final against St Josephs of Dublin
a team from the inner city of Dublin. They wanted to know from
us could we see the Spire in O Connell Street from Cork. We told
them we could just see the top at night when it was lit up. We
won this match well and moved back to the main grounds at Kilmacud
for the Semi Final.

Our opponents happened to be the first team we had beaten in the
morning and again we beat them for a second time on a score line
of nine /three to three/ three. All during the day we were hoping
that the team we would meet in the final would be Foxrock Cabinteely.
This team had beaten us by a single point in Limerick in the Feile
Na Gael semi final and had gone on to win Feile, so we had a score
to settle with them. As it turned out they were very lucky to
make the final when a team from Cahir drew with them in their
semi final clash, however after extra time they just managed to
win.

The stage was now set for the two best teams on show during the
day to square up to each other in the final. Foxrock Cabinteely
representing Dublin, Erin’s Own representing Cork. What a final
it turned out to be. This game was played at a blistering pace,
which enthralled the large crowd that remained on to witness it.
We started the stronger with goals coming from Emily O Callaghan
and points from Lisa Dennehy and before we knew it we were three
goals in front. With the speed at which this game was played no
team could sustain this advantage for long and Cabinteely fought
their way back into the game.

At half time we were four points up and with only ten minutes
a side it was going to be always hard to hold this lead. The second
half started with them scoring a quick goal and from there to
the end both teams traded goals. The scores were coming so fast
at this stage that the electronic score board broke down which
added to the drama. When the final whistle came everybody looked
at each other to see who had won. The referee totalled the scores
and it was a draw.

At this stage it was getting dark our girls were totally exhausted
after getting up at five am that morning but the organisers wanted
extra time and so we had to play on. Five minutes a side was to
be played, the tension on the sideline was almost unbearable.
Both teams started again at full pace. Caoimhe then went down
injured her legs totally spun out, Emily sustained an injury and
Lisa was also was now feeling the pain. Caoimhe had to be carried
off and we introduced Michelle Tobin in goal and brought Roisin
out the field to fill in for Caoimhe. The substution worked because
Roisin had a stormer when she came out. Alison Barry was marking
their best Player who was like a rocket when she took off but
Alison was equal to her. Niamh was playing out of her skin in
the defence and also running at them whenever she got a chance.
Aisling covered every bit of ground and linked the defence with
the forwards. The game went on and we gave as good as we got and
with thirty seconds left they finally kicked over the winning
point which left all our girls totally devastated on the field.

This was certainly the match of the day with both teams playing
ladies football at its best. Foxrock Cabinteely received their
winners cup and medals and we got our runners up medals. The people
from Kilmacud then treated all our players and supporters to dinner
in their fabulous complex and at nine o clock we moved on to our
hotel Bewleys in Lepardstown. The following morning we all headed
off to Dundrum shopping centre for a couple of hours shopping
and then on to Croke Park for the Cork Galway ladies football
final.

After a meal in the Poitin Still on the way down home we eventually
returned to Caherlag at eleven on Sunday night exhausted but delighted
with our weekend. We would like to congratulate the Cork senior
ladies and mentors on their fantastic win and I hope they enjoyed
their weekend as much as we enjoyed ours.

Finally we would like to thank Bernie O Callaghan for organising
the weekend and for its success. Our under sixteen ladies football
team are now in a County final against Glanworth. We would like
to get as much support as possible for this match so watch out
for the fixture and come and support them on the day.