ESB Moneypoint Ladies U - 14 D Championship Final Replay

ESB Moneypoint Ladies U – 14 D Championship Final Replay Sunday Oct. 15th Venue: Inagh Éire Óg Ennis 5 – 5 Liscannor 5 – 2.

A week previously these two teams had played out a
thrilling 3 – 7 to 4 – 4 draw at the same venue so a huge crowd
turned out on Sunday expecting another great game. Éire Óg
and Liscannor didn’t disappoint and another titanic struggle ensued
with the game finely balanced on a knife edge right down to the
final whistle.

Éire Óg won the toss and elected to play with the
assistance of a strong breeze in the first half. Liscannor however
made light of the elements and got off to a flying start with a
Niamh Murray in the very first minute. Orla McMahon opened the Ennis
team’s account with a pointed free a minute later. Liscannor were
the dominant team in these early exchanges and were awarded a penalty
in the sixth minute following a foul on Aisling Torpey. Áine
Burke stepped up to take the kick and she dispatched a wonderful
low drive to the right hand corner of the net for a great score.
Shauna Keane kept Éire Óg in touch with a point a
minute later before Aisling Torpey again extended Liscannor’s lead
with a well worked point on eighteen minutes which was quickly followed
by a scrambled Clíonadh Considine goal a minute later. Liscannor
were now well on top and as half time approached one felt that with
wind assistance in the second half they would pull away and win.

The Éire Óg girls had other ideas however and they
hit a purple patch in the final minutes of the first half. Shauna
Keane started their comeback with a twenty third minute point before
their excellent corner forward Aisling Darcy hit a great goal a
minute later. From the kickout Éire Óg regained possession
and with the last kick of the half team captain Shauna Keane fired
home an excellent goal to leave the half time score at 3 – 1 to
2 – 3 in Liscannor’s favour.

ÉireÓg had a great start to the second half when
Azara Hutchinson goaled in the second minute. Aisling Torpey hit
back with a Liscannor point three minutes later and when Clionadh
Considine scored her second goal for Liscannor in the thirteenth
minute of the half it was game on again. The Ennis team’s reply
was swift however with Aisling Darcy raising a white flag from the
very next attack to leave the score at 4 – 2 to 3 – 4 with ten minutes
remaining. Liscannor continued to force the pace however and their
excellent Aisling Torpey got through for another goal seven minutes
from time to put them four in front. The final five minutes belonged
to the Ennis side however and in a welter of excitement they scored
two goal and a point without reply to snatch victory. Aisling Darcy
was again the scored of the first of these five minutes from the
end and a minute later Azara Hutchinson crashed a great ball to
the Liscannor net. In the final minute Darcy was again on hand to
for the townies and tremendous Ennis jubilation followed when referee
Johnny Hayes blew the final whistle.

Great credit is due to two excellent teams who provided great entertainment
over the two matches. Following the game Clare Ladies’ Board chairman
James Lafferty presented the U – 14 D ESB Moneypoint championship
trophy to winning captain Shauna Keane.

Éire Óg: Fiona Murphy, Sinéad Darcy, Amy Breslin,
Sarah fenton, Bláthín Farrelly, Kate Cullinan, Joanne
Walsh, Niamh Baker, Niamh Hehir, Azara Hutchinson (2-0), Orla McMahon
(0-1), Shauna Keane (1-2), Aisling Darcy (2-2).

Liscannor: Aoife Shannon, Rebecca O’Reagan, Roisín Rouine,
Catherine Hayes, Martina Scales, Elaine Kennedy, Áine Burke,
Fíona Considine, Aisling Torpey, Niamh Murray, Carol Nagle,
Katie Foley.

Subs Used: Ann O’Sullivan, Catherine Hayes, Eimear Hillery, Sinéad
Considine.

Referee: Johnny Hayes