Hat trick for Blessington Ladies

Blessington pull off a hat trick

Senior Championship Blessington 1-9 Bray Emmets 0-8.

Blessington pulled off their senior championship hat trick when
they lifted the Joe Jacob cup for the third time in succession beating
Bray Emmets in the senior championship final in Newtown on Sunday
last. In what was a very tense and scrappy game at times, neither
side played to their full potential, but it was the Blessington
girls that were the more determined and composed in front of the
posts, in particular Niamh Carroll who once again was in unstoppable
form, notching up one goal and six points of Blessingtons total.
Bray Emmets on the other hand will reflect on wrong options and
missed opportunities, too many wides from scorable positions, and
they were also guilty of going for goals when points would have
kept them in contention.

Both sides rattled the uprights within the first minute of the game,
Sinead Boland for Bray and Niamh Carroll for Blessington, however
Blessington number twelve Carroll was only focusing her sights,
before firing over two points in the second minute to put her side
in the driving seat. Mikaela Shelley opened Brays account in the
fifth minute after good approach play from Eadoine Lenihan and Val
Hughes, but each time they closed the gap, the girls from the west
made another lodgement into their account to keep them in the black.
Bray Emmets managed to pare Blessingtons lead back to just two points
at the break with Sinead Boland, Val Hughes and Aisling O’hAannaidh
adding one apiece, Brays experienced free taker O’hAnnaidh was also
having trouble finding her range through out the game, missing a
number of opportunities to reel in Blessington.

Blessington twisted the knife further within thirty seconds of the
restart, Bray Emmets failed to clear their lines and Niamh Carroll
fired the ball past Brays Keeper Catherine Corbett to open a five
point gap. In Fairness to Bray they never gave up the chase and
within five minutes only Carrolls goal separated the sides, however
the Bray side tried to cancel out Blessingtons lead with a single
strike, and each time they went in search of that goal they were
repeled by Blessingtons hard working back line of Jill Heatley,
Linda Kavanagh, Marie Kavanagh, Stephanie Doyle and player of the
match Breda Reid. Four points separated the sides going into the
final quarter (1-7 to 0-6), Mikaela Shelley reduced the gap to three
points and with only six minutes left on the clock Bray substitute
Sarah McGraynor found herself facing an open goal, but the ball
bobbled up as McGraynor went to strike, and her effort went over
the bar. Blessingtons Emer Miley and Niamh Carroll combined to add
two extra points to the Blessington score line and finish off Bray
Emmets chances of stealing a victory on this occasion.

Mary Jacob presented the Jacob cup to winning captain Marie Kavanagh,
and Wicklow ladies chairperson Margaret Allen presented Breda Reid
with the player of the game award.

Blessington: Audry McDonald, Jill Heatley, Breda Reid, Linda Kavanagh,
Steph Doyle, Marie Kavanagh Capt., Karen Walsh, Maura Reid, Julie
Fitzmaurice, Orla Carroll (0-1), Emer Miley (0-1), Niamh Carroll
(1-6), Mary Whelan, Jenny Foster (0-1), Grainne Ryan. Bray Emmets:
Catherine Corbett, Caroline Bolger, Jennifer Ding, Khalie Medler,
Lisa Brady, Aoife Heffernan(0-1), Sinead Finn, Laura Richardson,
Aisling OhAnnaidh (0-2), Mikaela Shelley (0-2), Joy Russell, Val
Hughes (0-1), Eadoine Lenihan, Ciara O’Hagan, Sinead Boland (0-1).
Subs: Emer Daly for Khalie Medlar, Siobhan Egan for Aoife Heffernan,
Megan Shelley for Joy Russell, Sarah McGraynor (0-1) for Ciara O’Hagan,
Sheena Smith for Caroline Bolger.

Referee: Pat Keogh.