Kildare Ladies News

Kildare Ladies News

Kildare Ladies Football News

The reward Kildare Ladies have got for the great win over Donegal last Monday is a quick return to action on Saturday against old rivals Sligo. Somehow the Junior All-Irelands of 2003 and 2004 come into focus as it was Donegal who postponed Kildare’s All Ireland ambitions in the 2003 Final while Sligo were Kildare’s victims in the 2004 Final. Now Sligo will be in no mood to play the victims role on Saturday and having beaten Galway in the Connacht Semi Final they are a team that demands respect. Kildare will have to make at least one change as corner back Louise Conlon suffered a dislocated shoulder, in an old fashioned “hand and foot” while her excellent replacement Helen Sexton suffered a similar though slightly less serious shoulder injury. Of course the big boast for Kildare is the return to action after a 5 month absence of the battling and brilliant Brianne Leahy. She did duty at wing back on Monday, releasing Kate Leahy to play centre half back and Donna Berry to right corner where she had a stormer. It’s unlikely there will be any change in that set up while Dearbhail Kelly and Dervla Duffy will probably vie for the vacancy left at left corner in Louise Conlon’s enforced absence. Having been made Player of the Match against Donegal Noelle Earley will most likely continue at midfield in partnership with club-mate Elaine Dillon. All 6 forwards have a strong claim to retain their positions especially Stacy Cannon, who did well at both centre and full forward, and Lisa Higgins now starting to show her club form at County level.
Sligo are now a strong experienced team with former Eadestown players Grainne O’Gara and Siobhan O’Sullivan teaming up with Louise Brett, Bernice Byrne, former Irish soccer international goalkeeper Catriona Connolly, Ruth Goodwin and dangerous forwards Angela Doohan, Noelle Gormley, Stephannie O’Reilly and Therese Marron who as a 16 year old gave Kildare some late heart attacks with her 2 goal substitute cameo.
We have to go back to Sunday 19th February 2006 to find the last meeting between the teams when Kildare outscored the Yeats County in a League game in Sligo, Kildare 4 – 9 Sligo 1 – 9 but it’s a new ball game on Saturday and Kildare Captain Simone Gilabert will certainly remind her team of that.

On the Club scene the Minor A Final on Thursday in Naas should be a cracker with Champions Balyna going for a three timer against a youthful St Laurences who have progressed with wins in the 2006 Minor C and the 2007 Minor B. With an array of young talent, such as Aoine O’Donoghue and Careen Farrell for Balyna and St Laurence’s Laura Dunne, Naoise Berry, Fiona Murphy and Kim Mackey this game is well worth a visit.