Kildare Under 15 Autumn League Division 5 Final

Venue: St Laurence’s

Date: Saturday 30 October 2010, Time 1 pm

Kilcullen 10 – 8 Rathangan 5 – 4

Score at Half Time: Kilcullen 7 – 3 Rathangan 1 – 3

Seldom can the Team Captains exert such influence on a match as Kilcullen’s Ciara Pembroke and Rathangan’s Eadaoin Connolly did on Saturday last in this Autumn League final, switched at the last minute from water-logged Ellistown to a perfect playing surface in St Laurence’s. Of course Ciara holds joint captaincy of Kilcullen with Muireann Fagan and Dáire Smith but it was Ciara who took the toss and first got her hands on the Cup afterwards when Autumn League Co- ordinator Jackie Deering did the honours. Right from the off Kilcullen took control and Ciara had bagged her hat-trick inside 10 minutes and she scored another before the break. Rathangan were finding it tough to break out of their own half despite the sterling efforts of full back Kelsey Mulpeter-Perry, half back Stephanie Money and battling midfielder Emma Kearney even after getting the first score of the game , a pointed from an Eadaoin Connolly free and after the first Kilcullen goal Emma Kearney pointed and Eadaoin added a 12th minute goal after a searing run but all the while Ciara Pembroke with delightful, cool and composed play tormented the
Rathangan backs even showing off her ground ball skills on several occasions.
A long way behind at half time the very young Rathangan team never gave the slightest hint of throwing in the towel and even after Ciara Pembroke goaled from a free on the resumption they kept battling. Eadaoin placed full forward Laura Fitzsimons fro a point band then twice blazed through for goals. At the mid point of the half Kilcullen put ion a spurt with Ciara Pembroke
kicking 3 points, 2 from frees, while centre forward Lydia O’Toole got in on the goal scoring.
Again Éadoin Connolly struck for a brace of goals to bring her total to 5 but the last word went to Kilcullen sub Blánaid Corless who fired home in injury time.

The scoring exploits of Ciara Pembroke (5-4) and Eadaoin Connolly (5-1), even as she struggled with a leg injury and a chest infection, will long remain a talking point. Kilcullen had other stars in goalkeeper Caroline Breen who foiled a number of Rathangan efforts; Nikky Dowling, Aoife Sully, Kate Willis and centre back Muireann Fagan who sallied forth to gag a gag goal for herself in the first half but was busy defending in the second. Kate Berney and Dáire Smith controlled midfield for most of the game without being able to stop the opposition Captain making her goal scoring runs while Lydia O’Toole, Karen Dowling and Gemma Carey starred in the attack where Ciara Pembroke gave her 5 star performance.
Rathangan played their part in this goal scoring fest with Sharon Fox in goals not allowing anything past her easily, as Kelsey Mulpeter-Perry, Laura Gleeson and Laura Gilligan battled the odds. Emma Kearney stuck to her task at midfield while Zoe Gorry, Carol Moloney and Laura Fitzsimons were the best in attack and special mention to 5 goal midfielder Eadaoin Connolly.

Scorers,

Kilcullen

Ciara Pembroke 5 – 4 (1-1 Frs),
Gemma Carey 1 – 0,
Sarah Doherty 1 – 0,
Muireann Fagan 1 – 0,
Lydia O’Toole 1 – 2,
Blánaid Corless 1 – 0,
Karen Dowling 0 – 2.

Rathangan

Eadaoin Connolly 5 – 1,
Emma Kearney 0 – 1,
Carol Moloney 0 – 1,
Laura Fitzsimons 0 – 1.

Teams

Kilcullen

1 Caroline Breen,
2 Aoife O’Toole,
3 Nikky Dowling,
4 Aoife Sully,
5 Kate Willis,
6 (0-1), Muireann Fagan,
7 Emily Comerford,
8 Katie Berney (0-3),
9 Dáire Smyth (0-1),
10 Rachel Hovedan,
11 Lydia O’Toole,
12 Karen Dowling,
13 Sarah Doherty,
14 Gemma Carey (0-1),
15 Ciara Pembroke (1-0).

Subs:
Blánaid Corless (1-0) for S Doherty (50 min)
Aoife Ngai
Kelly Gaynor

Rathangan

1 Sharon Fox,
2 Michelle Walsh,
3 Kelsey Mulpeter-Perry,
4 Laura Gleeson,
5 Ciara Ivers,
6 Laura Gilligan,
7 Stephanie Mooney,
8 Emma Kearney (0-1),
9 Eadaoin Connolly (5-1) (Capt.)
10 Zoe Gorry
11 Carol Moloney (0-1),
13 Robyn Broughan,
14 Laura Fitzsimons (0-1),
15 Shauna Fitzsimons.

Referee Eoin Clifford.

Report by Tom Ryan