Listowel live to fight another day

Listowel live to fight another day

Munster Ladies Junior A Championship Quarter Final

Listowel Live to fight another day

Moyle Rovers 1-10 Listowel Emmett’s 2-7

Listowels first trip into the provincial fields of Munster tested their character to the hilt when they ground out a draw with an under par performance against a fancied Moyle Rovers. The patrons that travelled to Croagh had to wait till extra time to see free flowing football after both teams stuttered through the main 60 mins with a nervous display that prevented any open football and with Gene Buckley happy to whistle with every foul the game was played in a stop start nature.

Anne Marie McGrath had the first point of the game for Moyle Rovers, when she converted a 30m free inside 2 mins and things looked good for the Tipp side when Niamh Lonnergan added another on the 7th Min with Miram O’Keefe opening the Listowel account on the 10min. However the scoreboard official had to wait another 19mins before he had to be called into action when O’Keefe added another point. To be fair in that 19mins there were more than enough chances with both teams sharing 11 wides and Norma O’Sullivan saw her penalty brilliantly saved by Ciara O’Donoghue after the Tipp goal keeper was harshly adjudged to fowl the ball.

The second half too refused to take light with McGrath and O’Keefe both swapping a pointed free each in the first 13mins to leave things level at 3pts each. However Listowel began to find their form at last and a brilliant long ball from Amanda O’Donnell found sub Heather O’Rourke close in on goal and a telling pass to Laura Lavery saw the former Kerry minor double the lead with a well taken goal. O’Rourke added a point a min later and it looked as if they would kick on from there. However it was the Tipp girls that improved and when Barbara Ryan crashed a Niamh Foley cross to the net it was game on with a minute to go and Moyle added the equaliser through Nancy Ferris on the final whistle to leave it level on 1-4 apiece.

The first period of extra time saw both sides really look for victory and when Norma O’Sullivan scored her first point on the 4th min , it was strange to believe it was the fourth score in 4 mins. O’Keefe added a point and Moyle Rovers kept their tally rolling over with Lydia Ahearne and Katie Lyne.

Heather O’Rourke had a gaoling chance but Ciara o’Donoghue again pulled off a great save. O’Keefe had her 5th point before Gillian O’Brien had her first score to again keep the scores level.

O’Rourke gave Listowel what looked like a game wining score when she goaled inside the 1st min of the second half of extra time but again it was the Tipp side that fought to the end and points from Ann Marie McGrath,Kelly Walsh and Katie Lyne gave the Tipp girls a deserved draw.

On a day when Listowel played well below par it was their defence they can thank for surviving, The Stapletons, Rachel Keane and Megan Galvin battled hard and Miriam O’Keefe tally of 5 points was important but Heather O’Rourke’s presence inside the Full Forward line proved vital as she scored 1-1 as a sub. Indeed the Listowel Scoring spread was 4 players while Moyle Rovers scores came from 8 different players with all their forwards scoring.

Both side will do battle again on Sunday next at a Limerick venue to be announced at 12 noon and there is no reason to suggest that Listowel do not have what it take to defeat Moyle Rovers but will need to improve their overall performance or their Munster dream might well end prematurely.

Listowel

Katie Wall,Rachel Stapleton,Mary Beades,Rachel Keane,Rebbeca Stapleton,B Lane,Meghan Galvin,Amanda O’Donnell,Caoimhe O’Sullivan,Aoife Hannon,Norma O’Sullivan(0-1),Aoife Dillane Inj 35mins replaced by Heather O’Rourke,Miriam O’Keefe(0-5,)-3F),Aoife Gallagher, Laura Lavery(1-0).

Moyle Rovers

Ciara O’Donoghue,Sarah Boland,Claire Clancy,Danni Delahunty,Tina Mulcahy,Lorraine Rover,Kelly Walsh(0-1),Barbara Ryan(1-0)Shauna O’Brien,Lydia Ahearne(0-1)Gillian O’Brien(0-1),Niamh Lonnergan(0-1)Katie Lyne(0-2),Nancy Ferris(0-1),Ann marie McGrath(0-3)

Ref Gene Buckley (Cork)