Penalties Settle Dramatic TG4 All Star Match

2015 Allstars 3-18, 2014 Allstars 3-18 (2015 team won on penalties)

DRAMA aplenty in the TG4/Ladies Gaelic Football Allstars exhibition game played in the University of San Diego Torero Stadium at the week-end, with the first ever draw in seven overseas tours and then a penalty shoot-out in which team captain Cora Staunton’s decisive kick gave the 2015 selection victory on a 3-2 scoreline.

Referee Maggie Farrelly, making another bit of history as the first woman to take charge of an Allstars game, was central to the match ending in a draw. After Staunton had edged her team in front with a late point, Dublin’s Sinéad Aherne put over a free to tie the scores for the ninth time. Then, in the final attack of the game, Aherne kicked what looked like the winning point, except that Farrelly had already blown the final whistle!

The 2015 side led at half-time by a point, 0-10 to 1-6, with young Armagh star Aimee Mackin the top performer on view. And, in an exciting second half, after Aherne first and then Staunton each goaled from a penalty, the match contest produced some top-class football which was highlighted by further goals and then its dramatic climax.

Ladies Football President Marie Hickey described it as ‘a fantastic game.’ “We saw the best of the best out there today. The girls showed us all the skills. There was great excitement, great competition and a great result at the end of the day – our first draw and then a penalty shoot-out which was even better again.”

An interested spectator was Miami Dolphins’ American Footballer Roberto Wallace, a participant in the recently aired RTE show “The Toughest Trade,”when he tried Gaelic football in Mayo with the Breaffy club.

“I think it was awesome. These girls were really good – much better than I am, no question about it,” he commented. “It was very competitive, I was really impressed,” he said.

Scorers: 2015 Allstars: C. Staunton (1-3 frees) and A. Mackin 1-7 each; G. McLoughlin 1-2; V. Mulcahy 0-2 (0-1 free).

2014 Allstars: S. Aherne 1-4 (1-0 pen.); L. Davey 1-2; A. Pyers 0-5; S. McCleary 1-0; C. Courtney 0-3; C. O’Sullivan, F. McHale, C. O’Hanlon and S. Houlihan 0-1 each.

2015 Allstars: L. Martin (Monaghan), M. Ambrose (Cork), A. Desmond (Kerry), L. Wall (Waterford); V. Foley (Cork), S. Finnegan (Dublin), C. Kelly (Kerry); B. Corkery (Cork), R. Buckley (Cork); A. Walsh (Cork), C. Staunton (Mayo, capt.), C. Rowe (Dublin); V. Mulcahy (Cork), A. Tighe (Leitrim), A. Mackin (Armagh).

Inter-change: C. Hegarty (Donegal), G. Conneally (Galway) and N. McEvoy (Dublin).

*Sinead Goldrick (Dublin) and Tracey Leonard (Galway) were unable to line out.

2014 Allstars: C. Dollard (Laois); M. Tennyson (Armagh), A. Walsh (Cork), B. Stack (Cork); S. Furlong (Dublin) D. O’Reilly (Cork), S. Burke (Galway); C. O’Hanlon (Armagh, capt.), F. McHale (Mayo); N. Healy (Dublin), C.O’Sullivan (Cork), C. Courtney (Monaghan); L. Davey (Dublin), S. Aherne (Dublin), A. Pyers (Down).

Inter-change: M. Murphy (Laois), R. Phelan (Cork), B. Breen (Kerry), S. McCleary (Armagh) and S.Houlihan (Kerry).

*Geraldine O’Flynn (Cork) was unable to line out.

Referee: Maggie Farrelly (Cavan).