Wexfords Kilanerin defeat St Brigids in Leinster

INTERMEDIATE CLUB LEINSTER SEMI-FINALS

Intermediate
leinster club semi-final 2005 9/10/05
Kilanerin (Wexford) 2-10 St. Brigids (Dublin) 0-11.

Kilanerin from north Wexford have reached the finals of
the Leinster intermediate club championship with a well
earned victory over favourite St. Brigids of Dublin on
Sunday last in Gorey.The Kilanerin girls went in to the
break two points in arrears, knowing that they would be
playing against a stiff breeze in the second half, the
home side knew that they would have to give it their all
if they were going to over turn St Brigids, this they
done, with a five point margin, and now they can start
to prepare for the leinster final.

Playing with the wind in the first half the Kilanerin
girls were first to raise the white flag, Dawn Bergin
tapping over in the third minute of the half, a minute
and a half later the Wexford side had three points on
the board courtesy of Roisin O’Donohoe and their pacy
number 15 Catriona Murray.The home side kept the visitors
pinned in their own half with Marian Hayden forcing a
good save from Kelly Carolan in the St. Brigids goals.

The sides were dead locked for the next seven minutes
before the visitors notched up their first score, Colleen
Barrett’s powerful shot going over off the cross bar,
Mary Galvin tagged on their second point to put just two
points between the sides, Kilanerin’s midfield general
Mary Cullen was in control at this stage of the game giving
her opposite number Caroline Deasy little change. Before
the first quarter was up Kilanerin were five points to
two up, however the tide turned against them in the second
quarter and it was the Dublin side that could do no wrong,
shooting over five accurate points in as many minutes,
Kilanerin were living dangerously, and could have been
in serious trouble only for their excellent keeper and
my player of the match Samantha Cushe who pulled off four
excellent saves in the first half that Shay Given would
have proud of. Catriona Murray’s last foray forward pared
the Dubs lead back to one point in the 27th minute, but
Colleen Barrett converted well in to injury time to finished
the half St. Brigids 0-8 Kilanerin 0-6.

The start to the second half was a tense affair, and was
a little slow to get going, with a number of heavy tackles
going in from each side, both sides trying to get the
upper hand, the turning point for kilanerin came in the
fifth minute when Meabh Hughes after scoring a point latched
on to Kelly Carolans puck out and found Aoibheen Kinsella
in space, Kinsella headed straight for goal and planted
the ball in to the right hand corner of the net, the Wexford
girls were ahead for the first time in the game. The visitors
responded with two accurate points in quick succession
from the boot of their number 15 Colleen Barrett to put
them back in front until the end of the third quarter
when Meabh Hughes pointed to draw the side level,and it
was Hughes that gave the knife a final twist when she
rattled the cross bar with a powerful shot and was the
first to pounce on to the rebound and rifle the ball in
to Carolans net followed by a point a minute later.

The visitors were six points down and on the back foot
with the clock ticking down ,the home side had their sights
fixed on the winning line and were determined that they
were going to cross it first, St Brigids last charge forward
resulted in a point from their top scorer on the day Colleen
Barrett. Referee Fran Mullins brought the game to a controversial
end, the Dublin side claiming that he blew the game up
early with a number of minutes still left on the clock.
This was probably Kilanerins best performance in the club
championship so far, they stuck to their task through
out the game and did not panic when they were under pressure
from this strong Dublin side. They are starting to believe
that they have what it takes to go all the way in this
competition, and if they play like they did today there
is no reason why they can not lift the title.

Kilanerin Panel: Samantha Cushe, Paula Finn, Sarah
Merrigan, Caroline Noblet, Linda Stephens, Karen Morris,
Mary Jo Lawless,Mary Cullen, Aisling Poole, Dawn Bergin(0-1),
Roisin O’Donohoe(0-2),Marian Hayden(0-1)Bridget Cullen,
Meabh Hughes(1-3), Cathriona Murray(0-3), Subs:Aoibheen
Kinsella(1-0), Elaine Nashe, Christina Brown, Meadhbh
Nolan, Natalie cushe, Samantha kelly,Ciara Owley, Andrea
O’Sullivan, Amy Deacon, Michelle Cushe, Sarah Woodbyrne.
St. Brigids: Kelly Carolan, Roisin Ni Bhaoil, Carol
Ann Griffin, Alison Kelly, Brid Leahy, Lyndsay Killmurra,
Sorcha Furlong, Caroline Deasy, Louise Keegan, Orla Brennan(0-1),
Barbara Kelly(0-1), Amy Molly(0-2), Mary Holland, Mary
Galvin(0-1), Colleen Barrett(0-6). Subs. Patricia Bruen,
Jennifer Weldon, Aileen Barrett, Jackie Kilmurra, Claire
McNamee, Joanne Bruen, Mary Holland, Jan Rice.
Referee. Fran Mullins (Carlow)

Michael Forde
wicklowladiesfootball@eircom.net