Wicklow Ladies Junior League Match Report

Wicklow ladies football Junior league.

FOCUS MATCH. EIRE-Og 4-9. DONARD 1-7.

The race for the junior league title resumed on Saturday evening
last when Eire Og played host to the ladies from Donard, the home
side were out to avenge their one point defeat by the girls from
the west in their last encounter in the junior championship earlier
this year, the home sides star midfielder Caoilfhinn Deeney was
in top form on the day with a personnel tally of 2-5 to ensure
that her side were comfortable winners at full time. However the
score line does not reflect the fighting spirit of the Donard
side, they held Eire Og to just five points during the second
half while notching up a score of 1-6, the visitors may also look
back on the five scorable chances in each half that were just
off target. Eire Og were first off the mark with two points from
Caoilfhinn Deeney in the first and a second from a free in the
fourth minute, Donards keeper Marcella Egars made a great save
when she was called in to action in the third minute to deny center
forward Tracey O’Halloran her first scoring chance of the game.

However the hard working O’Halloran made no mistakes in the thirteenth
and sixteenth minute, tagging on a brace of points for her efforts,
the home sides pacy wing forward Laurie Ahern was also in top
form , her excellent distribution of the ball in to the full forward
line was causing problems for the Donard back line, Ahern added
a point to the score line after one of her twisting and turning
solo runs up the left wing. While the home side were dominating
the game on the score board they did have to work hard for their
scores, their experienced full back Midi Ni Suilleabhain marshalled
her defensive wall of Jade Coffey, Niamh Sherlock, Laura Mitchell
and Luka Hargan to ensure that the visitors score for the first
half was kept to just a single point, which came from the boot
of Nicola Conhran in the tenth minute of the half. Eire Og Finished
off their first half scoring blitz with a goal from Eleanor Kelly,
with five minutes left on the clock, a shot from Deeney rebounded
off the upright out to the awaiting Kelly who rifled the ball
past Eagers in the Donard goals. The west Wicklow sides center
forward Deirdre Dwyer did have a chance of a goal in the dying
seconds of the half but her effort was denied by Eire Og’s keeper
Ruth McElroy.

Donard mentors Jacko Toomey and Larry Daly made a number of changes
to their side for the second half in an attempt to shore up the
defence and turn the tide in their favour, the visitors Vanessa
Harney kick started the come back with a point in the fifth minute,
however Laura Ahern popped her shot over for the home side to
keep the fifteen point gap intact until Caoilfhionn Deeney well
worked goal in the fourteenth minute extended the sea siders lead
to eighteen points. For the last quarter of the game it was all
Donard, the west Wicklow girls finally found the missing gears
and put in a blistering spell of action packed football, in an
effort to reel in Eire Og, Caroline Griffin, Roisin Toomey and
their top scorer Vanessa Harney tagged on three points in as many
minutes to give their side a much needed lift, Harney added a
goal in the twentieth minute after her side was awarded a free
on the edge of the parallogram, her well weighted shot dipped
under Ruth McElroys cross bar to reduce the gap to twelve points
with out reply. With ten minutes left in the game there was a
slight sense of panic in this young Eire Og side, were they going
to let their lead slip like they did in the championship game
against Donard and in their league games against Kilcoole and
Clara.

Donard’s wing forward Nichola Conhran managed to add a further
two points to her sides score before referee Tony O’Loughlin called
for the ball. Eire Og running out comfortable winners in the end.The
Eire Og ladies are back in action on Sunday next in the county
grounds in Aughrim at 6.45. in the Junior ‘B’ championship final,
their opponents on the day are the ladies from Baltinglass. While
at 5pm in the same venue Bray Emmets and Carnew will go head to
head in a replay of the senior ‘B’ championship semi-final, their
first high tempo semi-final clash ended in a draw, the eventual
winners will go forward to meet Kilbride in the final.

Eire Og: Ruth McElroy, Jade Coffey. Midi Ni Suilleabhain,
Eirrann Wiley, Niamh Sherlock, Laura Mitchell, Luka Hargan, Caoilfhionn
Deeney (2-5), Jenny grooms, Ciara Reilly, Tracey O’Halloran(0-2),
Laurie Ahern(0-2), Ashley Carroll, Lesley Ann Long(1-0), Eleanor
Kelly(1-0).
Donard: Marcella Egars, Michelle Dalton, Emer Byrne, Marie
Griffin, Lynsey Quillian, Mary Byrne, Clodagh Healy, Claire Harney,
Roisin Toomey(0-1),Nichola Conhan(0-3), Vanessa Harney(1-2), Amanda
Mills Butler, Caroline Griffin(0-1), Deirdre Dwyer, Niamh Walsh,
Siobhan Byrne.
Referee. Tony O’Loughlin.

Michael Forde. 10 Lamberton Heights Arklow. Co Wicklow. PRO Wicklow
ladies football.