WICKLOW LADIES SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP 2005.

Wicklow championship round up WICKLOW LADIES SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP 2005.

Arklow
Geraldines/Ballymoney 3-8 Carnew 1-13

Arklow
caused an upset in the ladies Senior championship when they beat
Carnew by the narrowest of margins.

A
point from a free in the final minutes of the game by Ann Higgins
sealed the win for the Arklow girls,in what was an exciting first
round senior championship match in Pearse park Arklow.

Carnew
were first off the mark with a couple of points from their classy
forward Edel Kennedy in the third minute, Arklow’s Ann Higgins
responded with a goal a minute later, Arklow were then awarded
a penalty by referee John Doran for a foul inside the square on
wing forward Sarah Forde, the spot kick was cooly dispatched to
the back of the net by goal poacher Liz Fahy, the kick out from
Carnew keeper Ann lennon was picked up by Mary Forde notching
up a point for the sea siders.

However
between the eight and the twenty eight minutes Carnews Edel Kennedy
(who was carrying a knee injury coming in to the game) clicked
in to gear, her skill and strenght was too much for Arklow’s defensive
unit, Kennedy who was being shown a lot of respect by Arklow notched
up eight points, plus two points from her scoring partner Caroline
Gregan, with out reply from the Gers side, Gregan was very unlucky
for a goal in the twenty second minute when her shot across the
Arklow goal and bobbled to the outside of the post to the relief
of keeper Tina Byrne. Liz Fahy got Arklow back on the score board
with a point in the last minute of the half, there was now only
two points between the sides at the break.

Caroline
Gregan opened Carnew’s account in the first minute of the restart
with a well worked goal involving Aoife Doran,and Edel Kennedy
who was now being well marshalled by her county team mate Naomi
Ryder, which allowed the Arklow side to step out of Carnews shadow
and play their own brand of attacking football.

The
home sides Brenda Fox (nee Halligan) and turbo charged Aine Byrne
supplying quality passes in to the forward line of Sarah Forde,
Liz Fahy Aisling Byrne and Mary Forde. Both side exchanging scores
through out a free flowing second half, it was not until the first
minute of the last quarter that the home side went in to the lead,
Catheriona Gaa Byrne collecting the ball from Ailbhe Carney in
the center of the park , finding Sarah Forde on the wing who gave
a quick pass in to Fahy who gave Ann Lennon no chance in the Carnew
goals.

With
only two minutes left on the clock, Kennedy brought the sides
level with a point from a free, a minute later Arklow were back
in front, a point from a free from Ann Higgins after Fahy was
fouled on the twenty metre line. The game was now in to injury
time when Carnew’s Loretta Gilbert pick up a pass from Ann Comiskey
and fixed her sights on the Arklow’s goal, however standing in
way was Arklow’s Nora O’Connell,Helen hurley and captain and the
home sides savior Tina Byrne, who pull off two brilliant point
blank saves to give her team victory and put her side in to the
semi-final of the championship against Valleymount in Dunlavin
on Sunday the twenty fourth of July at six o’clock.

scorers:

Arklow: Liz Fahy 2-2. Ann Higgins 1-3. Michelle Kinsella
0-1. Aine Byrne 0-1. Mary Forde 0-1

Carnew:
Edel Kennedy 0-11. Caroline Gregan 1-2.