Wicklows Greystones beat Baltinglass in Junior Decider

Wicklow Junior B Championship

Wicklow
Eire Og, Greystones defeat Baltinglass Eire Og
Greystones 5 – 9 Baltinglass 0 – 11

The Junior “B” Championship final, played last Sunday in Aughrim,
resulted in a fine win for the ladies for Greystones. However
the score line does not reflect the closeness of the affair. With
a mere seven minutes remaining Eire Og were clinging to a 3 points
lead but a flurry of goals finished the gallant fight back by
the lassies from the west to leave Eire Og champions.

The match, played in a sporting manner by both teams started with
Anne Marie Doran on fire for Baltinglass and points by herself
(2) and Geraldine Norton gave Baltinglass the start they need
and they led by 3 points before Eire Og scored. That score engineered
by Player of the final Caoilfhionn Deeney put Lesley Anne Long
through on goal and she gave Niamh Moore in the Baltinglass goal
no chance from close range. The match ebbed and flowed from that
point to half time with points from Anne Marie Doran, and Norton
for Baltinglass replied by Tracy O’Halloran and Deeney leaving
the half time score Baltinglass 0-6 to Eire Og’s 1- 4.

However Eire Og’s Tracy O’Halloran at this stage had been sin
binned just before the break and supporters wondered the effect
the sin bin would have on their team. But the tireless work of
Mide Ni Suilleabhain, who curbed the effectiveness of Anne Marie
Doran, and Deeney kept the Baltinglass forwards at bay,. Indeed
by the time O’Halloran returned Eire Og’s lead had been extended
to 2-5 to 0-7 with the goal resulting from the direct running
Laurie Ahern. When Deirdre Walsh pointed it looked like curtains
for the Baltinglass girls but the stuck to their task and Sinead
Fisher who had been introduced as a second half substitute and
fine play by Louise Byrne started the revival with a point and
this was followed by points by Anne Marie Doran and Karen Cardiff
brought the deficit to 3.

But the Eire Og girls then should their mettle and with Lorna
Fuscardi and Tracy O’Halloran, who scored 2 fine frees, dominating
the centre the ship was steadied when Denney , Ahern and Keely
Ryder goaled leaving the final score Eire Og 5-9 to Baltinglass
0-11.

The cup was presented by Dominic Leech to the Eire Og captain
Mide Ni Suilleabhain and he thanked the Men’s County Board for
the use of Aughrim, the sporting teams and their fine mentors
and players and also the team of officials who took charge of
the match- principally the Referee Liam Cullen (Hollywood).

Eire Og: Ruth McElroy, Luka Hargan, Mide Ni Suilleabhain,
Eimear Ryan, Jennifer Groomes, Miamh Sherlock, Jade Coffey, Caoilfhionn
Deeney (1-3), Lorna Fuscardi, Deirdre Walsh (0-1), Tracey O’Halloran
(0-3), Laurie Aherne (2-0), Kellie Ryder (1-2), Lesley Anne Long
(1-0), Ciara Reilly,
Subs: Ashley Carroll, Niamh Kelly, Fiona Lavelle, Sile
O’ Neill, Marguerite Wardick, Erin Wiley, Colleen Byrne
Baltinglass: Niamh Moore, Danielle Leigh, Maura O’Sullivan,
Nina McCarney, Elaine Byrne, Louise Byrne, Briana Norton, Geraldine
Norton (0-3), Fiona Finn, Claire Leigh (0-1), Anne Marie Doran
(0-4), Karen Cardiff (0-1), Xansandra Smith, Edel Patterson, Michelle
Smith.
Subs: Sinead Fisher (0-2), Aoife Moore, Louise Byrne, Katie
Fennelly, Dara Paterson, Laura Heaslip, Tracy Norton, Kiara Fisher,
Lisa Byrne, Ruth Fleming, Helen Smith.

Dominic Leech dominicleech@eircom.net